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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I don’t know what happened when I was drunk.

235 replies

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 10:00

A few weeks ago, I was at a work event when Im embarrassed to say got very drunk. I am not a drinker, but I must have just totally overdone it and my body is not used to that.

I have a chunk of time where I am unaccounted for. My colleagues don’t know where I was, but it was at quite a big venue so there could be an explanation for that. There were other groups at the event other than my colleagues. But equally, I really don’t know what happened.

i have been running through scenarios for the past few weeks and have even told my husband my fears, and he had told me he is sure it’s all fine and I just need to move on. But I can’t.

I have run through some scenarios that I have even begun to convince myself of.

I am so upset with myself for this and frightened about what I could have done or what could have happened. I am blessed with an amazing husband and children, and I feel like I could have jeopardised everything.

I have no one really to talk to irl about this. I just don’t know what to do or how to move on and would really appreciate advice.

Im not expecting you to be kind to me here. I understand that this is all my own fault. I’m just in a mess and don’t know how to put one foot in front of the other.

OP posts:
TheJollyMoose · 08/04/2025 12:26

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:22

It matters because I have a family that I love. Because I have responsibilities.

Then maybe you should have thought of that before you got pissed.

Fastingandhungry · 08/04/2025 12:25

Or could have been, likely is you say somewhere spinning but what a mess.

Bigcat25 · 08/04/2025 12:25

It's very unlikely you were with someone op. You were at a work event, had clothes on. I'm sorry you're feeling so upset. If something out of the ordinary happened, you'd be more likely go have some memory of it.

Fastingandhungry · 08/04/2025 12:24

But if you were so drunk you couldn’t consent are you suggesting you have been assaulted?

Abenny · 08/04/2025 12:24

The most likely thing is that nothing happened and you spent the time on the loo, hence the piles.

Would suggest you get some treatment for your anxiety and (if necessary) your drinking. Drinking to excess won't be helping your anxious tendencies at all.

AlisounOfBath · 08/04/2025 12:24

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:06

I know this is all probably anxiety but I feel like, “what if I did consent to something and just blocked out my whole family and life commitments at the time”. Then that would be my fault. I don’t know if these thoughts are just coming from 3 weeks of going round in a loop about it.

“What if” on repeat is classic intrusive thoughts, caused by OCD. Why you are fixated on that rather than (say) “what if I took drugs?” or “what if I stole some money out of an unattended jacket?” is something therapy could untangle, but it’s probably that you love your family and husband so much that your brain goes to the worst thing it can imagine. It actually makes it less, not more, likely to have happened. Like when mothers have intrusive thoughts of harming their baby and try to give their child to social services because they want to keep them safe.

Meanwhile33 · 08/04/2025 12:22

Have you told your two friends who helped you get to bed about your fears? And do you trust them to be honest with you? In your position I would ask them to tell you honestly what kind of state you were in, I agree with pp that if you had had sex or been assaulted they would probably have has some kind of inkling of that at the time.

I honestly think the same as others, you just fell asleep on the loo. Everything is ok.

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:22

TheJollyMoose · 08/04/2025 12:21

You can’t remember what you did. So what? Why does it matter?

You’re massively overreacting to literally nothing here.

It matters because I have a family that I love. Because I have responsibilities.

OP posts:
HardyKoala · 08/04/2025 12:21

Well it doesn’t matter does it because you don’t remember?

You sound like you have OCD intrusive thoughts here.

TheJollyMoose · 08/04/2025 12:21

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:20

What do you mean?

You can’t remember what you did. So what? Why does it matter?

You’re massively overreacting to literally nothing here.

TheJollyMoose · 08/04/2025 12:20

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:17

What if I did this again?

Well you won’t if you don’t drink 🤷‍♀️ Easy fix.

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:20

TheJollyMoose · 08/04/2025 12:19

Why does it matter?

What do you mean?

OP posts:
TheJollyMoose · 08/04/2025 12:19

Why does it matter?

HoverHOOVER · 08/04/2025 12:19

I'm not NOT trying to be unkind. I think you do know what happened.

Anyway, if I'm wrong, and you really don't... You spent an hour sat on the toilet. 100%.

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:17

What if I did this again?

OP posts:
BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:17

angsty · 08/04/2025 12:14

Unless you are a person who likes to hook up with random people at parties etc (no judgement, I was one of them once upon a time), it is vanishingly unlikely that you would have willingly gone off and had sex with someone when drunk. If you were assaulted that would be a different story, and you would not be to blame however drunk you were.

However, the fact that you are thinking about these scenarios if you do not have a history of, shall we say, partying hard, is very odd and I wonder whether something else is going on. Either you do in fact remember something, or your unrelated fears about your relationship are surfacing? I and millions of other people have had drunken blackouts and mised time at events and parties, and would not immediately go to "did I have sex" the next day, rather than "oh God was i loud and embarrassing?" or "did I overshare?" for example.

