Binge drinking has become such a mainstream part of American society; we tend to use it for celebratory reasons, to socialize or even to relieve stress. Young adults often face extreme pressure to abuse alcohol – and previous studies have only highlighted the dangers that many college students face as they navigate their way through adulthood with a bottle in their hand. When consumed moderately, alcohol may not seem to present an issue – but it’s when we begin taking it too far that we put our lives – and others lives – in danger. Blackouts are incredibly dangerous, and learning more about them only puts you a further step in being able to protect yourself and your loved ones from reaching this state of intoxication.
In 2017, Tonic, a website that publishes relevant information on mind. Body, healthcare and more, explained that there are two types of blackouts: “fragmentary” and “en bloc”. Fragmentary blackouts occur when a person can only remember the night before in bits and pieces; “en bloc” blackouts, on the other hand, are much more significant and when a person experiences this, they’re unable to recall anything from the night before. Just last year, BBC interviewed Sarah Hepola, a young woman who’d recently gone to a party – and she explained her thought process on blackouts. She stated,“I was like, well that’s weird, I don’t know what happened…I just kind of laughed it off, it just seemed normal to me.”
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) explains that blackouts are anything but normal. Not only do they place a person at significant risk for engaging in risky behavior or being a victim to a traumatic event, they also increase the chances of arguments, fights, vandalism and more. The more you know about blackouts, the better you can protect yourself from them – and if you currently struggle with substance dependency, speak with a professional from The Arbor today. It’s never too late to seek the help you need.
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare offers an integrative and holistic approach to treat substance abuse and a wide variety of addictions, as well as underlying mental health and psychological issues. All of the addiction recovery programs offered by The Arbor are designed to heal the mind, body, and spirit leading to a lifetime of sobriety, health and wellness. If you’re ready to find healing and restoration in a peaceful, loving environment, please call us today at 844-560-7269.
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