Author: John Carter

Binge Drinking: Health Effects, Signs, and Prevention

Alcohol use can have life-long effects on developing brains and bodies. Teens who drink are also more likely to struggle with school, use other risky substances, or experience alcohol poisoning. So what should you do if your loved one initially denies having a binge drinking problem?

A heavy drinking binge may even cause a life-threatening coma or death. This is of particular concern when you’re taking certain medications that also depress the brain’s function. Adults under 35 are more likely to do this than other age groups, and men are twice as likely as women. People who make more than $75,000 a year and are more educated are most likely to binge drink. In Australia, alcohol is very accepted and normalised.

1. Research suggests that alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome.
2. You might wonder why you always seem to make the same mistakes.
3. If you’re a binge drinker, you may not drink every day, but when you do start drinking, you likely have a hard time calling it quits after just one or two drinks.
4. Listen to relatives, friends or co-workers when they ask you to examine your drinking habits or to seek help.

You might point out the effects that it’s having on their mood or physical health. Or you could let them know how it’s affecting your relationship. The goal isn’t to preach, threaten, or punish them.

If you’re a binge drinker, the first step to changing your drinking problem is to understand what factors drive your behavior. Depending on your age, different factors may come into play, but some motivations are common among all age groups. If any of that sounds familiar, consider rethinking your relationship with alcohol. You don’t have to give up drinking entirely—there’s plenty of middle ground between alcohol abuse and abstinence. Once you find that middle ground, you can continue to enjoy your favorite drinks without jeopardizing your health, safety, or sense of well-being. Too much alcohol affects your speech, muscle coordination and vital centers of your brain.

Certain people should avoid alcohol completely, including those who:

Saying something like, “Well, that’s my one drink for the night,” might help your loved one remember their own limit. If you’re having a hard time shifting your focus from internal to external, consider the quality of your inner self-talk. Are you beating yourself up for a mistake you made earlier? Dissect and challenge those worries with more realistic thoughts. The truth is other people are usually far less focused on you than you believe.

The lack of sleep worsens your depressive systems, so you turn to alcohol again. Most American adults drink alcohol at least occasionally, but about 1 in 4 knock back several drinks in a short period of time at least once a year. About 1 in 6 American adults say they regularly binge drink, sometimes several times a month. They typically have about seven drinks on these binges. It’s not uncommon for people to get defensive when others point out their unhealthy drinking habits.

Heavy drinking is believed to cost the U.S. economy more than $200 billion a year in lost productivity, health costs, and property damage. Binge drinking has different effects on different people. If your alcohol use is causing trouble for you at work, at home, in social situations, or at school, it’s a problem. Alcohol abuse is a serious public health problem & can affect relationships, mental wellbeing & even physical health. Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives.

Drinking alcohol three days in a row is not good for you, but it’s not necessarily considered binge drinking either. Whether it’s considered binge drinking will depend on how much alcohol you consume each day and over a week or month. Don’t take on a judgmental tone or try to shame them. Simply explain why you’re concerned about their binge drinking.

And peer pressure doesn’t necessarily come in the form of friends loudly encouraging you to drink more. You might convince yourself that you need to drink to impress someone or fit in with the crowd. This can be particularly true of teens who want to drink to seem older or more mature.

Parenting Strategies: Preventing Adolescent Alcohol Misuse

Or perhaps you later feel shame and embarrassment about things you said and did while under the influence. You might wake up with questions like, “Did I do something stupid to endanger my loved ones? ” These lapses in memory only add to the sense of dread and confusion you experience the next day. Lots of problems are linked to binge drinking and not all of them are obvious or happen straight away. Pursue new interests with them that don’t involve drinking.

Wait until you’re both able to have a clear, unrushed, and uninterrupted conversation. Their volatile behavior and emotions might even have an effect on your relationship. Maybe your loved one has a tendency to say insensitive things while intoxicated, or perhaps they routinely drink and drive. Avoid storing beer, liquor, and wine in your kitchen. It might seem convenient when you have company over, but it also makes it easier to reach for multiple drinks while you’re alone. If you do end up storing alcohol at home, keep in the back of the fridge or in the basement—somewhere out of immediate sight.

By Sarah Bence, OTR/LSarah Bence, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and freelance writer. She specializes in a variety of health topics including mental health, dementia, celiac disease, and endometriosis. Drinking in moderation is considered to be consuming two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women.

What binge drinking does to the body Alcohol and drugs ReachOut Australia

These guidelines and interactive parenting program help parents prevent or reduce their adolescent’s alcohol use. Different health departments and hospitals across the country have said December is typically a really busy time for them and alcohol contributes to this. — Are you at risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease or kidney disease?

While drinking alcohol is normalized socially and is legal above the age of 21 in the United States, it can still have harmful impacts on the body. There are several options available for people who currently binge drink. These may help them gain control of their drinking habits or even stop drinking altogether. Some options may include finding replacement activities or seeking professional help.

However, binge drinking can increase your risk of developing alcohol use disorder. Binge drinking is excessive alcohol consumption on one occasion. The definition of binge drinking, according to the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAA), is “alcohol consumption that brings the BAC to 0.08 g/dL.” How quickly a person’s body absorbs alcohol may depend on their sex, age, and body size. But it typically takes four or more standard drinks for women and five or more standard drinks for men to reach a BAC of 0.08% during a 2-hour binge drinking period. Alcohol abuse can cause or worsen symptoms of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders.