What’s the difference between a hangover and alcohol withdrawal?

Posted on June 14, 2013 by pgh

Nearly everyone who has tried alcohol has experienced headache, nausea, anxiety, fatigue, and dehydration after a long night of drinking; you know it better as a hangover. Not everyone has experienced alcohol withdrawal, even though they may have tried alcohol. And while some of the characteristics of the two are similar; there is a huge different between a hangover and alcohol withdrawal.

So what is the difference between a hangover and alcohol withdrawal? Well, in order to answer that question it is good to look at what both of them are.

What is a hangover?

A hangover is a collection of signs and symptoms linked to a recent bout of heavy drinking. The sufferer typically has a headache, feels sick, dizzy, sleepy, confused and thirsty. Hangovers can occur at any time of day, but are usually more common the morning after a night of heavy drinking. As well as physical symptoms, the person may also experience elevated levels of anxiety, regret, shame, embarrassment, as well as depression. The severity of a hangover is closely linked to how much alcohol was consumed, and whether the sufferer had enough sleep. A hangover is the consequence of consuming too much alcohol which causes urination and the chances of dehydration; an immune system response which can affect appetite, concentration and memory; stomach irritation which can cause nausea and stomach ache; a drop in blood sugar which can result in shakiness, moodiness, tiredness, weakness; dilation of blood vessels which can cause headaches; sleep quality which causes tiredness and fatigue.

What is alcohol withdrawal?

Alcohol withdrawal refers to a group of symptoms that may occur from suddenly stopping the use of alcohol after chronic or prolonged ingestion. Not everyone who stops drinking experiences withdrawal symptoms, but most people who have been drinking for a long period of time, or drinking frequently, or drink heavily when they do drink, will experience some form of alcohol withdrawal symptoms if they stop drinking suddenly. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can include:

Anxiety
Irritability
Rapid emotional changes
Depression
Fatigue
Bad dreams
Headache – general, pulsating
Sweating, especially the palms of the hands or the face
Nausea and Vomiting
Loss of appetite

Insomnia, sleeping difficulty Paleness
Rapid heart rate (palpitations)
Eyes, pupils different size (enlarged, dilated pupils)
Skin, clammy
Abnormal movements
Tremor of the hands
Involuntary, abnormal movements of the eyelids

Alcohol withdrawal can also result in hallucinations, agitation, fever, convulsions, seizures, black outs, DTs, and in the worst case scenario death.

So what is the difference between a hangover and alcohol withdrawal?

The answer should be quite obvious now. The difference between a hangover and alcohol withdrawal is: A hangover is the result of consuming too much alcohol and alcohol withdrawal is the result of cutting back on alcohol or stopping all together. The two are totally different from one another. Alcohol withdrawal is the result of a physical dependence on the substance and then depriving the body of it and a hangover is merely the body’s reaction to taking in too much alcohol one night. Alcohol withdrawal can result in death. A hangover may make you feel like death, but you won’t die. Many people get hangovers because it is so easy to accidentally take in too much alcohol but many people do not suffer alcohol withdrawal because they have had to build a physical addiction to it and then try to stop drinking first in order to experience it.

Source:

http://www.addictscience.com/hangover-withdrawal/

Drunkorexia

Posted on June 13, 2013 by pgh

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, those aged 18-24 with eating disorders have the highest rate of death—12 times higher than the average.

The statistics on drunkorexia are staggering. Drunkorexia is the slang word used mainly by college students to describe someone who restricts food calories to make room for all those alcoholic drink calories they will be taking in at the campus party later that night. Drunkorexia may also include purging food and alcoholic drink to avoid the calories. Despite the known risks of these behaviors, the statistics still show that 30% of women between 18 and 23 diets so they can drink and not just drink but drink more.

A recent Southeastern University study of first-year college students found that 14 per cent restricted calories before drinking, six per cent of that number doing so in order not to gain weight. A startling 70 per cent were female. According to the CBC, 35 per cent of people with substance abuse issues also have eating disorders. The statistics pare down drunkorexic to one out of five college students.

