Doctor reveals the fascinating reason why you get memory blanks after drinking shots
It’s a feeling of dread that’s familiar to most people: You wake up after a heavy night of drinking and struggle to remember what happened twelve hours ago.
Arriving at the party, the taxi home and a few conversations are clear, but the rest is a blur.
Now, GP and TikTok influencer Dr Jill Grimes has revealed exactly why these memory disorders occur.
And the most important factor is whether or not you drank shots.
First, Dr. Grimes emphasizes the difference between the terms “fainting” and “blackout,” in a video which has been viewed 3.9 million times.
‘Fainting is unconscious and that is clearly dangerous and a topic for another day.
‘A blackout means you have a memory deficit the next day. There is a certain period, often a few hours, when it is completely empty the next day.’
She then defines “brown-out” and “gray-out” – meaning “some patchy memory loss.”
What causes this memory loss, she says, is due to a sudden and rapid increase in your blood alcohol levels – usually caused by drinking shots.
General practitioner Jill Grimes specializes in health advice at universities. Now she reveals exactly why alcohol causes memory loss, and how to avoid it
This, Dr Grimes explains, ‘turns off the hippocampus’ – the part of the brain that stores short-term memory in the area responsible for long-term memory.
“So that long-term memory simply doesn’t happen,” she says. “And the next day, no matter how many people remind you what was going on and try to recall that memory, nothing will bring it back.
“You haven’t created the long-term memory.”
Dr. Grimes goes on to explain that it’s difficult to determine exactly how much alcohol has an effect because it depends on a number of factors, including the food eaten that day.
But generally the average is: “Four or more drinks in less than two hours makes you a woman, or five or more drinks for men.”
Taking antidepressants, cough and cold medications, and painkillers can all increase the effect of alcohol, she adds.
Research shows that about half of people who drink alcohol experience memory blackouts at some point in their lives.
DO YOU DRINK TOO MUCH ALCOHOL? THE 10 QUESTIONS THAT REVEAL YOUR RISK
A screening tool commonly used by medical professionals is the AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Tests). The ten-question test was developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization and is considered the gold standard in determining whether someone has alcohol abuse problems.
The test is reproduced here with permission from WHO.
To complete it, answer each question and record the corresponding score.
YOUR SCORE:
0-7: You are within the reasonable drinking range and at low risk for alcohol-related problems.
More than 8: Indicate harmful or dangerous drinking.
8-15: Medium risk level. If you drink at your current level, you risk developing problems with your health and life in general, such as at work and in your relationships. Consider cutting back (see below for tips).
16-19: Higher risk of complications from alcohol. At this level it can be difficult to cut back on yourself because you may be dependent and therefore need professional help from your GP and/or a care provider.
20 and older: Possible dependency. Your drinking is already causing problems, and you could very well be dependent. You should definitely consider quitting gradually or at least reducing your alcohol consumption. You should seek professional help to determine your level of dependence and the safest way to quit alcohol.
Severe dependence may require medically supervised withdrawal or detox in a hospital or specialized clinic. This is due to the likelihood of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms occurring during the first 48 hours, requiring specialist treatment.