what physically happens when you black out?

[clubbingirl]

Does any1 know what physically happens when you black out when drinking?

is it that u arent getting enough oxygen to the brain?

[tastey]

are we talking about actually going unconcious or my favorite slut-defense "i was so drunk i don´t remember anything"

[elevatedflow]

are we talking about actually going unconcious or my favorite slut-defense "i was so drunk i don´t remember anything"

good question good question .. i was thinking the same thing ...

[clubbingirl]

hahha, good call^.

naw, like ur alive chatting/etc. but u just done remmeber stuff even when people mention it to u the next day.

my girl blacks out all the time, but doesnt think twice about it.

[guest00901]

Someone told me its when your brain swells so much that you black out

[tastey]

blacking out vs passing out

Blacking out vs. passing out

Blacking out is commonly confused with passing out . It cannot be overemphasized that these two conditions are mutually exclusive. That is, by definition, at any given time, you cannot have one if you have the other. A blackout is a period of amnesia during which the person is actively engaged in behaviors (e.g., walking, talking) but the brain is unable to form new memories for the events, leaving the person unable to recall the events once they are no longer intoxicated. Consistent with the definitions used by other researchers, Goodwin et al. (1969a) defined a blackout as "amnesia for the events of any part of a drinking episode, without loss of consciousness" (p. 194). Indeed, far from losing consciousness, the literature suggests that it is possible for individuals to experience blackouts while appearing only moderately intoxicated to the outside world. Jennison and Johnson (1994) state, "Blackouts usually happen in a drinking setting during which the person may or may not appear to be intoxicated" (p. 24). Further, Sweeney (1989) indicates that "...a person may drive a car and carry on a conversation in a nearly 'normal' fashion" (p. 161).

The term passing out is less clearly defined, but is invariably used to mean either falling asleep from excessive drinking or literally drinking oneself unconscious. Even in its most general, colloquial usage, passing out indicates the occurrence of a state that is incompatible with active behavior. Given that blackouts tend to occur at relatively high BAC levels, particularly after rapid consumption of alcohol, it is certainly possible that an individual could experience a blackout prior to passing out. However, the two states cannot occur simultaneously, as a person cannot be both conscious and unconscious at the same time.

more on blackouts

Alcohol and memory: Blackouts

Blackouts represent episodes of amnesia during which subjects are capable of participating even in salient, emotionally charged events-as well as more mundane events-that they later cannot remember (Goodwin 1995). Like milder alcohol-induced memory impairments, these periods of amnesia are anterograde , meaning that alcohol impairs the ability to form new memories while intoxicated, but does not erase memories that were formed prior to becoming intoxicated. Formal research into the nature of alcohol-induced blackouts began in the 1940s with the work of E.M. Jellinek (1946). Jellinek's initial characterization of blackouts was based on data collected from a survey of Alcoholics Anonymous members. Noting that recovering alcoholics frequently reported having experienced alcohol-induced amnesia while they were drinking, Jellinek concluded that the occurrence of blackouts is a powerful indicator of alcoholism.

In 1969, Goodwin and colleagues published two of the most influential studies in the literature on blackouts (Goodwin et al. 1969a,. Based on interviews with 100 hospitalized alcoholics, 64 of whom had a history of blackouts, the authors posited the existence of two qualitatively different types of blackouts. People experiencing the first type, en bloc blackouts, are unable to recall any details whatsoever from events that occurred while they were intoxicated, despite all efforts by the drinkers or others to cue recall. Referring back to our general model of memory formation, it is as if the process of transferring information from short-term to long-term storage has been completely blocked. En bloc memory impairments tend to have a distinct onset. It is usually less clear when these blackouts end because people typically fall asleep before they are over. Interestingly, even in the midst of an en bloc blackout, people appear able to keep information active in short-term memory for at least a few seconds. As a result, they can often carry on conversations, drive automobiles, and engage in other complicated behaviors. Information pertaining to these events is simply not transferred into long-term storage. Ryback (1970) said that intoxicated subjects in one of his studies "could carry on conversations during the amnesic state, but could not remember what they said or did 5 minutes earlier. Their immediate and remote memory were intact" (p. 1003). Similarly, in his study of memory impairments in intoxicated alcoholics, Goodwin (1970) reported that subjects who experienced blackouts for testing sessions showed intact memory for up to two minutes while the sessions were taking place.

The second type of blackouts, fragmentary blackouts, as the name suggests, involve partial blockade of memory formation for events that occurred while a person was intoxicated. Goodwin and colleagues(1969a) reported that subjects experiencing fragmentary blackouts often become aware that they are missing pieces of events only after being reminded that the events occurred. Interestingly, these reminders trigger at least some recall of the initially missing information. Research suggests that fragmentary blackouts are far more common than those of the en bloc variety (White et al., in press; Hartzler and Fromme, 2003; Goodwin et al., 1969b).

i hope that´s not too complicated/too much text for you...

[tastey]

Someone told me its when your brain swells so much that you black out

ouch.......

more on the subject

What is the difference between a blackout and passing out?

"Blackouts" (sometimes referred to as alcohol-related memory loss or "alcoholic amnesia") occur when people have no memory of what happened while intoxicated. These periods may last from a few hours to several days. During a blackout, someone may appear fine to others; however, the next day s/he cannot remember parts of the night and what s/he did. The cause of blackouts is not well understood but may involve the interference of short-term memory storage, deep seizures, or in some cases, psychological depression.

Blackouts shouldn't be confused with "passing out," which happens when people lose consciousness from drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Losing consciousness means that the person has reached a very dangerous level of intoxication; they could slip into a coma and die. If someone has passed out, call EMS immediately (x4111). S/he needs immediate medical attention.

[clubbingirl]

nm

[nomembername]

u read that already?

you're def AZN

[clubbingirl]

u read that already?

you're def AZN

spanks.

[DETROIT]

Does any1 know what physically happens when you black out when drinking?

I put my hand up your skirt and feel your Vag and Boobs!

[atomicapples]

you get felt up.

[Guest onisakura]

I get the "en bloc" blackouts when i drink too much. Had to quit drinking for a while and now only in moderation though its hard to tell. I dont get sloppy drunk even when im wasted and it doesen't help when you are friends with the bartender, who replaces your drink without you even realizing it!

Blackouts are NOT fun. You remember NOTHING. Takes all the fun out of going out and getting drunk like most people do.