Drunkorexia most of often begins with a fear of gaining weight from alcohol and is very prevalent among college-aged women; not to mention more dangerous too. This doesn’t mean that men don’t engage in drunkorexic behaviors at all, because some of them do. In extreme cases, the behaviors associated with drunkorexia are related to bulimia and/or anorexia, in which the alcohol is a catalyst making it easier to vomit or it helps to manage eating anxieties. Individuals don’t have to have eating disorders to be considered drunkorexic though; individuals without eating disorders that restrict their intake of food before going out can still struggle with drunkorexia.

Unfortunately for the sex that drunkorexia most commonly affects, females, it is also significantly more dangerous. Because women weigh less they have fewer metabolizing enzymes and less body water to dilute the alcohol with. A martini on an empty stomach immediately sends alcohol shooting into the system making the blood sugar levels shoot up. The result of this is an entire upheaval of the body’s metabolism which can cause serious instability. Those with eating disorders or with disordered eating patterns essentially disintegrate from the inside out. Alcohol consumes their vitamins and nutrients need to survive and this can lead to serious health problems such as fainting, cognitive impairment, and hypoglycemia.

The dangers of being drunkorexic don’t stop there though. Cutting food calories to take in more drink calories is very risk. Not only can drunkorexia make an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia worse it can also severely affect the individual’s emotional, mental, and physical health.

• Drinking on an empty stomach gets you drunk faster, which in turn reduces your self-control and predisposes you to make bad decisions

• Binge eating may also be experienced because the person is extremely hungry and may be unable to control their urges

• Purging often follows after these spurts of binging on food

• Reducing food caloric intake puts a person at risk of not getting the nutrients needed to function properly

• Self-starvation and alcohol abuse can also lead to blackouts, alcohol poisoning, alcohol-related injury, violence or illness.

• Drinking on an empty stomach can make the drinker more vulnerable to alcohol-related brain damage.

• Drinking on an empty stomach can also have a detrimental impact on hydration of the body being able to hang onto minerals and nutrients which can exacerbate symptoms of malnutrition and cognitive problems.

The long term effects are even more severe and the worst case scenario results in an early death. Long term effects of drunkorexia are: osteoporosis, brain damage, cirrhosis of the liver, cardiac problems and death. But this isn’t stopping the drunkorexics. In fact there is a new trend to hit the drunkorexic scene that involves smoking alcohol to get drunk without even needing to consume the actual liquid.

Health Dangers of Tobacco

Posted on June 12, 2013 by pgh

The health dangers of tobacco are becoming more and more well-known. Smoking tobacco is a health danger because so many people lose their lives due to tobacco related diseases and these deaths are preventable.

Tobacco harms all different parts of the body such as the heart, lungs and brain. The chemicals and poisons in tobacco can cause emphysema, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. One in two smokers will die prematurely from smoking. But what are the specific health dangers of tobacco? Here are some for starters:

The health dangers of tobacco start somewhere in between the 4,000 chemical components found in cigarettes. Somewhere around 250 of these chemicals are harmful to human health according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are some examples of health dangers of tobacco due to the chemicals:

1,3-Butadine is a chemical used to manufacture rubber that is also in tobacco. According to the CDC this can increase risk of cancer in the stomach, blood and lymphatic system.
Acrolein is a gas linked to lung cancer also found in tobacco. Acrolein inhibits DNA repair and can destroy the lining in the lungs that protects you from lung disease
Arsenic is used to preserve wood. In humans, it can cause heart disease and cancer.
Benzene is used to manufacture other chemicals. Benzene can cause cancer, particularly leukemia in humans.
Cadmium is a metal used to make batteries. Cadmium can interfere with the repair of damaged DNA as well as damage the kidneys and linings of the arteries.
Chromium VI is used to make alloy metals, paint and dyes. It has been proved to be linked to lung cancer.
Formaldehyde is a chemical used to kill bacteria and to preserve human and animal remains. It is a known cause of cancer and one of the main substances linked to chronic lung disease and is what is in secondhand smoke.
Polonium-210 is a radioactive element inhaled directly into the airway. It has been shown that people who smoke a pack and a half of cigarettes a day are receiving the same radiation they would get from 300 plus x-rays per year.
Tar is solid and inhaled chemicals linked with an increased risk of cancer. Tar also leaves a sticky brown residue on the lungs, teeth and fingernails.

