calvin88

So the other night it was my friend's 21st bday. And well i didn't really eat anything since lunch and I went to his party after I played some basketball at the gym. So I probably wasn't well hydrated. So we all ended up drinking, and the next morning people were telling me what I did, and I had absolutely no recollection. Keep in mind this is the first time this has ever happened, and I am sure I have consumed more alcohol other times.
My question is, has this happened to others? Where you talk/interact with people but there is almost no memory of it happening. Is this probably due to my lack of food and hydration before drinking? I just found it kinda freaky so needless to say, I won't be drinking like that for awhile....

joemc91

I'm sure almost everybody who has been to college and gone to some parties have had this happen. I had never "blacked out" until earlier this year on my birthday. I had perfect recollection up till I blacked out and the next thing I remember was walking home with my friend. I think the worst part is that they won't tell me how embarrassing I was...

dksuddeth

Once you've had your first 'black out', you get to make a choice.

1. continue your drinking binge for months to come experiencing longer and more numerous blackouts,

2. slow down your drinking and maintain your faculties at all times.

Some people will say 'whats the point of drinking if you're not going to get drunk?'

Let me tell you from experience.....blackouts really suck when you come to your senses behind the wheel of a vehicle driving down a busy highway.

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Cynthetiq

all my years of drinking I never blacked out until very recently.

i woke up in bed naked next to someone, good thing that someone was my wife.

she told me some rather odd things that i didn't recall happening.

I can't drink like I used to. I shouldn't have even tried, 4 10oz vodka martinis, 3 redbull vodkas with only 2 shrimps for dinner. Mmmmmm black out goodness.

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flstf

My wife and I were at Octoberfest in Munich a few years ago and were sitting at a table with a group of Germans singing and listening to the oomp pah music while the beer flowed freely. I made the mistake of trying to keep up with the Germans and my wife (who is from Bohemia). The next morning my wife told me that she managed to walk me back to the hotel, but I did not remember much. She said that she and the Germans thought it was funny that the American could get drunk on just beer, after all it is just liquid bread.

gh0ti

Saturday night I was on my way over to a girls house and I got a bright idea to buy a bottle of Patron. It was a small bottle, no big deal, right? We finished the bottle among 4 people and my friend passed out, so I decided to head over to one of my buddies houses. He was like, lets hit up a bar or something, so I went along for the ride.

We get to the bar and they have a special, $10 pitchers of Makers Mark and coke. I watched the girl pour 6 shots of Makers into the pitcher and finish it up with the coke… I drink it, and get my second. This is where things start getting kind of fuzzy. I remember going to my an after hours bar.. I don’t remember much of that place.. but from what my buddy says we got back to his place at around 4:30 AM.

I wake up in my own bed, across town at 3:00 Sunday morning… buck naked with my socks on… how the f’ did I get here was the first thought that crossed my mind. My buddy claims I told him I was going out side to puke, got right in my car and drove home. I don’t remember the drive at all, how did I get home? Which way did I go? I don’t remember any of it.

I’m personally scared shitless. I could have killed someone, myself included. I could have been pulled over and ended up in jail. What was going through my head that decided it was a good idea to drive??? I don’t remember.

The moral of this story is that apparently I can not handle my liquor. I haven’t had a drink since and I’m not planning on a repeat. Some people cant handle drinking, and I’m one of them.

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guthmund

I blacked out once.

I drank a bottle of Jack Daniels all by my lonesome and in a timely manner. I remember about 20 minutes after that and then it gets into bits and pieces. I remember hanging out on the front lawn having this deep, thoughtful, sexy conversation with a group of women and then leaning over casually to vomit. I remember nothing else. I found myself face down in a puddle of drool and piss the next morning. Apparently I had to go to the bathroom; I just didn't bother getting up. That, in and of itself, was fairly embarassing, but to make matters worse I found out that I had 'had some words' with a number of people and tried to piss on my good friend's stereo in the living room....in front of everybody.

It's incidents like these that I've no inclination to repeat; I watch what I drink these days.

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BigBen

You and I are torn from the same loom.

Jack Daniels? Check.
Timely Manner? Check.
Group of Women, leaning over to casually vomit? Check.
Puddle of Drool and Piss? Check, and check. I would add that there was more vomit than drool, in my case...
Had some words with some people? Check.

Good times? Nope. Fun is knowing when to stop.

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maleficent

Oooh I've met you... and cleaned you up and put you to bed ... and have used it to amuse myself at your expense for years...

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Coppertop

Absolutely precious.

