Alcoholic amnesia: why do memory gaps occur after drinking?

You wake up in the morning and you don’t remember how you got home last night. Some friends claim to have seen you in a bar and you search your memory, but you don’t have a memory of it. You also can’t remember the phone conversation you had with your partner. If this has ever happened to you, you probably experienced what is known as alcoholic amnesia.

This alteration is more common in those who have long-term excessive alcohol consumption, but it can happen to anyone who ingests this substance. Is a sign of brain damage caused by alcohol; and, although it is usually a temporary phenomenon, it can lead to serious problems.

What is alcoholic amnesia?

Alcoholic amnesia is a neurological and psychological alteration related to excessive alcohol intake. Its main manifestation is the loss of memories, the appearance of gaps in memory (also known as blackouts alcoholics).

Those who suffer from them have difficulties recovering information related to the time in which they were intoxicated. Thus, he may not remember what he did, where he was or who he talked to during that period. It is worth mentioning that This amnesia can be fragmentary or en bloc: in the first case only some moments are forgotten, although some partial information is retained; In the second, amnesia covers long periods of time.

According to the WHO, alcohol consumption causes death and disability at a relatively early age.

Why does it occur?

These blackouts occur due to the intake of alcoholic beverages; but especially with the rapid increase in blood alcohol. That is It’s not so much about how much you drink but how quickly alcohol levels increase in your body.. Various factors influence this:

The alcoholic graduation. Drinks, such as liquor, can increase blood alcohol level more quickly than others such as beer and generate these memory problems more easily.The amount of alcohol ingested in a given time. If the person drinks too quickly, symptoms are more likely to occur. blackouts. Thus, having five or more drinks (in men) or four or more (in women) in a period of less than two hours is a great risk factor.The person’s ability to metabolize alcohol. This is defined by sex, weight, the frequency with which alcohol is consumed and certain genetic factors. In general, women are at higher risk.Drinking large amounts of alcohol without eating food previously.

Hippocampal involvement

You may be wondering why rapid ingestion of alcohol leads to memory loss and this is due to the involvement of the hippocampus after ingestion. This brain region is related to the consolidation of memories; So, alcohol intoxication interferes with the normal functioning of the hippocampus and prevents information from entering long-term memory.

In this way, the person is aware, interacts with the environment and makes decisions; However, he is unable to retain memories of what happened. As the blood alcohol level drops, this effect disappears.which is why amnesia is usually transitory and refers to short periods.

Drinking alcohol quickly affects the hippocampus, causing information to not be stored in long-term memory.

What you should keep in mind about alcoholic amnesia

Now that you know the origin of alcoholic amnesia, you should consider some other relevant information about it:

It is important not to confuse alcoholic amnesia or blackouts due to alcohol intake with fainting or loss of consciousness. In the first case, the person is conscious and alert, but does not consolidate memories; in the second, she is asleep or unconscious. Those who abuse alcohol regularly are more at risk of suffering from this type of amnesia, but the truth is that anyone can experience it. Moderating or ending your alcohol intake, drinking slowly, eating some food, and hydrating yourself while drinking can help prevent their appearance. Blackouts caused by alcohol They do not constitute a problem or disorder in themselves, but they do reliably predict harm caused by alcohol. Presenting them is related to other important consequences: for example, engaging in impulsive and risky behaviors, poor school and work performance, suffering accidents or being arrested due to the effects of alcohol. Let us keep in mind that these blackouts They warn us of the cognitive impairment that is occurring due to alcohol. Thus, in addition to memory, alterations in attention, the ability to make decisions or mood are likely to occur; even, More serious conditions such as Korsakoff psychosis may develop.

Ultimately, if you have suffered amnesia after drinking, it is important to rethink your alcohol consumption. This is especially relevant in the case of younger people., since among them the consumption of large quantities of alcohol is very normalized. Furthermore, the impact on their development can be very great.

In short, let’s take mental gaps as a sign to change our habits.

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