Some other health dangers of tobacco include the mixture between carbon monoxide and nicotine. Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas you inhale when you smoke. Once carbon monoxide is in your lungs it enters the bloodstream and decreases the amount of oxygen that is carried by red blood cells. Carbon monoxide can also lead to the hardening of arteries. This can lead to heart disease, artery disease and possibly heart attack. Nicotine is highly dangerous and highly addictive. Nicotine can increase blood pressure, heart rate and the flow of blood to the heart as well as narrowing of the arteries. Nicotine can also contribute to the hardening of arterial walls which can also lead to a heart attack. Nicotine can stay in your blood for up to eight hours depending on how often you smoke.

There are not good health effects of tobacco. The health dangers of tobacco are numerous and deadly in the long term. Quitting smoking can help with reversing some of these health dangers.

How to Pass a Drug Test (Saliva)

Posted on June 10, 2013 by pgh

Know the rate of detection with each drug, to know if you can pass a drug test (saliva).

Marijuana – (THC) Casual Use – (Less Than 3 Times Per Week) 4 days Heavy Use – (3+ Times Per Week) 30 Days
Cocaine – (COC) 5 Days
Methamphetamine – (METH)4 Days
Amphetamines – (AMP) 4 Days
Opiates – (OPT) 5 Days
Phencyclidine – (PCP) 3 Days
Benzodiazepines – (BZO) 4 Days
Methadone – (MTD) 7 Days
Barbiturates – (BAR) 3 Days
Tricyclic Antidepressants – (TCA) 3 Days

So the best way to pass a drug test is just to stop using these substances for that amount of time or longer to be on the safe side. While you can try other things to pass a drug test you may not be able to when it comes to the saliva drug test. The reason for this is that saliva drug tests can be administered at any time; easily, effectively and accurately. There doesn’t have to be any notice ahead of time for this type of drug test. The good news is the saliva drug test has a shorter drug detection period than the urine or a hair drug test and the saliva drug test cannot be used to detect historical drug usage. Most drugs do not linger in saliva and disappear quickly. However, detection times for marijuana (THC) in saliva can extend up to 30 days.

A Saliva drug test simply involves using a swab that looks very similar to a common toothbrush, but in place of bristles a swab servers to collect the saliva. The swab is placed between the lower cheek and gum for about two minutes. Once saturated it takes a few minutes to produce a pass or fail on the spot.

So how do you pass a saliva drug test?

Stay off of the drugs. The easiest way to pass a drug test is to not use drugs of course. In the case of a saliva drug test, this means not using for 24 to 72 hours, depending on the drug.
Be careful about eating anything containing poppy seeds. Poppy seed muffins can cause you to have a false-positive test result because Opium is made from poppies.
Ignore lab orders. If you receive instructions from the laboratory on what not to ingest prior to the mouth swab test, just ignore them. In fact, eating a high-fat meal one hour before the test will actually speed up the rate that drugs would normally move away from your mouth and on to being digested. Eat and drink as you normally would. You don’t want to give them any help proving your guilt.
Eat a high-fat meal. Eating a high-fat meal one hour before the test will actually speed up the rate that drugs would normally move away from your mouth and on to being digested.
Don’t buy expensive mouthwash products. You may see mouthwash products online that claim to be able to clean away traces of drugs prior to testing, but these aren’t foolproof, and usually cost around $40. The day of your test, clean your mouth by brushing, flossing, and gargling as usual.
Altoid mints will help to mask chemicals in the mouth. Suck on Altoid Mints up to the time of your mouth swab test.
Chew ice until testing time. Chewing on ice will also help by keeping the mouth freshly rinsed.

Sources:

http://www.theweedblog.com/what-is-a-saliva-test-and-how-do-i-pass-one/

http://www.medicalhealthtests.com/askquestion/260/how-to-pass-a-mouth-swab-drug-test.html

Is Alcoholism Really A Brain Disease?

