Short-term effects of alcohol abuse — such as coordination problems, slurred speech and blurry vision — fade when alcohol is metabolized, which can take hours or days. We do know that women are more likely can ptsd cause blackouts to experience other effects of alcohol, such as liver cirrhosis, heart damage, nerve damage and other diseases caused by alcohol. You can avoid short-term memory loss by removing alcohol from the equation.
If screening suggests impairment, the person should receive a more detailed cognitive workup. Heavy alcohol use contributes to a shrinkage of the brain similar to Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by memory loss. However, studies do not support alcohol as a cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Other studies have found using benzodiazepines such as Valium and Rohypnol alongside alcohol greatly increase the chances of a blackout. Abusing these drugs without alcohol can cause memory loss, but alcohol enhances the effects of the drugs. Research also indicates that smoking marijuana
while drinking increases the likelihood of blacking out.
How is alcohol-related dementia diagnosed?
It’s important to note that most researchers and healthcare providers have found that alcohol consumed in moderation — one to two drinks for men and one for women — doesn’t typically affect memory. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is a type of dementia linked to heavy alcohol use. It’s possible that a person can prevent this syndrome from getting worse, but they usually must stop drinking and enhance their nutrient intake. The key to recovery from either disease is complete abstention from alcohol. If, however, an alcoholic decides to drink after the doctor declares a complete remission, they are playing with fire. More often than not, alcoholics of this extreme variety are known to revert to their former condition, as they have proven that moderate drinking is not for them.
- This can take several weeks, and you may need to do this under medical supervision.
- First, some cognitive capacities seem relatively unimpaired, even early in detoxification, as long as the general malaise of the first few days of abstinence is past.
- Goodwin and colleagues (1970) examined the impact of acute alcohol exposure on memory formation in a laboratory setting.
- This seemingly aware state can make it difficult for other people to recognize if a person is in a blackout.
- This helps explain why being female appears to be a risk factor for having blackouts.
You may also notice that your body’s reaction to alcohol is different than before. Some older people feel the effects of alcohol more strongly without increasing the amount they drink. This can make them more likely to have accidents such as falls, fractures, and car crashes. If you drink regularly to manage depression symptoms, it may have be beneficial to work with a therapist who specializes in treating co-occurring depression and alcohol use.
Alcohol-Induced Blackouts
It’s also important to stay hydrated and eat before drinking to help reduce the effects of alcohol on the brain. Alcohol affects the brain in many ways, including its ability to form and store memories. When you drink alcohol, it interferes with the communication between your brain’s neurons, which can lead to memory loss. Specifically, alcohol affects the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays a crucial role in forming and storing memories.
- Doctors can prescribe large doses of thiamine (vitamin B1) in pill or injection form.
- Apparently, alcoholics generally were not impaired to the extent that they required a more elemental strategy than that of practice (as severely brain-damaged subjects might).
- As the amount of alcohol consumed increases, so does the magnitude of the memory impairments.
- Alcoholics with better cognitive functioning are more likely to have full-time employment and a higher monthly income at followup than are more cognitively impaired alcoholics (see Goldman 1990 for a review of specific studies).