Amakudaru

well, this has not happened to me personally, but I've been around while my friends/other people have 'blacked out'. One came to his senses about halfway through what he was doing. I won't tell you what he did, but... it could have led to being arrested for indecent exposure.

stevie667

I have entire weeks that i can't recall due to various factors, some was alcohol related, others more drugs, but hey.

Usually the times when the fun shit happens are the ones i can't remember. On the other hand, it's probably best i (nor anyone else) don't remember those...

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cj2112

Yep...I've had them, came out of one when I was 17 in Tijuana in a bar full of locals. My buddy was telling one of the locals that the locals mother was a prostitute and he had paid 20 bucks for her the night before....good times

guthmund

Too bad I didn't know that at 21....

Let me tell you nothing impresses the ladies more than deep, thoughtful conversation broken up by casual vomiting. Or at least, that's what my buddy Mr. Daniels told me in the kitchen that night.

Well, you know what they say, "if you can make a woman laugh...."

Glad someone's amused, I've got nothing but grief about these long years.

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Locobot

Maker's Mark and Coke? That should be a crime.

tooth

I've gone on some benders back in the day. Had plenty of "fuzzy memories". But I can't say that I have ever "blacked out" (i.e. periods of time that I am unable to recall, even after being reminded of my actions).

optik_nerve

I remember a couple of months ago I had started on a couple of Heinekens. I drank those and quickly moved on to two red solo cups of Jack Daniels. I then proceeded to a solo cup of Absolut Vodka and than a small cup of Kaluha.

That night I guess I fell over busted my lip off of a metal bar stool. Fell into the wall and hit my head off of the house wall while trying to make it off of the lenai to puke. Came back in, miraculously, and puked on the pool deck. Drank more Daniels. Puked. Puked. Fell. Drank more Daniels. Puked. More Daniels and that's all I know.

I woke up the next morning in my friends house with a dried bloody lip, busted head, belt broken and my shoes being flip-flopped and I don't remember any of it. My friend told me that I had kept drinking all night even though I was puking my brains out.

Oh, and I was still drunk and puking the next morning.

Needless to say, it sucked and I haven't drank since.

sailor

Hahaha, there is something about those Germans, isn't there? I think it's in their blood, I dont understand how they can drink so much beer and not even feel it.

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la petite moi

I know how you feel- I've been so drunk before that I forgot English and start ranting and raving in French at my boyfriend. He hates that.

Rodney

Never done it myself; but a couple of the worst, nastiest, most aggressive drunks I ever met were "nice guys" on a binge who didn't remember a thing and couldn't believe they'd done what they did the next day. One of them never did believe it; he didn't want to.

I think we all agree that we're responsible for everything we do. Why then, would you ever risk putting yourself in a state you have _no control_ over what you do? Because "I don't remember" is no excuse when you've acted like an ass, put someone in the hospital, or worse. Some people have murdered innocent strangers or close family relatives during blackout.

I always remember Gary Kildall, developer of CP/M. Didn't know him personally, but had friends who did. Coulda been Bill Gates if he'd had his life together and had controlled his drinking. Died blacking out on a barstool. Fell over backwards, hit his head on the floor, and died.

As you can tell, I have a dim view of drinking to excess.

rlynnm

Funny. I actually was faced with the same choices post black out. I chose the latter option.

As far as people questioning the point of drinking sans the extrem intoxication..well, there ARE those who drink just to let loose, get rid of a few inhibitions. i mean hell if I were to lose my inhibitions I'd like to know what the heck I'd be doing.

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rlynnm

My first drunken blackout resulted in a rape.

The second one (about a year and a half later) didn't result anywhere near the outcome of the first, but beyond that I sobered up. There is no emptier feeling than waking up not knowing what you did the night prior and everyone else telling you instead. No one wants to feel out of control, and when I was told everything I did that night, I thought in my head 'yeah I could've avoided that'...

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Sage

first time I ever blacked out was on about oh... three quarters of a fifth of Bicardi about a month and a half ago. I laid down in bed and Martel apparently sat up with me for an hour of me just moaning on the bed- and I don't remember it.

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jizzmasterp

I've blacked out too many times, but thats university life for ya. I've never done anything dangerous or horrible and always end up passed out in front of the toilet or in my bed.

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Dragonknight

Yeah I've blacked out a couple of times now. My first was horrible though. Most of a bottle of Jose, a lot of bears and an double handfull of vodka shots. Yeah I was just asking for it. I blacked out, came back into focus and remembered like 10 15 minutes then blacked out again. Yeah long damn night.