Posted on June 7, 2013 by pgh

Many people don’t know alcoholism is a brain disease because they only see the outward manifestations of the disease. But the truth is addiction is a chronic brain disease that goes far beyond behavioral problems and poor choices.

In August 2011, the ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) released its new text “The Definition of Addiction (Long Version),” which for one of the first times ever, extended addiction to include behaviors rather than just drug and alcohol abuse. A group of almost 100 addiction experts worked long and hard to arrive at the new definition of addiction and concluded that addiction is more about the brain; not about the alcohol, drugs, sex, or gambling. It is about the neurology of the brain not the outward behavior that we so often associate with alcoholism.

So why is alcoholism a brain disease?

Alcoholism affects the brain’s reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry to the extent that the alcoholic person’s motivations are altered so that their alcoholic behavior has no replaced healthy, self-caring behaviors. This is what may make some alcoholics seem insane and willing to give up so much for booze.

The brain’s reward system is also altered so that the memory of other rewards such as food, sex, and drugs or alcohol, now trigger a biological as well as a behavioral response, to engage in the alcoholic behavior again despite the negative consequences, and in some instances, even though the alcoholic doesn’t even find pleasure in drinking.

Alcoholism also affects the front cortex of the brain. When alcoholism affects the front cortex of the brain it also alters impulse control and judgment. This results in what many alcoholics describe as needing to drink to feel normal. The ASAM calls it the pathological pursuit rewards, when addicts return to their addictive behavior to feel as good as you would on a daily basis.

The front cortex of the brain is responsible for inhibiting impulsivity and delaying gratification also. Because this area of the brain continues developing into young adulthood the ASAM say this could be why early onset exposure to alcohol and drugs leads to the development in alcoholism in many people. Think about it. When you are younger you are learning how to control impulses and delaying gratification. For instance, waiting to go hang out with friends until after you finished homework. If drugs or alcohol are involved in this development process of course it is going to alter the brain’s ability to control impulse and want for instant gratification.

So how is alcoholism as a brain disease treated?

A comprehensive alcohol treatment program should focus on all active and potential substances and behaviors that could be addictive. A alcohol treatment program must also give tools to not only deal with the health issues in the body but also the mental issues in the brain. Because alcoholism is a brain disease doesn’t mean alcoholics are off the hook either; they must take responsibility for their behaviors and begin doing something to change them. Usually these changes happen in alcohol rehabilitation center.

Source: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-2/toc27-2.htm

How to Pass a Drug Test (Urine)

Posted on June 6, 2013 by pgh

If you are trying to pass a drug test chances are that you have been having a little too much fun in the recent days or weeks; maybe even months and years. Whether you need to pass a drug test given by your parents, job, school, probation officer etc. there are some methods you can try to test negative for everything.

There are many types of drug tests, but the most common is the urine drug test. There are four main methods to pass a urine drug test: detox, masking, dliution and substitution; none of these are guaranteed methods. Except the first one; detox.

Detox: Detox is by far the best way to pass a urine drug test. Detox is simply just stopping the use of drugs. If you have some time before your drug test, detox is the safest and most effective way to make sure you pass. If you don’t have a lot of time before your drug test than detox may be a bit risky but regardless of how much time you have beforehand or what method to pass a drug test you use; you should always stop using the drugs as a part of it. Quitting the drugs you were using is absolutely necessary to having any chance of passing a drug test.

Masking: Masking prevents the release of toxins in your body. This means that you are going to try and cover up whatever substances are in your body so they don’t show up in the drug test. There are many beverages sold in smoke shops that guarantee they can do this so you can pass your drug test; but they are far from guaranteed. Trying to use commercial, over-the-counter chemicals and drugs to mask your drug use, could work but now many drug testing labs test for them to see if you are trying to mask and this will result in you having a failed drug test.

