Red78

Im reading the book Blackout by Sarah Hepola. I had some thoughts about blackouts.. when we wake up and realise the last thing we remember was before a black out.. does this mean we were in blackout from the last thing we remember, or does it mean we got ****** up later on and then our memory decided to block **** out from the night...
For me it's a random concept that I can't understand..

Red78

I guess I'm asking what people's ideas and understandings are around blackouts...
I'm drinking right now cause I caved...
Maybe I won't have memories of writing this tomorrow.. that's the scary thing..

Pelagic263

As I understand it, when the BAC gets high enough, the brain simply stops recording memories. When you get sober there's just a blank period. A brownout is when the BAC is high enough to mess with the production of memory, but not high enough to black it out. Your memory is just really hit or miss.

My first blackout scared me. I had written an entire page while drinking and the next day, when I found it, I had zero memory of it. I wish I had been scared straight right then and there!!!

When blackouts become routine, you're in trouble.

August252015

I pretty much WAS Sarah Hepola. Her book, give or take some details, especially with black outs and brown outs (memories are hazy and such rather than totally gone). I had them for years and some of it was so unpretty, so to speak. I began to wonder why everyone hadn't had them- they happened sometimes, right?

I found that they could occur at any particular time I was drinking, as my alcoholism progressed- varying amounts, type of alcohol, whatever.

The only way to stop them - and they are indeed indicative of an alcohol abuse problem or alcoholism, and NOT typical of normal drinkers- is complete abstinence.

You can choose to quit now.

Here's some info I found by Googling, if you want to understand them, as you seem too - but this guide is NOT meant for alcoholics.

How To Prevent Alcoholic Blackouts

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C....0.EzOvUxoqVmY

tomsteve

simply put, i had blackouts because of the amount i drank.
i havent had to be concerned about them since i stopped.
hopin today finds you wanting to get and stay sober.

FreedomCA

I am currently on Day 9 by the grace of God. I have had many blackouts and often did not remember 75% of my drinking episodes. I recently ended up in the ER and woke up not really remembering how I got there. Very scary.

Red78

That is quite scary.. about a month ago I had quite a severe blackout where I had a massive fight with my partner and I don't remember most of it, I recorded some of it so I know it wasn't just me being drunk and abusive, thank god, cause when I don't remember I don't know as my partner makes me out to be the bad one every time. This blackout scared me to stop drinking for 3 weeks but the demon drink has gotten back in over the last week.
Serious blackouts have only been happening over the last 5 years and I can see it is normally when drinking quite quickly. I never used to get them and I drunk a lot more in the past than what I do now. I'm kinda guessing that my liver is tired and can't process the alcohol as quickly anymore..
I hope that I can stop again cause I can't have these black outs happen, it's such a scary feeling..

tomsteve

yes,it did get back in. it will always enter when invited in.
time to evict it,eh?

Red78

I did invite it back in.. the AV came a knockin and I let it get a hold..

Dee74

I think the worst thing I ever did was get used to blackouts.

Fight it Red.

D

Cosima11

Blackouts became the norm for me too. At first I thought there was a baseline to the level of horrors I could expect to wake up to the next morning. I used the excuse of it's clearly "too late to stop now" for quite a while.Then I found the blackouts were not only increasingly frequent, but I was doing increasingly crazy (and often dangerous) things.

Truly terrifying to realize you're spending a good chunk of your time operating as if possessed or sleepwalking.

BreezyFe

Last week hubby and I were going to date night at a pizza place I love in a neighboring town. That place happened to have opened a sister location in our town. So hubby says to me on the ride there "so did you notice a difference in taste from this place and the takeout from the one near us?". Hunh? I replied "how would I know?". "Don't you remember you had a hissy fit wanting to try pizza from there 2 x in a week & you even went with me to pick it up?" I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION! After he said it I kind of remember segments . *sigh*
How does one act normal around people (family) when your in a blackout? Like Cosima said-sleepwalking, possessed, and I'm adding auto pilot or worse zombie!

20January18

Watching movies and when I bbq was when I blackout. We rent movies and I fire up the grill. Down about about 3 steel reserves while cooking and apparently I go on autopilot.
Don’t remember the good food that I cook and movie. Kinda funny and sad

Red78

That's the worst thing when people don't realise you don't remember and you have to pretend that you know, especially bad when you ask the kids something and they are like, we talked about this the other night.. scary cause I don't remember seeing them..
My partner said not so long ago that he was sick of of ignoring our arguments the next day and not working through them when we are sober...the thing is I'm not sure ignoring them I just don't remember them.. this is brings a huge feeling of shame...

Finalround

Can you stop drinking, Red?

Anna

Blackouts are horrible for so many reasons. It's awful to not remember what family and friends said to you, or what you said to them. And, blackouts are very dangerous.

I hope you decide to stop drinking for good.

Red78

I have had sober time in the past and the very recent past. I know I am capable of doing it but I have yet to actually put together a solid plan. The biggest thing is changing my mind set about drinking and focusing on all the positive reasons for not drinking.

Forward12

You have a family, a partner sick of your alcoholism. I think you have every reason in the world to get sober. Do you want to be the "drunk mom" mentally destroying your children from your selfishness? Your husband possibly filing for divorce and a nasty legal battle to insure?

Get your act together. You literally have many loved ones depending on it

Newway7

The last time I ever drank was also my last blackout. Over a month later I went and visited a friend and noticed a gift sitting on her table, saying What's this? She proceeded to tell me that she had given it to me last I saw her (the last time I drank). Had zero memory of this whatsoever.

It was sort of a beautiful moment - here I was recieving this gift for the second time, this time sober and able to remember and cherish it.

A little off-topic from your original post, but I hope you realize that you can make up for any blackout by choosing life over alcohol, and that sobriety is a gift! All the best

Red78

I have an instant family, my partners 2 oldest boys moved in full time 7 days every week a couple of years ago.. I need to stop drinking because it is keeping me somewhere I don't think I wanna be. My partner is happy for me to drink and encourages it, this is the biggest thing I have in my way. He doesn't drink the same as I do, he will drink more but less often which is what he thinks i should do, however will all know that doesn't work..
The biggest loved one depending on me is ME... I was in an abusive relationship 20 years ago and smoking pot, I realised as long as I smoked and escaped from reality I would never get out, so I stopped and eventually left..
I need to stop so I can figure out what is best for me....