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Rodney

Past college age, that's just why most people drink. They just want to relax at the end of the day, lift a drink or two to ease the tension so they can laugh a little, maybe let down their protective shields a bit with each other and be real. Drinking is much more a social activity that accompanies other activities: a dinner, a barbecue, business, a formal cocktail party.

The "drinking to get hammered" thing seems to be a function of the late teens and early 20s. Most people leave it behind.

There are those who don't; they tend to end up sitting on folding chairs in drafty meeting halls, drinking bad coffee and telling their stories to each other. If they're lucky.

Randomfunk

The last staff night out that I went on with people from the Bar I work in, seemed like most just got like this. Next week at work there only seemed to be a couple of people who actually knew what we did...
I've had a few complete black out nights... 18th, 21st etc... but when it happens I hate myself for it the next day...If I cant remember anything from the night, what was the actual point in going out and spending so much money.
Much prefer nights where I just go out and have a few drinks with people, have a good laugh and can remember everything the next day.

macmanmike6100

Absolutely hilarious transaction

And for what it's worth, I whole-heartedly abhor the idea of blacking out. It's bad for you and everybody around you. I mean, sure there might be some laughs, but I personally can't stand the idea of *not knowing* what I'm doing. When I get 'drunk', I still know that I'm being ridiculous, I'm just abnormally OK with it :-)

Temporary_User

man, I just blacked out a few weeks ago.... crazy.
start off on sunday night w/ me and a girl drinkin in my apt. redbull & jager (1) guiness (3) sour jacks (shots 3)
then we get the idea to goto the bar, so she calls up her friend. she gets here, so we do 1 more sour jack and head to the bar.
get to the bar, and start drinking guiness again. I know we did a zambucca shot. but I think it was all guiness pints @ the bar.
I know I did order some chicken fingers @ the bar, but dont know how many I ate there.

I wake up in the morning all by myself. so I call the girl to find out what had happened. she tells me since I couldnt walk that well I caused her to fall outside of my apt. okay...
then when we got up to my apt. she tries to give me head and I just passed out on her. so she ate some chinese and went home.
Leter that day I check my bank balance and find out I took out an extra $100 that I dont remember. So I call her back and ask her wtf went on last night. turned out she didnt remember either... I guess she blacked out, but regained it later on the walk home. she didnt even think she blacked out till this...

so where did I spend this $100, b/c my bank showed that I got it @ a atm 1block past my house. when I tell the girl all of this, she was at work, when she got home she calls me and tells me that she figured out the mystery.
I guess I took $ out and went to a convience store, and we bought beef jerky, scratch lotto, candy, etc... spent about $25 there, and she had $75 all scrambled over her purse.
so thank god that I didnt spend all my money! turns out I only spent $80 that night.

Temporary_User

Isnt it funny how the conversation is always sexy when drunk?
Ill bet you were making all of the girls laugh too!
man too bad about the vomit, you were so in w/ all of them!

rlynnm

As I was reading, I had the impression building, 'dude she took advantage of your drunken stupor and woo'ed you into pulling out $100 for her' I figure, some guys are gullible enough in the presence of girls when they're sober, what more if they're intoxicated. Luckily, you got to see most of that money, and maybe more of her --for her honesty you know. lol.

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Temporary_User

Believe me I thought this too the next morning! B/c the block past my house is HER bank, and then we walked another block in the other direction past my house to the convience store where I could of just paid debit.
BUT
the 1/2 the candy that was bought and the scratch tickets would of all been my buying (she doesnt like gambling, and i buy those tickets fairly often) but I HATE beef jerky and some of the candy bought.
and yeah i got most of the $$ back, so I guess she is trust worthy.

rlynnm

Wow how does that just happen..Fall asleep during that?! If I were her, my feelings would be a little hurt. LOL.

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The hardest thing is to be honest with yourself, especially if that means completely redefining the world you've come to know.

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c172g

When I was in college, we used to start off with Margartitas & vodka shots about 6 or 7 on a Friday / Saturday night at someone's apartment. We'd do that until 9 or so then go to the party & drink beer all night. I could never remember exactly what went on over my hangover, but that was pretty much the norm every weekend. I'd remember little bits of it, but not everything (this was back in the late 80's early 90's). "Not everything" usually also included the driving home part. Stupid, stupid! I never really considered it blacking out, just drinking way too much!

fatmanforprez

The scary thing is I have never been drunk or in any way altered to my knowledge, and I have still lost a day. It was the first time I went to a friends house, back in HS, apparently there was pizza DnD cereal from dog bowls, all of it, I have half a dozen witnesses and my own mother knew of me going there and some of what happened inside. I don't recall any of it, not a fucking lick of it at all. My first time in his house was in college and I remember it vigorously, hell I got lost cause he thought I knew where his head was when I had never been there as far as I can remember. No Drinking No Drugs No Traumatic Experiences, Why don't I remember???

