If you drink alcohol, you may have found yourself wondering, “how much is too much?” While there isn’t a straightforward answer to this question as everyone has their own limits, some patterns of drinking point to a problem with alcohol.
One of the problematic patterns of drinking is known as binge drinking. This involves drinking large amounts of alcohol in one sitting. Episodes of binge drinking can bring your blood alcohol content (BAC) to dangerous and even life-threatening levels, causing you to blackout, vomit, and even pass out.
Binge drinking is one of the signs that you have a problem with alcohol. If you find that you binge drink every time you go out with friends, it’s time to consider that you may suffer from an alcohol use disorder. Thankfully, an alcohol rehab center in Florida can help you learn how to get your drinking under control.
What is Binge Drinking?
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as an episode of drinking that raises your blood alcohol content (BAC) to 0.08% or higher.[1] This means that you have 80 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood in your bloodstream. Almost every state considers this level of intoxication too much to drive.
If you are wondering how much you can drink before you reach a 0.08% BAC, it depends on the type of drink you are having. Generally speaking, a standard drink contains 14 grams of alcohol. You can get this amount of alcohol from the following drinks:
- 12 ounces of beer
- 5 ounces of wine
- 1.5 ounces of spirits
Additionally, experts define binge drinking in terms of how much alcohol you consume in 2 hours or less. For an adult male, binge drinking would be consuming 5 or more drinks in 2 hours. For adult women, this would be consuming 4 or more drinks in 2 hours.
Why is Binge Drinking Dangerous?
According to an article by the LA Times, a new study has found that binge drinking is to blame for nearly 88,000 alcohol-related deaths each year.[2] Drinking excessively can lead to an array of issues, including drunk driving, mental health problems, physical health issues, and even an alcohol overdose.
The short-term dangers of binge drinking include:
- Poor motor control
- Slower reaction times
- Shorter attention span
- Dehydration
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Hostility
- Low blood pressure
- Slower breathing
- Miscarriage, stillbirth, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in pregnant women
- Alcohol poisoning
Alcohol poisoning is one of the serious risks associated with binge drinking. If you develop alcohol poisoning, you could face serious consequences like vomiting, seizures, coma, and death.
Long-term dangers of alcohol abuse include:[3]
- Weight gain
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Social isolation
- Alcohol use disorder
- Mental health issues
- Loss of brain volume in young people
- Weakened immune system
- Heart disease
- Liver complications
- Stroke
- Higher probability of developing breast, throat, esophagus, or colon cancer
Why Do People Binge Drink?
Alcohol consumption is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Alcohol, beer, and wine companies take advantage of this. Their commercials and advertisements make drinking excessively look fun, causing people to believe that it is okay to drink large amounts of alcohol.
Additionally, social pressures may cause people to binge drink. When someone sees all of their friends in college drinking one alcoholic beverage after another, they begin to think they should be doing the same. This is probably the number one cause of binge drinking for younger people.
Other reasons people binge drink include:
- They are curious and experimenting
- They believe it will make them feel better
- Alcohol is a way to relieve stress for them, causing them to consume large amounts every time they go out
- Wanting to fit in
How Can an Alcohol Rehab Center Help Me Stop Binge Drinking
Alcohol rehab centers have experience in treating binge drinking. In fact, the CDC reports that 1 in 6 people engage in binge drinking.[4] Many people who go to rehab for alcohol were probably binge drinkers at one point in time.
When you go to an alcohol rehab center for binge drinking, you will receive a variety of services that help you learn how to deal with your emotions without the use of alcohol or other substances.
First, you will attend detox to overcome the physical and mental symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. In a detox program, you will be given medications to soothe the symptoms of withdrawal and prevent cravings from occurring.
Next, you will move on to the therapeutic processes of alcohol addiction treatment. During this time, you will engage in behavioral therapy and group counseling sessions to learn about alcoholism, how to cope with triggers, and how to overcome the causes and effects of your alcohol abuse.
Alcohol rehab centers will help you stop binge drinking by removing your need to abuse alcohol in the first place.
Find an Alcohol Rehab Center in Florida Today
If you or someone you love suffers from a binge drinking problem, it’s time to seek help. As previously mentioned, binge drinking can lead to a wide variety of health issues, including overdose. Because of this, you must receive help from a professional alcohol rehab program before your drinking gets out of control.
Here at Mandala Healing Center, Clients are taken on a journey of healing through complete immersion into evidence-based clinical modalities, multifaceted alternative therapies, and expert medical management, allowing them to fully detox and recover from drug and alcohol addictions. Through a program of care designed to encourage change, a foundation is created that allows clients to find their higher purpose and reclaim their lives.
Contact us today to get started.
References:
- https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/binge-drinking
- https://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-alcohol-related-deaths-lost-years-20140626-story.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm
- https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm