suki44883

I don't mean to sound harsh, but...are you trying to find an excuse on which to put blame for whatever it is you did?

suki44883

Of course it's a factor, even if it only happens ONE time.

MalcolmTucker

No. The point of this thread is that I have absolutely no idea what I did. I was just trying to gauge the extent to which people do flagrantly embarrassing things while blacked out.

edit: @ your previous post

MalcolmTucker

It was new year's eve, so I had no scruples about drinking during the day before I went out. When I went out, I was repeatedly given cocktails which I hastily consumed when I normally just stick with beer and the occasional shot.

Clutch B

Have you ever seen a drunk person in a blackout before?

I've seen lots of them. They're obnoxious, loud, disruptive -- get physically sick, vomiting and urinating themselves in public. Pass out unconscious in dangerous public places, etc. They yell, argue, and generally treat people like crap. They get into fights or collapse and cry like babies.

To top it all off, they don't remember ANYTHING the next day. Or they just remember a few little things, but not enough to put the whole picture together.

So yeah, when people black out, they can do things completely out of character that would horrify them when/if they ever find out about it later.

(Have you ever seen the movie called "The Hangover"? It's a quite humorous story of a blackout ... although I realize your personal experience is not funny, the movie might help you to understand more about it.)

MalcolmTucker

I've seen drunk people in blackout states, some of whom were out-of-control belligerent and some of whom were not. That's why I'm asking about why blackout drunkenness affects people differently. Some people actively and aggressively went out of their way to embarrass themselves, whereas with others, the embarrassment boiled down to nothing more than uncoordinated physical comedy.

Dee74

I find it interesting you're so fixated on one night a month and half ago.
If you don't like experiencing blackouts, don't drink Malcolm.

D

north

I remember viewing a documentary a few years ago on controlled experiments on drinking. Alcoholics/problem drinkers were provided with as natural a setting to drink -- a free bar with all the fixings for them and their friends. The entire proceedings were recorded on video and at regular intervals, the subjects would be taken aside to perform simple motor control and memory tests.

Often based on our own personal experiences with blackouts, we assume that we must have been incoherent blathering drunks during that period of "no memory". What I observed in the documentary is that subjects "blacked out" (stopped remembering) way earlier before that point of incoherence. People would be conversing 'normally' and carrying on intelligent conversations without falling over or appearing overly intoxicated but their long-term memory functions would cease recording - it was as if the 'recording needle' had simply lifted. Of course, after many more drinks, the subjects would then fall into a serious state of drunkenness -- pass-out, maybe vomit and call it a night.

The next morning, their own recollection of the evening would indicate their memory "shut off" a lot earlier than the point where they appeared to have drunk too much alcohol. The subjects were very surprised to see videos of them carrying on seemingly intelligent conversations that they had no recollection about.

BP44

Malcolm, are you an alcoholic? That's really the question. We can discuss blackouts all day long. Every one who has experience with them will have varying accounts. I was not a belligerant blackout drinker. In fact, there are some who say I acted mildly intoxicated when I was in a blackout. I was in enough control to drive 2 states away on one occasion and come to on a beach with absolutely no recall how I got there. When you have to frantically search for your car, where you are staying etc. there's a problem. I had to go to 3 different hotels to find out the one I was registered at. Something to consider is this....normal drinkers do not suffer blackouts.

MalcolmTucker

I am probably an alcoholic, but it normally isn't a problem.

This is the issue I want to return to. Does the assumption that people in blackouts do stupid and impulsive things assume that just getting very drunk makes them that way, or does something special happen once blackout stage is reached?

When I am very, very drunk but with a functioning memory, I still monitor my own behaviour don't ever embarrass myself. Does this make it less likely that I would embarrass myself when blacked out?

Clutch B

Hi, Malcolm

Maybe I misunderstand (and if I do, I'm sorry about that!)

But I thought you said the blackout was an isolated incident for you, that it only happened once, and it's never going to happen again. Do I understand this part correctly?

This is where I'm getting confused: You keep asking about how blackouts work.

Are you asking this so that you can have a better expectation of what might happen if you black out again?

-- OR --

Are you trying to determine if your friends exaggerated the story to you about your blackout behavior, telling you that it was worse than it really was?

Sorry for the questions, I'm just trying to pinpoint exactly what is being asked.

I'm glad you're here, and please keep posting

MalcolmTucker

thanks, dude

I am never planning to black out again, it was an isolated incident.

Actually, I am concerned that my friends understated the degree to which I embarrassed myself. But yeah, that's what I'm trying to determine by asking about the nature of blackouts.

Nyte Byrd

I think some of the confusion that some have is some people tend to think of drinking and just 'passing out' as being a blackout. That is not a blackout. That is just drinking too much, getting drunk, and passing out. And usually one has some vague memories of what occurred.
Whether one had inhibited behavior or not under those conditions is irrelevant to a blackout.