Dilution: Dilution is the process of reducing the concentration of drug or drug metabolites in your urine so you can pass the drug test. This is accomplished either by drinking copious amounts of water or by adding something to the sample to dilute it. This could possibly work but be careful because diluting a sample will lower the specific gravity and creatine levels in your urine. Drug testing labs will routinely test samples for creatine levels to try and detect dilution. If you decide you want to dilute your sample be careful and use warm water. Also know that drinking tons of water to internally dilute your system can be detected. Also drinking a lot of water can be dangerous and result in water intoxication.

Substitution: Substitution is a method that involves substituting your own urine with another person’s urine or a synthetic sample. There are many products on the market today to pass a drug test through using synthetic urine. For example, by drug users alike, The Whizzinator is highly recommended. There is also synthetic urine that comes in capsules. The problem with substitution is that some drug testing labs can now test for synthetic urine especially the liquid kind. If you get caught using synthetic urine you may be asked to give a sample again while under supervision too. If you really want to be authentic you could get someone else’s urine to pass a drug test but you have to keep it sealed and refrigerated. Not only that but you have to use it within 48 hours or the urine will darken and bacteria will begin to grow. When that happens the pH of the urine will change and the labs will know something is up.

If your drug test isn’t being sent off to a lab you have much higher chances of passing a drug test because home drug test kits can be inaccurate and most of the time the people giving them are not keeping as close an eye on what you are doing or what the sample should look like. Just remember if you are trying to pass a drug test your best bet is to stop doing drugs!

Smoking Alcohol

Posted on June 5, 2013 by pgh

Smoking alcohol is the latest trend following a big stir of what is known as butt chugging. Smoking alcohol is an effort to gain a bigger buzz for fewer calories and many young drinkers are inhaling their booze by pouring it over dry ice or free basing it and sucking up the vapors. Either way, skipping over the stomach and liver is incredibly risky when ingesting alcohol.

Smoking alcohol supposedly provides all of the flavor and intoxication of chugging a mixed drink with none of the sugars and calories; this for some people is a God send. But what they may not realize is they are doing more damage than good. Some of the damage done to the body by smoking alcohol may be more dangerous than the weight they would put on from simply drinking it.

Videos of smoking alcohol can be found all over YouTube of course with young people inhaling a smoky dry ice and alcohol mix. Smoking alcohol is a very dangerous tend particularly among college aged students who are looking for extreme ways to get high. It is particularly popular among the college aged men and women who are trying to restrict calories before a night of partying. It even has a name; drunkorexia.

When someone smokes alcohol what happens is it goes directly into the lungs and circumnavigates the liver. The liver is what metabolizes alcohol but when you smoke it, it goes directly from the lungs to the brain making it very harmful and dangerous. The lungs and membranes in the lungs are highly susceptible to alcohol. Not only that but smoking alcohol can dry out the nasal passages and mouth which can leave many alcohol smokers vulnerable to infections. Smoking alcohol also increases the risk of getting alcohol poisoning. When an individual drinks alcohol normally, if they have drunk too much, they will usually begin to vomit. This cannot happen to someone who is smoking alcohol. Instead if they smoke too much alcohol their body will have no way of getting rid of the toxins and helping itself. This could lead to instant death in a worst case scenario.

Smoking alcohol is one of the most ridiculous and dangerous trends to hit the drinking scene yet and the sad thing is the dangers of smoking alcohol could totally be prevented if people would just do what you are supposed to do with a beverage-drink it. All of these new fads which include vodka tampons,butt chugging and smoking alcohol can lead to so many adverse health effects. In fact just purely drinking alcohol can have adverse effects so the effects of consuming alcohol through smoke, the lining of the bowels, or the lining of the vagina seems doubly unpleasant.

For kids who are looking to get high quickly or are looking to get high without all the calories; they should be careful. Using substances in manners other than the way they were intended to be used is also a clear indication of alcoholism and addiction and that can change your life forever if it doesn’t end it first.

5 best college drinking games

Posted on June 3, 2013 by pgh

Every college student on every college campus would argue what the best college drinking games are. Not only that but for every college drinking game there is a different variation depending on how you were taught to play it and how you are now passing it. Needless to say though, there are definitely some drinking games that are better than others. Here are the 5 best college drinking games and we think you probably already know what is number one.