VitaminH

Thankfully I've never blacked out from drinking. A friend's older brother killed his best friend and almost killed himself when driving drunk and it's always made me careful. I have been known to consume large quantities but I strongly dislike feeling out of control so to speak. So usually once I start to get paranoid that I'm losing control I will slow down and/or stop. My liver is also pretty good and I seem to burn off the stuff faster than those around me.

I once did black out when I was very sick. I'd been running a fever of 102+ for several days only brought down slightly by ibuprofen or tylenol (and not lasting very long), the highest it hit was about 104 in the middle of one night. I had just had some soup and gatorade for "lunch" when the next thing I knew several hours had passed. The phone was right next to my head, and there was like 3 messages on the answering machine. I'd never heard it ring. It was weird. I don't know if I was unconscious or delerious or what, but it sure was a bit dosconcerting.

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gustaf00

The US could really work on its drinking problem...when you tell kids that it's Bad and leave a bunch of teenagers to learn the ins and outs of alcohol usage, it's no wonder so many people get into bad situations.

When I blacked out, I woke up naked and in someone else's bed...it was cool for about two seconds before I realized it was the hospital.

analog

"Blacking out" just means your memory is faded or obscured. Yes, you were likely INSANELY drunk, but it doesn't mean you were incapacitated. People are generally very aware of their actions at the time, and it doesn't mean anything in itself. The "blackout", or loss of memory, is the simple result of the blood alcohol level being high enough to hinder the normal neurological process of retaining memories.

As for worrying about being so absent-minded as to climb into your car and drive, the blackouts have nothing to do with this. That's just you being drunk and thinking you can drive. The fact you don't remember doing it has nothing to do with why it happened.

The lesson here is the same, whether you are a person who "blacks out" (has memory gaps) or not- if you drink, you give your keys to a sober/trustworthy friend. This way, you cannot just get into your car because you're too drunk to realize you shouldn't.

pan6467

Calvin,

It should open your eyes a bit and yes, you should be a tad concerned and might want to think about drinking less. A first blackout, is definately a warning sign that you should pay attention to.

A blackout is a permanent loss of memory, amnesia, the body and person reacting almost soberly and if it happens more than once it is serious.

It's not just the brain has had too much alcohol it means that the body is near shutdown.

The second question we ask at detox is if you have ever experienced a drug/alcohol induced blackout. (The first when was your last use?)

Medically a blackout can be very serious. It means your body has built up an at risk tolerence to alcohol. Most people do not "blackout" until the BAC reaches at minimal .3%. The average person once they reach .25% are ready to pass out. By .3% most social drinkers are puking.

I have personally only "blacked out" once and I woke in the hospital ER with a BAC of .45% after a friend had told me he had to call an ambulance because in mid sentence I stopped and flat out fell straight backward in the parking lot of the bar.

Alcohol tolerence builds from the very first drink (as it is a poison), and never decreases until "tolerence break" when the liver is totally shot. What we find with binge drinkers is their tolerence has increased dramatically. Binge drinkers also face a faster destruction of the liver, than the guy who drinks a case a day for 20 years.

Studies are showing more and more that binge drinking can have serious health effects.

All this is from text books, studies done in the field and experience working with alcoholics and drug addicts.....

The key is to control the drinking and not have it control you, drinking in moderation and in control can be relaxing and fun...... a blackout should tell you that maybe the alcohol is starting to control you. Very simply put, you are no longer in control in a blackout. Anyone who believes they are, are lying to themselves... not preaching stating fact.

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tspikes51

Ha, you can get killed here in Central KY for mixing any bourbon more expensive than Jim Beam. Anything else goes on the rocks or dry on occasion.

The last time I blacked out, I was playing catch up because I got off work late. I drank a 12 pack of High Life, had 2 or 3 cups of Bud Light from the keg, a cup or 2 of hooch, and 2 or 3 jello shots (plus some weed and a cigar) in about 2 hours. I remember breaking a beer bottle on the back patio, accidentally taking a shot of vegetable oil, then sitting down on the couch. Next thing I remember was standing in the shower, naked, with the water running. I don't know exactly what happened, but here are some pictures to remind you of what not to do:


I'm in the lower left-hand corner.



Apparently, I started puking all over the floor, pissed myself, and then it took 2 of my buddies to drag me into the tub. Not cool.

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