Why do I black out after just a few drinks?
Question
Hi, I need some help understanding what’s going on.
Quite often when I drink alcohol I end up blacking out and acting strangely with little to no memory of what happened. Most recently I got banned from my friend’s building after breaking a glass door. I’ve been told if I show up again the police will be called and I’ll face charges.
What’s confusing is that I hadn’t even drunk that much – at most, three hard (8%) beers. I’m wondering: could I be allergic to alcohol or are there people who simply have this kind of reaction?
It’s not consistent, I don’t always black out on the same amount and I actually enjoy drinking. I’ve noticed that if I stick to two strong beers I usually don’t black out but lately the blackouts seem to be getting worse and more dramatic.
Is this a physical issue, a psychological one, or both? Is there anything I can do to help prevent it? Like eating a full meal beforehand, staying hydrated, or drinking more slowly?
For the record I don’t think of myself as an alcoholic. I don’t drink excessively, lie about it, or feel the need to drink daily but these blackouts are becoming a serious problem and I need some guidance on what might be causing them and how to manage it.
Thanks in advance for any insight.
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Answer
You don’t want to hear this, but you’ve asked, so I’m gonna tell you. Blacking out while drinking is an absolutely CLASSIC sign of ALCOHOLISM, and not minor alcoholism either, but the big league stuff. You are almost certainly addicted to alcohol in terms of physiological dependence (the formal diagnosis is “Alcohol Dependence”, or “Alcohol Abuse”) and yes it is physiological and not just in your head.
People with drinking problems can be expected to minimize their use of alcohol when describing it so I take what you are saying with a grain of salt figuring it is an underestimate of what you actually consumed. Even going with your statement of “3 hard (8%) beers”, this is the equivalent of a six pack of American beers, or six drinks, which is enough to make even a large man who doesn’t drink on a regular basis drunk. That you consider this to be a minimal amount suggests that you have built up a fairly considerable tolerance to alcohol and that you need a lot of it to feel its effects.
This is all consistent with the idea that you are alcohol dependent. You are also minimizing your potential for violence when drunk (denial being a classic sign as well). You must have busted up your friend’s place pretty good for them to want to ban you. All in all, it’s more likely that the next Pope will be a woman than than you not being accurately described as an alcoholic.
You may not know this, but the majority of alcoholics are not slobbering bums sleeping on the street with a paper-bag-clad bottle in hand. The vast majority of alcoholics are people like you. Decent working people from good enough homes. People with families. People you wouldn’t expect. You’re in good company whether you know it or not.
You may be saying to yourself, “I’m not an alcoholic. I can quit any time”. This is true for most real alcoholics. They can quit any time. They just can’t stay quit for any length of time, and they can’t (or won’t) consume in moderation (e.g., limiting themselves to one drink only each day).
Do the responsible thing if you can, which is to get help for yourself so that you are not a danger to yourself or others. Getting help means:
- Seeking out a detox facility and getting yourself sober. Going cold turkey is not recommended when someone is addicted to alcohol. You put yourself at risk of severe seizures and possibly even death if you try to come off alcohol too fast.
- Getting involved in Alcoholic’s Anonymous. Go to a meeting. Get yourself a sponsor. Some people are too proud to go to AA. Others are concerned about AA being a religion and avoid it for that reason. These are mistakes I think. It is true that not all meetings are good for all people, however. If your first meeting doesn’t work for you, try another one.
- If you have the resources, find a therapist who works with substance abuse and go see him or her. It is important to have support if you are to beat your addiction.