Alcoholism and addiction can have a detrimental impact on memory. The more someone abuses alcohol, the more likely they will suffer from memory loss and other cognitive impairments.
Scientists have studied the effects of alcohol on the brain and body for decades, but still have not come to a complete consensus on how alcohol affects the brain. Alcohol is absorbed by the stomach lining, travels to the blood stream, and then reaches the liver. From there, it is converted to acetaldehyde which causes toxic reactions in cells. One way that alcohol affects the brain is by causing excess serotonin production, leading to serotonin toxicity.
In the United States, alcoholism is a severe condition. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, more than 15.1 million adults aged 18 and older in the United States have an alcohol use disorder. Of this number, less than half received therapy for their addiction.
Alcohol misuse has the potential to cause significant damage to the brain and memory. Getting treatment for alcohol addiction may help individuals avoid brain damage and memory loss, allowing them to get back on track in life.
What Does Alcohol Abuse Do to Your Memory?
Chronic alcohol abuse has been linked to a variety of brain abnormalities in numerous studies. While moderate drinking will not impair long-term memory, chronic alcohol abuse will harm or disrupt memory.
Alcohol is a depressant, meaning it reduces brain activity and neural activity. Alcoholism changes a person’s mood, conduct, and neurological functioning. A person’s nervous system is depressed by alcohol, causing a variety of cognitive disorders. Alcohol abuse can cause memory loss or brain damage if it is carried out over a long time. Alcohol not only damages our memory storage but also affects the brain’s white and gray matter. The cognitive and behavioral functions of a person are linked by white and gray matter in their brains.
A healthy, active lifestyle will keep this brain matter functioning correctly. However, heavy drinking can quickly deplete both grey and white matter, which may cause problems with memory and thinking.
It’s expected that one’s brain will shrink as one gets older. However, drinking excessive quantities of alcohol damages brain cells at a rapid rate. The greater rate of deterioration will result in quicker memory loss and dementia symptoms, and overall cognitive abilities.
Effects of Chronic Alcohol Abuse on Short-Term Memory Loss
Even once does not imply that someone who drinks too much will not experience the short-term consequences of alcohol on their body and memory. The body metabolizes one standard drink of alcohol every hour on average. When someone takes in more than this amount, one’s blood alcohol level increases with each sip, putting a strain on the liver’s capacity to process the toxin.
The following are some of the short-term adverse effects of heavy alcohol consumption on a person’s memory and thinking processes:
- Symptoms of brain fog may include forgetfulness,
- lack of attention or concentration,
- slurred speech,
- loss of coordination,
- decision-making problems,
- mood swings,
- blackouts, and
- amnesia.
The most significant consequence of short-term heavy drinking is the danger of a blackout. A person suffering from a blackout loses the capacity to form short-term memories. While one may seem active and attentive, there will be no memory of the blackout period.
There are two types of blackouts: partial blackouts and total blackouts. A person may be unable to recall names or other information that should be readily available during a partial blackout. When a person cannot access memories from a section of time they are in the blackout, it’s known as a complete blackout.
When someone blacks out, it’s as if they have forgotten everything. Blacking out might be highly hazardous and put people at an increased risk of harm and even death.
The Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Abuse and Memory Loss
The harmful effects of alcohol wear off after you stop drinking. Unfortunately, the long-term consequences are more difficult to ignore. The toxin begins to slowly destroy the body over time if a person continues to drink a lot of alcohol for lengthy periods. Alcohol can severely impede a person’s mental and physical capabilities if not avoided.
Long-term consequences of heavy drinking on memory loss and cognition include:
- Tinnitus is a common,
- chronic noise-induced problem.
- It can also cause long-term memory loss,
- brain damage, and
- grey matter shrinkage in the brain.
Finally, long-term heavy drinking can also induce Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, a severe cognitive disorder linked to the effects of alcohol on memory. A vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficit in the brain causes this illness.
Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is a rare brain disease that can cause severe symptoms and even death if not treated. This illness can also induce long-term damage to the brain, impairing memory and reasoning.
