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Title: The Alcohol Blackout: Walking, Talking, Unconscious & Lethal
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Manufacturer: Mnemosyne Press
List Price: $17.95
Our Price: $12.21
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| Customer Reviews: |
| The Alcohol Blackout: Walking, Talking, Unconscious & Lethal by Mnemosyne Press "Knowledge is POWER" | | A MUST read for anyone involved with an Alcoholic! Sadly, this is how many people lose their lives because of someone else's addiction and being in a lethal relationship......this book reveals how deadly an alcohol blackout can be! I would recommend anyone involved with an alcoholic to read, professional or nonprofessional. | | The Alcohol Blackout: Walking, Talking, Unconscious & Lethal by Mnemosyne Press Intent vs. Memory | | The serious flaw in Sweeney's argument appears to be his understanding of the activity of the brain during the period of time known as 'blackout'. As a family member who has frequent contact with an elderly uncle who has been drinking since the age of 17 and suffers from blackouts, I feel that I have learned far more from that experience than I did in grad school studying the psychology of addictions. My uncle appears to be functioning normally, speaks well, smiles at the right moment, gives advice and pays the tab at the bar. Gets himself home too ! He also rages in a way that isn't congruent with his image of himself as a peaceful man. He also beats anyone who crosses him, maybe it was he who poisioned the dog ? He doesn't do these things in his moments of sobriety. He doesn't recall anything, he cannot tell you any details from the evening unless they occurred before he became intoxicated. He knows he went to the bar with his buddy Dave, and talked to a couple from Texas, but after that.... Scary. I'm afraid of him. No impulse control. The thoughts we all have, unkind, angry, possibly violent; we realize that acting on them is not a choice we want to make, because of the consequences. He just acts on them. Not always, but enough times that a wise person will give him a wide bearth. | | The Alcohol Blackout: Walking, Talking, Unconscious & Lethal by Mnemosyne Press A good attempt to demystify alcohol induced blackouts | What happens when one consumes alcohol? Several things can happen. A sense of euphoria, a high, then loss of coordination, blackout, passout etc. All other stages except blackout are well understood and are well documented. Common people also are aware of almost all these stages but when it comes to blackout, it seems that the knowledge and awareness is rather low. Dr. Donal F. Sweeney, M.D., a board certified doctor of internal medicine, chest disease and addiction medicine, set out in this book to fill this gap in the knowledge. Together with Robert A. Liston, a former newspaperman and magazine journalist, Dr.Sweeney deals with a complex subject in a faily clear and cogent manner.
The authors define what is a blackout and explain what factors probably cause the blackout, the difference between a blackout and a fadeout, the difference between a blackout and a passout, the probable mechanism of a blackout and its implications in the legal systems of a country. They forcefully argue the need for further research into a subject that is not well undestood by the community of scientists (including doctors and psycologists, psychiatrists etc.), lawyers, police and the judges. A good number of cases involving alcohol induced blackout are presented. The difference between immediate memory and short term memory is crucial in understanding the phenomenon of alcohol blackout. The case of Henry, who was operated for epileptic seizures and was left with only immediate memory and no short term memory made interesting reading. The parallel between alcohol blackout and Henry is really striking. The comparison between drug induced blackout and alcohol blackout is also interesting, esp. because of the difference in terms of the type of memory and duration affected.
While the treatment of memory and its formation and the description of brain anatomy and the role of neurotransmitters etc., may need rereading and or additional reading (for which the authors do supplement the book with a list of resources), the subject matter and its treatment is not beyond the understanding capacity of an educated layman.
Dr.Sweeney is frank and forthright in his views on the subject and while he is no lawyer, his analysis of Paul Cox's case, made me think that he could have made an excellent lawyer or detective if he ever wanted! I feel that he would make an excellent expert witness now for many cases of alcohol blackout related crimes.
The print quality is average and the editing could be better. You will be able to check out the contents, excerpts etc., at a local book store or at Amazon and similar on-line bookstores and so will be able to make a fairly quick decision to buy the book or not.
I would strongly recommend this book to you if you need to deal with the problem of alcohol blackout in any capacity, including as a friend, a policeman, a lawyer etc.
