Posted by medlib on April 7, 2001, at 19:44:28
In reply to blacking out, posted by sar on April 7, 2001, at 0:51:30
sar--
The term "blackout" usually refers to a complete loss of consciousness; an alcoholic blackout is, however, a *partial* loss of consciousness characterized by antero- and retrograde amnesia. A high level of alcohol temporarily prevents the brain's hippocampus from encoding and storing memories surrounding the drinking event. Actually, recent research suggests that it is the sudden rise in levels of blood alcohol, more than the absolute amount of alcohol, which triggers the hippocampus to shut down. Thus, alcoholic blackouts are more common among younger, "binge" drinkers who drink to get drunk. (Alcohol is the #1 self-medication for social anxiety/phobia; you would find lots of people with symptoms similar to yours in AA, particularly in some of the younger chapter meetings.)
For more information, you might be interested in:
http://www.alcoholmd.comTake care---medlib
poster:medlib
thread:5538
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010404/msgs/5552.html