When people think about dangerous drugs, they sometimes forget that alcohol can fall into this category. Alcohol can be especially dangerous when it is consumed problematically. This can mean heavy drinking, underage drinking, and drinking in large volumes, which is sometimes called binge drinking. At Safe Harbor Recovery Center, in Portsmouth, Virginia, we think it’s important for people to understand the risks that are associated with binge drinking.
Defining Binge Drinking
Heavy drinking is when someone drinks a lot over a week or more. Binge drinking is consuming enough alcohol to raise your blood alcohol content (BAC) above .08 percent. This typically means four drinks for women and five drinks for men in a two-hour period. Although binge drinking is just a short duration of heavy alcohol use, it is still risky.
Risks Related to Binge Drinking
Some of the dangers associated with binge drinking include:
- Injuries from automobile accidents – binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to drive drunk than non-binge drinkers, falls, burns, or drownings
- Violence – either as a victim or a perpetrator
- Alcohol poisoning resulting in confusion, slow/irregular breathing, vomiting, seizures, coma, or death
- Overdose as a result of mixing alcohol with other substances
- Unplanned pregnancies
- Sexually transmitted infections due to engaging in unsafe sexual practices while drunk
- Persistent binge drinking can lead to nutritional deficiencies, gradual weight increase, high blood pressure, sleep disturbances, social isolation, mental health problems, and poor immune response
liver problems, stroke, eye problems, and an increased risk of cancer
Binge Drinking Among Women and Girls
While many people correctly associate binge drinking with men and boys (they are about twice as likely to binge drink as their female counterparts), it has been on the rise among women and girls.
- Approximately 23,000 American females die in connection with binge drinking each year
- Women who binge drink while pregnant are at increased risk for having babies with medical complications from in utero exposure to alcohol.
- It is estimated that about 1 in 8 women over 18 and 1 in 5 high school girls binge drink.
- Women and girls metabolize alcohol differently than their male counterparts, which can lead to them getting drunk more easily and more easily developing health issues related to their alcohol use.
- White and Hispanic women are at particularly high risk.
- As women age, their likelihood of engaging in binge drinking gradually decreases.
Signs of Problem Drinking
While binge drinking is a concerning trend, nine out of ten people who binge drink do not qualify for an alcohol use disorder diagnosis, nor do many people who drink underage or who engage in more prolonged heavy drinking. Just the same, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for possible indications that you are engaging in problematic drinking because it may mean that you are at increased risk for alcohol use disorder.
- Drinking more than you planned
- Drinking more frequently than you did previously
- Beginning to drink earlier in the day
- Becoming defensive about your drinking habits
- Not being able to stop drinking or decrease how much you drink
- Needing more alcohol to get the same results
- Discontinuing activities you used to love, so that you can spend more time drinking
- Shakiness, weakness, or nausea when you don’t drink
- Engaging in impulsive, dangerous, or illegal activities while drinking
- Blacking out
How to Stop Drinking
For some people, it’s as easy as deciding to quit. Other people struggle more to give up alcohol. If you’re finding that you can’t stop, there is help available. Some ways you can reach out for help include:
- Attending a recovery meeting, such as AA, Celebrate Recovery, or SMART Recovery
- Contacting the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to talk to a trained crisis counselor about what you’re experiencing
- Talking to your primary care doctor about a referral for treatment
- Contacting your insurance company to ask if they cover treatment for substance use disorders
- Reaching out directly to a treatment program
- If you’re having withdrawal symptoms after giving up alcohol, it is a good idea to have a friend or family member stay with you, so that they can get you medical care if you start to experience life-threatening symptoms
At Safe Harbor Recovery Center, we think it’s important that people understand the dangers associated with alcohol, so that they can make informed choices before they ever become dependent upon it. If you have questions or need help getting sober, we are here to help.