Chances are you know somebody who is so committed to their drinking that they’ve been on the “blackout” bus. If you don’t know somebody who does it – this will be a most informative piece for you. You’ll scratch your head as to why people do it.
Drinking can feel good. The tricky thing about alcohol is that it triggers the “feel good” cascade in the brain. A flush of neurotransmitters for relaxation, satisfaction, and inhibition bathe our brain. This is while we’re fully aware of the alcohol we’re consuming.
However, when you cross the “legally drunk” blood alcohol content limit, things can be a slippery slope that we can cross without knowing it. Once we’re there, our body has gotten to a place where our judgement is impaired and our rational thinking takes a backseat. This is when you put the drink down and pickup a bottle of water. If you opt to keep drinking, you’re likely going to blackout.
Leading to the blackout, your blood alcohol content is twice the legal limit. This has a profound effect in the brain. The receptors responsible for walking, speaking, and reaction time are otherwise preoccupied with the nesting of alcohol. See where this gets a little sloppy?
Arriving at the blackout means that the same receptors that govern walking, speaking, and reaction time are decommissioned. These receptors are in a part of the brain that helps to store memories. When you officially cross the blackout threshold, your brain is not storing memories. This means anything you do at this time is essentially done without any judgement, recollection, or accountability.
Have you ever heard that a country will deny any association with a spy, if he or she is caught? Well it seems like the brain, when someone drinks to the blackout phase, decides to deny any association with the less-than-responsible operator. Is this really something worth doing to your brain and your future?
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