So, once upon a time, I was that person who would have sex with people whilst drunk. This is going back many many years, almost 2 decades. On one occasion, I was followed home by a man who wouldn’t stop following me despite me begging him to leave me alone. I ended up letting him into my flat. I have had counselling for that.

OP posts:
angsty · 08/04/2025 12:14

Unless you are a person who likes to hook up with random people at parties etc (no judgement, I was one of them once upon a time), it is vanishingly unlikely that you would have willingly gone off and had sex with someone when drunk. If you were assaulted that would be a different story, and you would not be to blame however drunk you were.

However, the fact that you are thinking about these scenarios if you do not have a history of, shall we say, partying hard, is very odd and I wonder whether something else is going on. Either you do in fact remember something, or your unrelated fears about your relationship are surfacing? I and millions of other people have had drunken blackouts and mised time at events and parties, and would not immediately go to "did I have sex" the next day, rather than "oh God was i loud and embarrassing?" or "did I overshare?" for example.

LeaveTaking · 08/04/2025 12:11

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:06

I know this is all probably anxiety but I feel like, “what if I did consent to something and just blocked out my whole family and life commitments at the time”. Then that would be my fault. I don’t know if these thoughts are just coming from 3 weeks of going round in a loop about it.

I really think you should try and access some support for your anxiety. You’re being really cruel to yourself.

If anything happened, which seems vanishingly unlikely, you couldn’t have consented and you are not to blame.

In reality it sounds like you are experiencing some kind of reaction to previous trauma which is leading to intrusive thoughts.

I had a terrible upbringing and it took a long time for me to feel worthy of the lovely life I created with my husband.

Please so try and access some further support. Speak with your DH about these feelings of not being deserving and I’m sure he’ll support too. My DH had no idea what my brain was playing out to me on a frequent basis.

Cinderelala · 08/04/2025 12:07

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:06

I know this is all probably anxiety but I feel like, “what if I did consent to something and just blocked out my whole family and life commitments at the time”. Then that would be my fault. I don’t know if these thoughts are just coming from 3 weeks of going round in a loop about it.

That's what intrusive thoughts do, they seem like genuine thoughts and go round on a loop.

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 12:06

I know this is all probably anxiety but I feel like, “what if I did consent to something and just blocked out my whole family and life commitments at the time”. Then that would be my fault. I don’t know if these thoughts are just coming from 3 weeks of going round in a loop about it.

OP posts:
godmum56 · 08/04/2025 12:02

BeLemonTraybake · 08/04/2025 10:28

I know that this is right. I really was that drunk that I would believe consent to be impossible. Doesn’t mean nothing happened though. There is nothing specific that indicates I had sex. I suppose it’s just the worst possible scenario and I can’t rule it out since I have no memory.

well thinking prosaically, if there were no signs that you had sex....disturbed underwear and so on....then I think you can rule that one out. If you were so drunk that you can't remember whether you did or not, then you were in no condition to clean your self up and rearrange your clothing and I doubt that anyone taking advantage of your state would manage to do it either.

RunningJo · 08/04/2025 12:01

Sounds to me like you suffer from Anxiety and alcohol has made it worse and formed some sort of OCD behaviour about 'what if I did this' situation. have you felt like this before?
Anxiety for me results in OCD, this is not uncommon.
There is a thread on here (under chat) and people talking about OCD has made them believe to be true, but aren't. Might be worth a read.

Whatifitallgoesright · 08/04/2025 12:00

You didn't do anything totally out of character because you were still the same person, it's just that the alcohol level reached meant your brain stopped creating memories. Blacking out is not passing out. You were still walking and talking as normal albeit drunkenly. I've had blackouts and people who were with me said I was the same. Walked home with them etc. But yes, it's a horrible feeling and it made me give up alcohol completely out of utter fear and terror of what I might have done. Which was a very good thing as it made me evaluate why I drink.

Keep calm, keep rehydrating over the next few days, take pain killers and alka seltzer or rehydration salts. Practice deep belly breathing. Yoga or go for a run or a swim to get your endorphins going. Write down all your worse fears.

This will pass. Each day you will feel a bit better.

Silverstars21 · 08/04/2025 11:58

Regardless of what happened you can't change anything. You can either view this as a huge mistake & a lesson in life, or ruin the time you have left as a family through guilt and worry. Your husband has forgiven you so for the sake of your family please forgive yourself. We are only human and we all make mistakes. Stop beating yourself up and start appreciating the good in you.

BunnyLake · 08/04/2025 11:57

Did you have any stickiness, discharge, sex type smell on you to indicate you had sex? If not then it’s more likely you just zonked out on a sofa or chair or toilet somewhere. If someone’s boundaries were so lax they’d have sex with you when you’re blind drunk they probably wouldn’t have even thought about cleaning you up afterwards.