5.) Beer pong: Beer pong requires a ping pong table, ping pong balls, some red solo cups and quite a bit of alcohol. Beer pong will probably always be THE BEST college drinking game. In beer pong, opposing teams, usually two, stand at opposite ends of the ping pong table with nine cups set up in a triangle in front of them. Each team tries to bounce pin pong balls into the opposing teams cups filled with beer forcing the opposing team to drink. Beer pong is fast paced and is fun for the “audience” too. The rules of beer pong vary slightly but this is definitely number one of the list of the 5 best college drinking games.

4.) You may know it as circle of death, waterfalls or ring of fire: This college drinking game has so many names but for the sake of keeping it simple we are going to call it Ring of Fire. Ring of fire requires a deck of cards and a lot of alcohol. Players sit in a circle and draw cards that are spread out in the middle of the circle of players; that’s why its name the ring of fire. Each card has a corresponding rule the players must follow. For example when a 6 is drawn it means all the chicks have to drink. “Six, chicks.” Then the next person will draw a card with a corresponding rule. This is the one of the best college drinking games because the rules can be changed to fit whatever and it can become totally hilarious. Only reason it doesn’t beat out beer pong as THE BEST is because it isn’t that great for onlookers.

3.) Quarters: Quarters is a quick and simple way to get drunk. This is what makes it one of the best college drinking games for those looking to get messed up quick. The point is to try and bounce a quarter into a shot glass and assign drinks. If you miss the shot you take a drink. Quarters is one of the best college drinking games, but it does take practice.

2.) Asshole: Asshole is one the best college drinking games but it is complicated and frustrating. A deck of cards is dealt out to players. In the first round the goal is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards. The first player to get rid of all their cards is the President next round, the last player to get rid of all their cards is the Asshole. The President creates hilarious moments for players and onlookers. The goal is always to become President next the round. Asshole can go on for a long time which makes it one of the best college drinking games.

1.) Never Have I Ever: Never have I ever mixes drinking, low inhibitions and sharing of personal information. Players take turns making “never have I ever…” (Example: Never have I ever been to France-they are usually more sexual in context when actually playing) statements and players who have done those activities have to drink. This is one of the best college drinking games because it can be really hilarious and you can learn some occasional disgusting facts about your friends. The only time this best college drinking game gets dull is when you run out of “never have I ever…” statements.

For more about college and drinking, check out the Top 5 Party Schools or Florida’s Hottest Spring Break Destinations

5 Reasons Hangover Part III is Tanking at the Box Office

Posted on May 31, 2013 by pgh

The Hangover Part III was meant to be the epic finish to a trilogy of drunken movies that took the public by storm, beginning with The Hangover and then its twin sister Hangover Part II. Unfortunately, the meant to be epic ending to The Hangover trilogy has left many disappointed and it shows in the numbers at the box office. The Hangover Part III is tanking at the box office and probably for good reasons when you really take a good, long, hard, look at it. Here are 5 reasons Hangover Part III is tanking at the box office:

The actors look bored. According to many reviews all over the internet one of the biggest reasons the Hangover Part III is tanking at the box office is because of the acting. This isn’t to say the actors in the movie aren’t good actors but they just look bored according to critics. “I’m sure much of Cooper’s involvement is just due to him paying some respect to the franchise that rocketed him to success he is currently enjoying.” “Ed Helms and Justin Bartha are back, too, but I couldn’t care less about them, either. In fact, the whole cast is dull and uninteresting.” “Cooper and Helms go through the paces, but it’s clear they are here only for their paychecks”
The Hangover Part III was meant to be funny and it just isn’t funny. According to critics the movie was dark, had hardly any jokes and is witless. “This is a smug, witless picture that makes you feel like you’ve been had — at least until that great bit over the end credits shows up, and you go home wondering how that movie might have turned out.”
It didn’t follow the plot that made The Hangover such a success and gave The Hangover Part II its redeeming quality. The plot for The Hangover Part III has no wild bachelor parties, bouts of amnesia, or absurdist humor. What actually is happening in The Hangover Part III is a series of chases through Mexico and eventually Las Vegas to try and get back a mobster’s loot or die. The main focus isn’t even on “The Wolfpack” it is actually on Jeong who owes the mobster.
It is too much of Ken Jeong’s character Chow. Critics are saying that they almost took the jokes with Chow too far. “His seething hatred for man and beast (“Make sure you kill the guard dogs,” he insists at one point) is so venomous it smacks of some kind of warped integrity.” Some critics have even said because of this that the movie is a comedy for sociopaths. For example, the movie begins with a giraffe getting hit by a car on the highway and a decapitation.
More people wanted to see Fast and Furious 6. Unfortunately, The Hangover Part III came out around the same time as some other great movies which really put it behind at the box office. And because of the nature of the movie and its lack of humor of course everyone would rather see something else other than this mess up.

