Content
When someone drinks too much and gets alcohol poisoning, it affects the body’s involuntary reflexes — including breathing and the gag reflex. If the gag reflex isn’t working properly, a person can choke to death on their vomit. Aside from health https://ecosoberhouse.com/ issues, binge drinking can also have significant social and societal costs. These can range from more minor problems like strained relationships with friends and family to legal problems arising from drunk driving or other uninhibited behaviors.
The causes and triggers of binge drinking do vary but typically tend to serve in a capacity in which one is either trying to have a fun time or seeking a means of escape. For others, it may result from letting one’s guard down and not moderating alcohol consumption. In either case, whether intentional or not, it is still a dangerous practice.
How to help someone who binges
For example, you might feel tempted to recline on your couch, drink beer, and watch television simply to kill the hours spent alone. Many alcoholic beverages have lots of calories, and you might not notice that because they’re so easy to consume. For example, if a 12-ounce beer has about 150 calories, and you drink five, you’ve consumed an additional 750 calories which can quickly add inches to your waistline.
What age does binge drinking affect the most?
Research suggests that high-intensity drinking peaks around age 21 and is most common among young adults attending college. This pattern of drinking is of particular concern because it is associated with an even greater risk of severe health and safety consequences.
Academic stress, peer pressure, and the wide availability of alcohol on college campuses set the stage for wide-spread binge drinking among students. Those who join fraternities or sororities are even more likely to engage in binge consequences of drinking drinking via drinking games and hazing incidents. An alcohol abuse problem can include binge drinking, having negative consequences such as hangovers with your drinking but continuing anyway, and drinking despite the desire to stop.
What is binge drinking?
Simply having a drink to sip on might make you feel more at ease. This strategy can also come in handy if you’re with a group of friends who want to play drinking games. In some cases, the people around you might continue to pressure you to drink. Perhaps you’re worried that they’ll think less of you if you don’t drink more. Keep in mind that people who really care about you will accept your decision. Consider avoiding people who pressure you as well as people who tend to binge drink.
Binge drinking can interfere with your health and your relationships. Examining why you drink will shed light on your behaviors surrounding alcohol. You can use mindfulness techniques, journal or discuss your behaviors with a therapist to help you identify the factors that contribute to your drinking patterns. “Because the blood level of the alcohol becomes much higher with binge drinking, you’re much more exposed to the acute toxicity of alcohol,” Dr. Streem explains. What many people might think of as a fun night out on the town can be very risky — or in some cases, life-threatening, Dr. Streem notes.