Cause Or Correlation? Debunking The Myths Behind Blackouts And Cognition
Emergent studies have revealed that our brains are more susceptible to blackouts from substances such as alcohol and drugs compared to others
01/10/2020
Blacking Out
A blackout is an alcohol- or drug-induced
memory loss caused by overconsumption. Blacking
out from drinking specifically, however, is
typically linked to binge drinking which is
diagnosed as when a person’s blood alcohol
content (BAC) exceeds 0.15.
However,
experiencing a blackout doesn’t mean complete
unconsciousness. Rather, consciousness remains
fairly intact as the person continues to go
about his or her interactions and activities
albeit intoxicated. Hence, their sense of
judgment would be skewed or questionable at
best. In fact, people undergoing a blackout
level of drunkenness are at a higher risk of
injuring themselves.
Whilst in their
blackout state, people can continue to carry out
their daily activities and livelihoods with no
problem. The only exception is their brain’s
inability to transfer those experiences into
memory until they sober up. It can get
dangerous, and it is crucial to
live a new life and stop alcohol use disorder instead.
Inevitably, should you drink way beyond your
tolerance and past your tipping point, the
ultimate repercussion of blackout would be
fainting. This is the worst-case scenario
because you could potentially lead to choking on
vomit, suffering head trauma from falling over,
or even alcohol poisoning. There have also been
instances of people suffering from
alcohol-induced seizures due to the high level
of toxins in their bodies. All of these
consequences are not only undesirable but an
immediate call for medical attention as it could
a matter of life and death if the alcohol
persists to poison the system.
Alternatively, some people might experience
“brownouts” as well. This occurs when a person
only fails to remember some events, not all
events. They might be able to recall their
memory if prompted by a conversational or
environmental trigger. Thus, it could be
considered as a milder, preliminary stage to
blackout.
Is Blackout a Symptom of Alcoholism?
Emergent studies have revealed that our
brains are more susceptible to blackouts from
substances such as alcohol and drugs compared to
others. This could be accrued to the fact that
alcohol inhibits neural pathways facilitating
the transfer of memories from temporary to
long-term memory. Thus, when people over-drink,
it might result in memory loss or temporary
amnesia. As a result, persistent
over-consumption of alcohol can lead to brain
and organ damage over time. However, it should
be noted that there hasn’t been any particular
link associated between blackouts and cognitive
deficits, but rather alcohol itself. Blackouts
only serve as the symptom, not the cause. Hence,
correlation is not causation.
This could
be a major concern for those with weaker
tolerances to alcohol or more specifically,
those with a weaker vulnerability to memory
inhibition. It’s estimated around 40 percent of
the population is prone to suffering blackouts
during binge drinking. While blackouts aren’t
necessarily a definite indicator of alcoholism,
it is a possibility.
Lastly, having a
higher alcohol tolerance doesn’t protect you
from blackouts. In fact, it predisposes the
individual to be at greater risk of alcohol
poisoning since their threshold is higher. This
suggests that their limit pushes closer to the
life-threatening quantity constituting alcohol
poisoning at a BAC of 0.3.
Associated Symptoms of Intoxication
While the onset, range and intensity of
symptoms varies depending on the alcohol
concentration in one’s body, here is a rough
guide of the expected symptoms at each stage of
drinking.
Between four to six drinks, the
onset of alcohol-induced grogginess begins to
set in. Our senses are dulled and our
inhibitions are weakened. Our executive
functioning becomes slower in terms of judgment
and decision-making. However, memory still
remains relatively intact.
Between eight
to twelve drinks, reaction times are noticeably
slower accompanied with slurred speech. At this
stage, vision might be affected too in terms of
double vision or vision blurriness. For most
drinkers, they’d probably wake up hungover the
next morning. However, should they push beyond
ten drinks, coordination becomes seriously
impaired, presenting the individual at greater
risk to physical injuries and accidents. More
adverse reactions to alcohol at this point could
include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and
indigestion as the liver and kidneys work doubly
hard to process and break down the alcohol
circulating the bloodstream.
Beyond
twelve drinks and you’re asking for alcohol
poisoning.
Once again, susceptibility to
blackouts and alcohol poisoning is extremely
subjective, varying according to tolerance
levels. The liver can only process one unit of
alcohol per hour. Anywhere near a BAC of 0.08,
it is illegal to drive.
Who Mostly Experiences Blackouts?
Now, it begs the question: which population
demographic is more prone to
blackouts?
Biologically, women have a higher body fat ratio
and less water-to-body-mass than men. As a
result, their alcohol tolerances are lower,
making it easier to be intoxicated under less
alcohol. This naturally poses women at a greater
risk to blackouts if they exceed their
already-lower tolerance.
Smokers are
also more prone to suffering alcohol-induced
blackouts. Although the correlation isn’t
distinct, it’s believed that smoking as a
pre-existing underlying health condition or
propensity to addictive behaviors are all
factors increasing the risks.
Temporary or Permanent Effects of Blackouts?
In the short run, frequent blackouts could
increase an individual’s vulnerability to mental
health issues such as depression or trauma.
Additionally, due to weakened executive
functions, people are more prone to making rash
and illogical decisions which could cause
serious legal or financial problems.
In
the long run,
brain damage is arguably in the
books but not because of blackouts. Excessive
alcohol is the sole reason for incurring brain
damage. This leads to significant memory loss
and by extension, greater difficulties in
forming new ones.
Conclusion
While blackouts are no trivial matter, occasional blackouts are not a cause for concern. Only if they occur frequently enough, do they begin posing as a significant warning sign for something graver and more severe affecting your body? If it worsens to this state, only then could the blackouts be associated with alcohol use disorder in which the individual has become incapable of controlling their alcoholic consumption. They have lost all self-discipline and restraint over their drinking habits and subject their body to greater risks of alcohol poisoning as they continually push their alcohol limits.
In such scenarios, third-party interference is needed to mediate the issue as they become a risk to both others and themselves. At worst, they could end up losing their life from alcohol poisoning — all because they couldn’t control themselves over a pint of beer… or twelve.