When someone is drinking and goes into a 'blackout' they do NOT pass out. They are very much active in their movement and continue to be awake. Something happens though with their thinking where they completely lose memory of space and time from one point to another. As far as they know, one moment they were in one place, and when they opened their eyes the next, they are somewhere else. That's why so many can't find their cars. They actually moved them in a blackout. They were not 'passed out'.

Some have even found themselves in another state and had no idea how they got there.

My worst experience with one was when I was in the Navy. Mid-70's. Portland Oregon. At a party. Drinking, smoking pot, abusing pills. All I know I was at the party one moment, opened my eyes, and it was early morning hours and I was in my rented apt. in Portland in my bed and had no idea how I got there (miles away). People at the party said I grabbed my coat, walked down the hall, they asked where I was going, I didn't answer, and just walked out the door. For all I know, I could have killed someone on the way home, and would have never known about it. Imagine being in jail being accused of a murder you don't even know you committed? It could happen and probably has.

So I just wanted to point out, that getting drunk, passing out and crashing a car, is not having a blackout.

It's the dangest thing though to actually have a total loss of space and time and feel like you've been transported from one place in time to another.

MalcolmTucker

When I woke up the following morning, I was kind of aware of having been kicked out of the bar, but nothing else. Actually, I knew I was ejected but I didn't know it was for falling down the stairs, I thought I had gone outside for a cig and the bouncer had refused to let me back in.

chip

Hi Malcolm,
For me, my behavior in my blackouts seemed to be random. I had no control, although at times I appeared to have control (have intellegent conversation, drive a car etc....). Most of the time, I didn't cause trouble in my blackouts, but the times I did were horrible enough to convince me I had a problem with alcohol. The fact that I could not predict what would happen when I drank scared me. What if I killed or hurt someone? The chances of doing this might be as high as they are for me to say something stupid....I just don't know. No one has any control in a blackout. They might seem in control, but there are no guarentees about what may happen.

The bottom line is that Black out drinking is dangerous, and it's a major red flag.
chip

OmarK

I am a binge drinker and would blackout every time I go one one of these binges; which is usually three or four times a year and three to five days at a stretch. I always seems to lose my glasses, keys, wallets and coats but never being accused of being either belligerent, or anti social seems I am a quiet drunk.

CarolD

Malcom ...you are worrying about the past
that can't be undone. Totally over.
At least you did not kill...rape or injure another.

Were you injured when you fell down?
I sure hope you are physically ok.

Clutch B

Well, sure there is a chance that your friends may have understated what actually happened. They may have been partially blacked out themselves. Funny thing about blackouts, is that a person doesn't know they're in one. So even if your friends swear they weren't blacked out, they can really only tell you what they remember. (Of course there's also the chance they really weren't blacked out and they're only telling you a little bit of the truth, to spare you)

You're extremely lucky to be alive, that you didn't kill anyone. I have met more than one person who had a few drinks at a bar, then seemingly minutes later, woke up in a jail cell being told that they have been charged with vehicular manslaughter, resisting arrest and assault and battery on an officer. They had absolutely NO MEMORY of any of this happening. They went from having a good time at the bar to waking up in a jail cell, finding out all of these horrifying things.

Be grateful this did not happen to you. It could have been so much worse.

MalcolmTucker

I mean, I get that terrible things can happen to people when blacked out, but does it depend on personality?

I am a shy nerd when sober and in every memory I have of being so drunk I could barely form sentences, I was still monitoring myself to ensure I never said anything that gave away embarrassing details.

Does something change when you hit the blackout stage, or is it basically all about memory?

NoelleR

It would appear that a better education regarding alcoholic blackouts may be necessary.

Someone earlier stated that normal drinkers do not suffer blackouts; this is definitely NOT true---blackouts are far more common than most folks believe. Blackouts occur when a person drinks too much in too short a time. Folks on here have also made statements similar to.....: folks 'in blackouts' are not in control; folks have seen many folks having blackouts; listing attributes that folks show while in blackouts......etc. total bunk.

First let me say that there is not such thing as having a boackout, being in a blackout, etc. Blackout is simply a term for a period of time which memories are lost. A person doesn't act any differently during these times; they just act drunk (which they are), and do whatever they do when drunk. Everything we do, all our actions, etc., we create memories; first as short-term memories (cells), and then transferred over to loong-term memories (cells). Unfortunately, there are times when these memories get lost; they get lost from short-term memory, get lost during transfer to long-term memory, or die in long-term memory. So, when the individual tries to remember, he/she can't, because those memories aren't there any longer.

Here I will just suggest some research into blackouts; there's a lot out there.


NoelleR