Brain Damage from Too Much Alcohol Consumption
Repeated blackouts are an indication of excessive drinking and the risk of memory and cognitive impairments. Blackouts can also produce alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) or alcohol related dementia, and ARBD is a condition that causes irreversible cognitive impairment.
Symptoms of ARBD include:
- difficulties with thinking, learning, comprehending new information,
- concentrating and paying attention,
- difficulty absorbing new knowledge,
- poor memory recall abilities (amnesia),
- loss of motivation and initiative,
- apathy,
- depression,
- anger, or irritability
Blackouts as a Result of Chronic Alcohol Use
Alcohol-induced blackouts are similar to alcohol intoxication and memory loss. They cause an amnesia-like condition in which portions or all of the time spent drinking is forgotten.
A blackout is a condition in which a person has no memory of events after drinking alcohol. On an empty stomach, consuming vast quantities of alcohol quickly, especially during the night, is considered a risk factor for an alcohol-induced blackout. It’s been estimated that half of all people who drink have had a blackout at least once. The likelihood of having a blackout varies depending on a person’s tolerance, body composition, and various circumstances.
A person’s memory can be wiped out by drinking alcohol, either entirely or in part. A person might believe they’ve lost chunks of time after drinking and wake up not remembering events from the previous night.
A blackout is a loss of memory that lasts for an extended time, often minutes or hours. It’s similar to amnesia because when someone has a blackout, they won’t recall events that occurred while intoxicated. Blackouts are also known as alcohol-induced amnesia as a result of this similarity.
The precise quantity of booze needed to induce a blackout varies from person to person. However, scientists have established that blackouts frequently begin at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.20 percent and go as low as 0.14 percent.
Some people may only experience one blackout in their lifetime, while others may have more frequent alcohol-induced memory gaps. According to one research, 11.4 percent of women and 20.9 percent of males had three or more blackouts during a year.
Men and women who deal with these or other types of alcohol-related problems may benefit from comprehensive alcohol addiction therapy, which can assist them in taking back control of their lives.
What Causes Blackouts or Short Term Memory Loss?
A blackout does not just prevent someone from recalling an event; in certain circumstances, it prevents them from making the memory in the first place. Some individuals may forget a discussion, while others may forget several hours. In the worst situations imaginable, a person can blackout and not recall several days.
Blackouts can be partial (fragmentary) or complete (en bloc), implying that someone may forget a portion of their evening or the whole night. According to specific research, fragmentary blackouts are more frequent than total ones.
A complete blackout is when a person will be unable to recall events even if they try hard, as memory loss is irreversible. Some people who have fragmented blackouts may be able to remember things using clues or reminders. These individuals may not realize that they are losing or forgetting part of their evening until the memory is activated in this manner.
It’s critical to note that blacking out doesn’t necessarily imply passing out. While a person may not recall how they got home and into bed the following day because they could not remember a specific time while drinking, this is due to their inability to identify a particular period between drinking and returning home.
It might be challenging to determine if someone is having a blackout from the outside. During a blackout, a person usually appears to be conscious and functional to an observer. In this time, people can talk, drive, have sex, and engage with others in other ways without realizing that these events occurred later.
Alcohol and Memory Loss: What are the Causes of Alcohol Related Dementia?
When a person drinks excessively or ingests a large amount of alcohol, they enter into a blackout state. This condition is brought on by binge drinking. Research suggests that binge drinking takes place in about two hours and is characterized by four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men. Although the quantity of alcohol a person consumes has a substantial role in causing this condition, researchers think how and how quickly it is finished also has an important function.
While a high BAC and excessive drinking are linked to an increased risk of memory loss, experts at treatment facilities believe that a blackout is more probable when a person’s blood alcohol concentration reaches a high level in a short time. According to specific research, people who got a high BAC did not suffer from blackouts, but individuals whose BAC rose rapidly did.
