Blackout drinking is becoming an increasingly recognized problem, especially among younger drinkers. If you or someone you know is drinking to the point of blacking out, it’s time to consider a close evaluation of your relationship with alcohol.
At Klarity Clinic, our addiction specialists offer many resources, including ketamine infusion therapy, to help you overcome your addiction to alcohol and prevent episodes of blackout drinking.
Ketamine infusions are especially beneficial for those who are interested in achieving long-term sobriety without the uncomfortable side effects of withdrawal.
Blackout drinking describes gaps in a person’s memory during a period of intoxication. Even though you’re still awake and conscious during a period of time, you can’t remember anything that happened.
When you drink excessively, the alcohol can affect the area of your brain called the hippocampus, blocking the transfer of your memories from your short-term to your long-term storage.
There are two types of blackouts:
When you have fragmentary blackouts, you may have spotty memories for events that take place while you’re drinking
Complete amnesia is a severe form of blackout in which you have no memory of events over a span of hours. You may also never be able to recover these memories at a later point.
Blackouts can typically start when your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches about 0.16%, which is twice the legal limit for driving. However, you may also experience blackouts if you drink and simultaneously use medications to treat insomnia or anxiety.
People who binge drink (consume large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time) tend to reach a blackout stage faster than others who drink less quickly.
When you’ve consumed enough alcohol to disrupt your memory, you are more likely to already have cognitive issues that affect your judgment and ability to make decisions.
People who blackout while drinking may be at a much higher risk for reckless behaviors, getting arrested, physical injuries from accidents, and other negative experiences. You may also be at risk for ongoing issues at work, school, and in your relationships.
Having one blackout experience doesn’t mean you have an alcohol use disorder. However, if you black out several times a month or have other warning signs of an addiction to alcohol, it may be time to consider treatment.
At Klarity Clinic, we offer infusions of ketamine and NAD+ to help you stop drinking without acute withdrawal symptoms or cravings for alcohol.
Ketamine works by creating new neural pathways in your brain. These new pathways help reduce your cravings and override the memories you have of drinking. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a coenzyme that supports detoxification from alcohol and reduces the oxidative stress alcohol can have on your body at a cellular level.
Treatment involves a series of infusions of both NAD+ and ketamine directly into your bloodstream. Our team carefully monitors your health throughout your treatment. We also offer maintenance infusions to make it easier for you to maintain your sobriety in the long-term.
To break free from your addiction to alcohol, call the Klarity Clinic office nearest to you or book a consultation online today.
