Alcohol-Induced Memory Blackouts Explained
Blackouts. Alcohol-induced memory blackouts. You may have heard one or both terms, but what do they mean?
As an example, if you’ve ever found yourself in a bizarre argument with something who’s been drinking heavily or been on the receiving end of their behaviors too hurtful to rationalize and then felt even more betrayed the next morning when the person acts as if nothing happened, that person may have been experiencing an alcohol-induced memory blackout.
The Partnership at DrugFree.org and Join Together ran an article by Celia Vimont on June 15, titled: “New Studies Shed Much-Needed Light on Alcohol-Induced Memory Blackouts.” I especially enjoyed it because it shared the science of why — why is it that a person you know and trust (and perhaps even love) can do things beyond your comprehension and not recall all or part of what was said or done the next morning. Quoting from Ms. Vimont’s article:
“Blackouts are periods of amnesia, caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, during which a person actively engages in behaviors but the brain is unable to create memories for what transpires. This leaves holes in a person’s memory that can range from spotty recall for the events of the previous night (known as fragmentary blackouts) to the utter absence of memory for large portions of an evening (known as en bloc blackouts).
Blackouts are very different from passing out, when a person falls asleep or is rendered unconscious from drinking too much. During blackouts, people can participate in events ranging from the mundane, like eating food, to the emotionally charged, like fights or intercourse, with little or no recall. According to Dr. Aaron White, Program Director for Underage and College Drinking Prevention Research at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), ‘It can be quite difficult for an outside observer to tell if someone is in a blackout. The person could seem aware and articulate, but without any memory being recorded.’”
This is not to suggest that a blackout is an excuse for rotten behaviors or a reason to tolerate them, but it does provide an explanation. It can help you appreciate that the behavior was not really the intent of the person’s “true” thoughts and feelings, but rather it was the result of their brain being too compromised by alcohol to function normally. I encourage you to read the entire article – just click on this title link: “New Studies Shed Much-Needed Light on Alcohol Induced Memory Blackouts.”
Lisa Frederiksen
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