About myself: I am a physicist and a metallurgist, not a medical man. Thus I am a lay reader as far as health books are concerned. I have tasted alcohol out of curiosity but luckily came of a possible addiction at an early stage. I never experienced a blackout myself. However, I have taken up this book because I am interested in health (partly because of my own health challenges) for long. I have studied Homeopathy, Biochemic (Schussler's) Tissue Remedies, Bach Flower Remedies, Reiki (I am a certified Usui Reiki Master Healer), Crystal Healing etc. I would strongly advise you to seek the advice of a health professional when trying to understand and implement any knowledge gained from books. | | The Alcohol Blackout: Walking, Talking, Unconscious & Lethal by Mnemosyne Press The Alcohol Blackout | As a licensed drug & alcohol counselor with 17 years of experience in the field, and a prevention professional, I found the book fascinating, though a bit repetitive in parts.
I enjoyed this book and must also say that I disagree with some of the doctor's review above, though I respect his professional opinion.
I do not agree with some ideas in the book that appear to be leading to the conclusion that those in blackouts should not be held accountable for their behavior. However, I see it as entirely possible for someone to have only immediate memory and long term memory and to form intent, then to lose it almost immediately due to lack of memory. This process could then repeat over and over again. This could also create a dangerous situation wherein an individual who is in the midst of an activity can simply "go with the flow" of what is already happening.
What I disagree with is that someone who is normally passive or non-violent would suddenly murder someone when in a blackout, or beat their partner in a blackout. It is the same principle in hypnotism, one can't be forced to do something one would normally be completely morally opposed to.
The ideas set forth in the book are fascinating. The idea that a blacked out person is basically as compromised as a person with no short term memory is a very important one. Factors that add to blackouts are also very helpful, and might be able to be used to help prevent blackouts in some people. In addition, ways to recognize someone in a blackout was also very important. I have witnessed this type of behavior, and therefore found it very interesting to hear theories about why it happens.
It only took a few days for me to receive this book, so perhaps shipping problems mentioned above have been fixed.
In general, I would recommend this book as interesting and important, especially as it calls for more research.
Negatives: the type is annoying to read. The book can be repetitive in parts. | | The Alcohol Blackout: Walking, Talking, Unconscious & Lethal by Mnemosyne Press Good content, absolutely nonsensical conclusions! | I have studied the effects of drugs, including alcohol, on the brain for nearly three decades now. I have followed the scientific literature on blackouts since my undergraduate years. Dr. Sweeney is absolutely correct when he asserts that alcohol blackouts (gaps in memory that occur when people drink too much) are understudied and that they occur more often than most people think. However, his assertion that people experiencing a blackout don't know "to come in out of the rain", that they don't know where they are, what they're doing, that they are unconscious, can't think, make decisions, form intent, etc., is absolutely bizarre and does not fit with what people who really do study blackouts (check the literature -- Dr. Sweeney is not one of them) have been writing for years.
There are tons of stories in the literature, and discussed in the book, about people who do all kinds of intentional, voluntary, acts during blackouts. People have conversations, buy drinks, drive cars, commit murder, have sex, travel long distances... without memory of these acts when the buzz wears off. How in the world could they do this without the ability to form intent!? Do people accidently buy drinks, start fights, or get behind the wheel of a car? How Dr. Sweeney could use these examples and then assert that people can't think or make decisions during blackouts is beyond me.
In the book he drives home his opinion that because someone can't make new memories they can't form intent! So, Dr. Sweeney, does that mean that every criminal in prison that claims they can't remember committing the crime should be set free!? Memory formation and goal-directed behaviors are governed by different parts of the brain and are NOT in any way related!!! Bizarre!
I gave the book two stars because it is well-written and includes some interesting stories. I have read other books written by the co-author, James Liston, including one called "The Edge of Madness", about the US prison system. Excellent book. I like his writing style, which is one of the only things that saves Alcohol Blackouts from being a total waste of money. It took several weeks to get it through Amazon and it was not worth the wait!
If you're interested in a perfect example of how people can take scientific findings and use seriously flawed logic to arrive at truly ridiculous conclusions, this is a must read. If you want to know the truth about alcohol blackouts, avoid it. Unfortunately, there don't appear to be any other books on the topic at this point, so there aren't any alternatives. I recommend going to a medical school library and making copies of the classic studies done on this topic in the past thirty years. Look up the name "Goodwin". I have enjoyed them and I think any serious scholar would, too. | | The Alcohol Blackout: Walking, Talking, Unconscious & Lethal by Mnemosyne Press Book Description | | The first book ever published on the subject, Dr. Donal F. Sweeney reveals what an alcohol blackout is. The alcohol has blocked memory formation, reducing the victim to an unconscious state in which he does not know who he is or what he's doing. Yet, his pre-blackout memory remains, allowing him to walk, talk and appear to function while in an unconscious state. He is thus a menace to himself and others. Dr. Sweeney tells how to recognize the unconscious state, what to do about it and how to prevent blackouts. |
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