Blackouts
sobriety date 5-2-12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Midwest
Posts: 903
Blackouts
Ok- this may sound really stupid...
At a meeting today a guy was saying how normal drinkers don't have blackouts. I was shocked. I talked to him after and he said they may have one or two VERY rarely, but not regularily. I drank 1-2 times a week and drank 75% till blackout. I didn't think that was uncommon.
I am a pretty smart person but for some reason this went right by me as normal.
At a meeting today a guy was saying how normal drinkers don't have blackouts. I was shocked. I talked to him after and he said they may have one or two VERY rarely, but not regularily. I drank 1-2 times a week and drank 75% till blackout. I didn't think that was uncommon.
I am a pretty smart person but for some reason this went right by me as normal.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,445
sobriety date 5-2-12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Midwest
Posts: 903
Interesting site-
maybe what the guy in the mtg was saying that most people don't continue to drink until they blackout? I don't know. I guess it doesn't matter anymore bc I don't drink
maybe what the guy in the mtg was saying that most people don't continue to drink until they blackout? I don't know. I guess it doesn't matter anymore bc I don't drink
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,071
Aeo, I'm with you. The majority of people do not drink until they black out. The last few months I was drinking I blacked out almost every night. For some reason at the time it didn't strike me as something I needed worry about. Yikes.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 22
My last couple of months drinking involved black outs most days too. So not cool looking back on it . Today I am 8 months sober and it is the hardest thing I have ever done. Still struggle on a daily basis. Suppose it will get easier one day.
Life is so different with out it. Cant hide from problems,cant mask unhappiness,cant fake being confident.
Life is so different with out it. Cant hide from problems,cant mask unhappiness,cant fake being confident.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 268
When I was a substance counselor, finding out someone blacks out was a huge warning sign for addiction. Especially if the amount they black out keeps increasing, and they don't continue to stop. With that said, it is not the sole reason to think someone might have a problem.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canada. About as far south as you can get
Posts: 4,768
Originally Posted by aeo1313 
Ok- this may sound really stupid...
At a meeting today a guy was saying how normal drinkers don't have blackouts. I was shocked. I talked to him after and he said they may have one or two VERY rarely, but not regularily. I drank 1-2 times a week and drank 75% till blackout. I didn't think that was uncommon.
I am a pretty smart person but for some reason this went right by me as normal.
At a meeting today a guy was saying how normal drinkers don't have blackouts. I was shocked. I talked to him after and he said they may have one or two VERY rarely, but not regularily. I drank 1-2 times a week and drank 75% till blackout. I didn't think that was uncommon.
I am a pretty smart person but for some reason this went right by me as normal.
That is our disease, we do not comprehend the idea of "A Drink".....
I do not naturally comprehend the idea of NORMAL or SANE, I have to be taught.
My SANE is the rest of the world's INSANITY ........
I hear oldtimers with 20-30-40 years in AA talking about the "awakenings" they have as the years go by. That's why I attend the meetings regularly now, not for the first half of Step 1 but for the second half of Step 1.... and the other 11 Steps
All the best.
Bob R
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Southeast, USA
Posts: 631
I won't say "normal", but I do not think it is "typical" for anyone to black out. I drank for 25 years, at times ridiculously heavily, and I only blacked out about 3 times and that was when I was in college (now 19 years ago). I certainly drank enough to black out, but did not all those thousands of other times. When I was a child I had a friend whose father was an alcoholic, and he would black out after just a couple (literally) of drinks. It was really scary. One time he woke up in a strange town 50 miles away. My black outs in college usually involved waking up in bed at home and not knowing how I got there or drove (yikes) home. I never blacked out and "stayed awake" at parties or anything like that where I was functioning and people told me about it later.
sobriety date 5-2-12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Midwest
Posts: 903
Originally Posted by Leemzer
I won't say "normal", but I do not think it is "typical" for anyone to black out. I drank for 25 years, at times ridiculously heavily, and I only blacked out about 3 times and that was when I was in college (now 19 years ago). I certainly drank enough to black out, but did not all those thousands of other times. When I was a child I had a friend whose father was an alcoholic, and he would black out after just a couple (literally) of drinks. It was really scary. One time he woke up in a strange town 50 miles away. My black outs in college usually involved waking up in bed at home and not knowing how I got there or drove (yikes) home. I never blacked out and "stayed awake" at parties or anything like that where I was functioning and people told me about it later.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,410
I would agree with Leemzer about normal drinker don't blackout. Typical drinker general don't blackout.