People who binge drink or drink heavily on an empty stomach may be more prone to blackouts since these activities can bring the blood alcohol concentration up much quicker. In addition, scientific research has discovered several conditions that may raise a person’s risk of blackout:
- Episodes of drinking when fatigued,
- frequency of intoxication,
- hereditary factors,
- going on a bender,
- gulping or chugging drinks,
- a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence,
- a past brain injury or damage
Not everyone who consumes a lot of alcohol will have a blackout. However, for those who do, these effects are typically caused by how alcohol affects the brain. Even moderate alcohol consumption can harm a person’s memory and reasoning ability. The more alcohol you drink, the worse the effects of alcohol on your cognitive skills.
Alcohol consumption has been shown to cause blackouts in studies, which means it might be possible for someone to remember an event minutes after it happens but not recall it a half-hour later or the next day when they’re sober. This indicates that alcohol disrupts the process by which short-term memories are transformed into long-term ones.
The process of creating and recalling memories takes place in stages. Before a memory can be identified, it must first be formed and stored. Alcohol use disorders have been proven to harm each step of this procedure in research. Furthermore, alcohol inhibits the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is important for developing new autobiographical memories or memories about one’s experiences.
Who Is Affected by Blackouts or Memory Loss?
Scientists are still investigating and learning more about blackouts. The term alcoholic blackout was once used to describe a phenomenon in which people addicted to alcohol seem to lose their memory and severe memory problems. However, a recent study has shown that blackouts can affect both social drinkers and those dealing with alcoholism and substance abuse.
High-risk drinking is a common problem among college students due to high rates of binge drinking. Experts advise that over one in 10 college students can’t recall parts of a night during two weeks. According to research, women may be more susceptible to blackouts and take longer to recover from the cognitive deficits they cause than males.
Although blackouts do not indicate that someone is addicted to alcohol, they can reveal concerning alcoholism habits. Alcohol-induced memory blackouts are one of the symptoms of an alcohol use disorder. Drinking after having had a memory blackout is one of the 11 criteria for an alcohol use problem.
An alcohol use disorder is a condition in which an individual uses alcohol despite harmful effects on their life. It can be mild, moderate, or severe, and it causes functional impairment that is frequently linked to alcohol-induced health issues, relationship problems, and social difficulties.
The Dangers of Alcohol-Induced Blackouts and How to Avoid Them
The drawbacks of alcohol-induced blackouts are those associated with alcohol abuse and addiction in general. First and foremost, if a person does not regulate their drinking, alcoholism may quickly develop and become an addiction.
Once a person is addicted to alcohol, they will likely go into withdrawal if they stop drinking. Alcohol shutdown can be harmful and even deadly.
Although binge drinking is a leading cause of blackouts, it’s also essential to consider the other hazards linked with this sort of alcohol abuse.
The CDC reports that these may include:
- Alcoholism, anxiety attacks,
- drug addiction, and abuse (including alcohol poisoning) are all linked to elevated mortality rates in specific populations.
- Chronic pain (fibromyalgia),
- suicide attempts,
- alcohol dependence/poisoning (alcohol overdose),
- assaults,
- cancer (breast, colon, esophagus, liver),
- chronic cardiac problems (heart disease,
- high blood
Alcohol abuse and/or addiction has also been linked to a variety of brain-related issues, including:
- Korsakoff syndrome,
- alcoholic dementia,
- brain shrinkage,
- a disturbance in the creation of new brain cells,
- hepatic encephalopathy (loss of brain functions due to liver damage),
- mental illness,
- Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (loss of brain function caused by thiamine deficiency)
Many people who have an alcohol problem or addiction try to conceal it. However, if a person examines their loved one carefully, specific signals may notify them that they have a drinking issue.
The Takeaway on Alcohol and Memory Loss
Alcohol abuse can quickly develop into alcoholism, which is an addiction. Blackouts are just one of the many side effects associated with alcohol addiction and it’s important to be aware of what they mean for your health.
If you or someone you know has been drinking excessively over a long period of time, contact us today to get started on a plan that will help regulate their drinking habits and avoid any serious consequences from alcohol-induced blackouts.
