Holiday Season Blackout Episodes and the Need for Alcohol Rehab

Alcohol abuse has a way of progressing along, all on its own, gradually diminishing a person’s ability to control his or her intake. Before long, excess drinking brings on blackout episodes that increase in frequency and duration over time. The holiday season in particular offers any number of opportunities to engage in drinking behaviors, allowing someone who struggles with alcohol abuse to blend in with the crowd.

For someone who’s experienced blackout episodes in the past, the holidays pose a considerable threat to his or her physical and psychological well-being. For these reasons, entering alcohol rehab before the holiday season hits full stride can help prevent an alcohol abuse problem from causing irreparable damage in your life.

Alcohol Abuse during the Holiday Season

Alcohol has remained an accepted part of American culture since the country’s very beginnings. The traditional “spiked” eggnog served at holiday gatherings offers a prime example of alcohol as an accepted American pastime, especially during the holiday season.

Considering the number of events, parties and family gatherings that take place during the holidays this time of year offers more than a few opportunities to drink in excess. Likewise, anyone battling a drinking problem becomes even more so vulnerable during the holiday season.

The holidays also come with added pressures to meet family obligations as well as the money that goes into buying gifts. These pressures can further aggravate an already troublesome drinking problem.

Bingeing Behaviors

Alcohol consumption is a holiday tradition among many Americans.

Alcohol has a cumulative effect on the brain, diminishing its ability to produce needed neurotransmitter chemicals on its own. Over time, this damage drives users to ingest larger amounts of alcohol in order to experience the desired “high” effect, according to the Scripps Research Institute. In turn, a vicious cycle of brain deterioration and increased drinking ensues.

After so many months of heavy alcohol consumption, drinkers start to engage in bingeing behaviors, consuming incredibly large amounts of alcohol at a time. Since alcohol acts as a central nervous system depressant, these practices can cause serious widespread health problems within a short period of time.

Blackout Episodes

After so many bingeing sessions, alcohol’s effects can easily overpower the brain’s ability to maintain normal bodily functions. During a blackout, drinkers appear fully alert and cognizant of their actions yet have no recollection of their actions or the events that took place once alcohol’s effects wear off.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism, someone who experiences repeated blackout episodes risks developing serious impairments in memory, learning and psychological functioning. Considering the brain’s steadily increasing tolerance for alcohol combined with the pressures of the holiday season and the ample opportunities to engage in drinking, the risk of experiencing blackout episodes increases considerably for someone who has a drinking problem.

The Need for Alcohol Rehab

While spending time with friends and family most distinguishes the holiday season from any other time of year, trying to keep a drinking problem in check during the holidays can quickly turn out to be a losing battle. In effect, the longer you wait to get needed alcohol rehab, the harder the recovery process will be.

If you or someone you know struggles with a drinking problem and are considering getting alcohol rehab help, please feel free to call our toll-free helpline at 888-646-0635Who Answers? for more information on alcohol abuse or to get information on alcohol rehab programs in your area.