The only time that I truly blackout was when I didn't drink for a week. I got out of bed and went to the store to buy alcohol and steak and went home and went to sleep. I don't know if that was blacking out or just sleep walk.
I thought it was funny at the time. Funny how the mind works.
The only time that I truly blackout was when I didn't drink for a week. I got out of bed and went to the store to buy alcohol and steak and went home and went to sleep. I don't know if that was blacking out or just sleep walk.
I thought it was funny at the time. Funny how the mind works.
Choosing Life
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Montana
Posts: 1,435
I didn't black out in the early days of my drinking, but during my last year, I blacked out pretty much every time I drank, which was every day. I never saw it coming either. I'd drink all day, feel sluggish and numb, but I'd still be "there," at least for awhile. As the day wore on, some line would get crossed and then I'd have no memory of what happened the rest of the day ... I'd just wake up at some point and say, "How did I get here? What did I do/say?" Scary stuff. I'm so grateful that isn't me anymore.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 5,678
I almost feel like I have given up drinking twice because I had to give up spirits many years ago because of blackouts. If I started off drinking vodka I would remember maybe the first few hours but that was it. I remember waking up at home one day after being at a festival and remembering nothing of the previous day bar the first hour or so and having to phone friends to find out what happened. Lets just say I managed to accomplish alot in that time which I forgot! It probably only happened a few times but it was really scary. For 10 years after that I just stuck to beer and had the normal amount of memory loss after a night drinking. Maybe peoples version of 'blackout' varies. Practically every person I know has at some point complained of not remembering how they got home last night, but that probably isn't the same as loosing a whole evening. Now I'm sober I still have mornings when I can't remember what I did last night, at least for a while anyhoo 
Undrunk since Jan28 2012
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Boise, ID
Posts: 13
Right before I quit drinking, I was watching family feud, and one of the questions was "How many drinks before you know you'll have a hangover the next day?"
Me and my buddy, both hammered, were guessing in quart and case type measurements, and we were literally shocked to see that all the answers were under 5 individual drinks. It truly is shocking how skewed ones views can be toward alcohol when your "normal" night consists of a 30 pack of 5.5% beer, and possibly a beer run after that if the party is still going...
Blackouts weren't very common for me, so I thought people who HAD blackouts were alcoholics, but looking back now, and having talked to a psychologist about it, I realize that was plain stupid.
Me and my buddy, both hammered, were guessing in quart and case type measurements, and we were literally shocked to see that all the answers were under 5 individual drinks. It truly is shocking how skewed ones views can be toward alcohol when your "normal" night consists of a 30 pack of 5.5% beer, and possibly a beer run after that if the party is still going...
Blackouts weren't very common for me, so I thought people who HAD blackouts were alcoholics, but looking back now, and having talked to a psychologist about it, I realize that was plain stupid.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 139
I've actually NEVER blacked out. It kind of makes me feel sometimes like I'm not an alcoholic. But, I know I drank heavily enough at times where others would black out, but I wouldn't.
About the family fued thing. I was watching a game show yesterday in which the contestants needed to determine if something is was normal or abnormal based on 1000 people polled. The item was, "drank an entire bottle of wine by yourself". I truly thought that was normal!!! The response was only 34% of 1000 people said they had done that. And that 34% were probably alcoholics!!!
About the family fued thing. I was watching a game show yesterday in which the contestants needed to determine if something is was normal or abnormal based on 1000 people polled. The item was, "drank an entire bottle of wine by yourself". I truly thought that was normal!!! The response was only 34% of 1000 people said they had done that. And that 34% were probably alcoholics!!!
sobriety date 5-2-12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Midwest
Posts: 903
Originally Posted by 12skiptomylue
I've actually NEVER blacked out. It kind of makes me feel sometimes like I'm not an alcoholic. But, I know I drank heavily enough at times where others would black out, but I wouldn't.
About the family fued thing. I was watching a game show yesterday in which the contestants needed to determine if something is was normal or abnormal based on 1000 people polled. The item was, "drank an entire bottle of wine by yourself". I truly thought that was normal!!! The response was only 34% of 1000 people said they had done that. And that 34% were probably alcoholics!!!
About the family fued thing. I was watching a game show yesterday in which the contestants needed to determine if something is was normal or abnormal based on 1000 people polled. The item was, "drank an entire bottle of wine by yourself". I truly thought that was normal!!! The response was only 34% of 1000 people said they had done that. And that 34% were probably alcoholics!!!
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
