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While caused by the same substance, alcohol blackouts and poisoning are very different. In this article, we are going to discuss their differences and what you can do when you or someone you know is experiencing either of them.
If someone you are with is experiencing alcohol poisoning right now, it is important that you call an ambulance immediately. You can read the rest of this article while you wait for help.
What is alcohol poisoning?
Alcohol poisoning is a serious and deadly condition that happens when a lot of alcohol is consumed in a short period of time. It will very quickly slow down breathing, drop the body temperature and cause vomiting. It can also lead to coma and death.
When to call for help with alcohol poisoning
Someone who has alcohol poisoning needs immediate medical attention. If someone you are with is experiencing this, call an ambulance immediately and help the person stay awake and find a safe space to wait.
Try to keep them sitting up but if they need to lie down make sure their head is on the side. This helps prevent them from choking.
What is an alcohol blackout?
Alcohol blackouts are gaps in someone’s memory of events that happened while they were drunk. This happens when enough alcohol has been consumed to block the transfer of memories from short-term to long-term storage.
There are two types of blackouts that are defined by how severe they are. The most common type is a fragmentary blackout which creates spotty memories. Then there is complete amnesia which completely blocks long-term memory and nothing can be recovered.
When to call for help with alcohol blackouts
If you or someone experiences an alcohol blackout once if your life, there is no serious call for alarm. If this is something that happens regularly, it is a sign of much greater health issues and addiction.
This is what Get Help is here for. Get in contact with us in the way you prefer and one of our friendly professionals will give you the help you need.