Unfortunately for the The Hangover Part III the ending was not as epic as they intended. The one good part of The Hangover Part III according to critics and obviously by looking at the box office; is that it’s over.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hangover_part_iii/

http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-critic-reviews/the-hangover-part-iii/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/film-reviews/the-hangover-part-iii-weirdly-fascinatingly-bad/article12098826/

Alcohol and Memory

Posted on May 29, 2013 by pgh

Alcohol and Memory

Everyone knows that alcohol has a profound effect on memory. It’s no big secret that after a night of partying your memories can be a little hazy. But what is the connection between alcohol and memory? How does alcohol affect your ability to remember?

Alcohol and Memory: How alcohol affects the memory

Alcohol primarily interferes with the ability to form new long-term memories. Memory formation and storage take place in several stages, proceeding from sensory memory (which lasts up to a few seconds) to short–term memory (which lasts from seconds to minutes depending upon whether the information is rehearsed) to long–term storage. When someone attends to sensory information, it is transferred from a sensory memory store to short–term memory. The transfer from short-term memory to long term memory depends on many different factors including rehearsal, depth of processing attention, motivation, and arousal. Alcohol impairs the transfer of information from short term memory to long term memory.

Alcohol and Memory: Blackouts

One of the more extreme effects of alcohol on memory can be seen in blackouts. These are periods of alcohol-related amnesia. Most people experience one of two types of blackouts-en bloc blackouts and fragmentary blackouts. En bloc blackouts happen when you are unable to recall anything from the blackout period, even when your memory is prompted. Fragmentary blackouts are classified as being able to remember certain things during the blackout period, but having gaps in your memory. Fragmentary blackouts seem to occur with lower blood alcohol content then en bloc blackouts. Sometimes, when prompted, a person can remember certain things that happened during a fragmentary blackout.

The important thing to remember about blackouts is that they are not the same as “passing out” or losing consciousness. Blackouts are periods of time when the drinker is completely conscious, having conversations and performing sometimes amazing feats, but later they have absolutely no memory of the events that transpired. Total amount of alcohol ingested does not seem to be the determining factor when people blackout. Whether or not a person will blackout seems to depend on how quickly they consume the alcohol. Surveys suggest that a person can drink the same amount or more alcohol as he or she did when the blackout occurred and not experience memory loss, provided they drink the alcohol over a longer period of time.

Enough alcohol will prevent the brain from recording new memories. These periods of amnesia are primarily “anterograde,” meaning that alcohol impairs the ability to form new memories while the person is intoxicated, but does not typically erase memories formed before intoxication. During the blackout, the brain is not recording anything going on, which is why you are unable to recall it later. Alcohol affects the hippocampus area of the brain, which is involved in memory storage.

Though repeated episodes of blacking out will lead to permanent changes in the brain, blackouts are more psychosocially damaging than physically damaging. Many people report engaging in high-risk behavior during a blackout. They drive while intoxicated, get into fights, or engage in unprotected sex. During a blackout, normal restraint of emotions, impulses, and desires is impaired and that may result in enormous harm to self and others.

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-2/186-196.htm

http://www.livescience.com/14952-alcohol-blackouts.html