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It’s Friday night, what do you plan on doing? Are you going to go out with some friends or stay in? Are you planning on having a couple of drinks to relax? You’ve earned it. You’ve had a long week at work and you have the right to relax and unwind with a drink. While there isn’t a problem with having a few drinks, there may be a serious problem if you are binge drinking, meaning you are basically consuming alcohol to the point where you black out or get sick. The effects of binge drinking can be debilitating and can impact several areas of your life.
Binge drinking is defined as the consumption of a large amount of alcohol within a short period, typically defined as 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more drinks for men within about two hours. It refers to a pattern of heavy episodic drinking that leads to a rapid increase in blood alcohol concentration.
Binge drinking differs from regular alcohol consumption, as it involves consuming excessive amounts of alcohol in a short span of time. This pattern of drinking can have severe health consequences and increase the risk of various physical, mental, and social problems.
Accidentally having one too many drinks on a given occasion isn’t necessarily indicative of a problem, but doing so on a regular basis is a cause for concern. Before we can understand if you have a problem with alcohol, we first have to understand what we are dealing with and the reasons behind binge drinking.
Think of something you enjoy doing or consuming. Have you ever overindulged in it? We all have trouble knowing how much is too much, but the severity of the problem depends on what that thing is, how often we do it or use it, and whether it could have a major impact on our health and happiness. When it comes to consuming alcohol, we all have our own preferences regarding type and effectiveness. Some people like to have one drink at the end of a tough day or a few drinks at a social gathering to loosen up. Some people prefer the burn of a straight whiskey and others love the way wine pairs with food.
When you talk to those who consume extremely high amounts of alcohol in a single day or evening, their reasons are all very similar. They usually say they are using alcohol to deal with stress from work or life, to celebrate, to enjoy themselves, and so forth. There’s always a great excuse to fall back on to explain overdoing it. The real reason we go overboard is because our defenses get weaker with every drink we take. When we get started, we tell ourselves that there’s a limit. As we keep going, that limit gets pushed back farther and farther until we are feeling the effects of binge drinking.
One of the reasons it’s so important to learn moderation and minimize excess is because of the toll that excess can take on our health. Think about what happens to your body when you drink too much alcohol. It dehydrates you, it could make you sick, it puts a strain on major organs like your heart and liver, and it can also cause damage to relationships in your life. The effects of binge drinking can be devastating and far-reaching.
While binge drinking can affect people from all walks of life, certain indicators may suggest a higher susceptibility to engaging in this behavior. Here are a few indicators that you may be prone to binge drinking:
It’s important to note that these indicators don’t guarantee that an individual will engage in binge drinking, but they may suggest an increased vulnerability to this behavior. Recognizing these indicators can help individuals become more aware of their potential risk and take proactive measures to prevent or address issues related to binge drinking.
People can develop an addiction to pretty much anything. It can be candy, work, fishing, drugs, coffee, shopping, or anything else. We ignore reason when we are truly addicted to something and try to justify continuing to do it at an intense level. When you are unable to stop, unable to contain yourself, and feel that you are choosing the excess over responsibilities, relationships and more, then you might be battling addiction. However, many people who struggle with excess drinking and the effects of binge drinking do not actually suffer from addiction, but rather struggle with moderation. These people can go weeks without alcohol and not miss it at all. The problem is that the damage they do to their body in one day of drinking adds up to someone who moderately drinks several times a week.
The effects of binge drinking are impactful and can be very damaging. If you learn to understand how you continue to slip into binge drinking, you can learn the key to getting healthier. Take some time to evaluate your decision making process as well as how you can make changes to improve it. The self-guided, online program from CheckUp & Choices is a great way to get your binge drinking under control and learn healthier habits.
