The term alcoholic blackout refers to the temporary loss of memory that is caused by excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages.
This alcoholic amnesia is caused by a damage that alcohol does to the central nervous system, which leads to forgetting what happened during the drinking period. So, when the person is intoxicated, he is able to remember everything normally, but after a brief period of sleep and after the drinking has passed, a blackout appears where it is difficult to remember what was done the night before, with whom he was with or how you got home, for example.
This is a physiological event and a normal and natural response of the body to intoxication with alcoholic beverages.
How to identify
To identify whether or not you have suffered from alcoholic blackout, you must answer the following questions:
- Did you drink a lot from the night before and don't remember parts of the night? Can't you remember what drinks you drank? Don't you know how you got home? Don't you remember meeting friends or acquaintances the night before? Don't you know where you've been?
If you answered affirmatively to most of the previous questions, it is likely that you have suffered an alcoholic blackout, caused by the excessive intake of alcoholic beverages.
How to avoid alcoholic blackout
To avoid alcoholic blackout the best tip is to avoid the consumption of alcoholic beverages, but if this is not possible then you should:
- Eat before drinking and every 3 hours, especially after starting to drink; Take activated charcoal before starting to drink, as it makes it difficult for the stomach to absorb alcohol; Always drink the same drink, avoiding drinks composed of mixtures of drinks, like shots or cocktails for example; Drink a glass of water before each drink, to ensure hydration.
These tips help not only prevent alcoholic blackout but also reduce hangovers, helping to drink less alcohol and maintain hydration. See our tips on how you can cure your hangover faster.
When it is more frequent
Alcoholic blackout occurs most commonly in people who drink on an empty stomach, who are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol or who do not consume alcoholic beverages regularly.
In addition, the higher the alcohol content of the drink, the greater the chances of suffering a blackout. For example, absinthe liqueur is the drink with the highest amount of alcohol sold in Brazil and abroad, around 45% alcohol, and it is also the drink that most easily causes memory loss.
