The Effects Of Binge Drinking

The term “binge drinking” can offer several meanings, but generally it identifies drinking heavily over a short time period with the intention of becoming intoxicated, creating immediate and severe intoxication. Alcoholism treatment needs to be an option for anyone who feels their drinking is out of control.

How is binge drinking harmful?

Binge drinking could be unhealthy in numerous ways:

Short-term harms are usually those that are immediately damaging to your health. As an example, hangovers, headaches, nausea, shakiness and possibly vomiting and memory loss. There is also the risk that a person could overdose on alcohol, sometimes called alcohol poisoning, which can cause death.

Other problems can be caused by the way alcohol makes you behave. These include the risk of falls, assaults, car accidents, unplanned pregnancy, shame and embarrassment about your behaviour, loss of valuable items such as a damaged car or lost phone, and financial losses through reckless spending while intoxicated, or loss
of income through time off work. Long-term harms can include becoming physically or psychologically dependent upon alcohol, and developing liver or brain damage.

How big a problem is it really?

The National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that in 2007 just over 10 per cent of Australians aged 14 years and over drank at levels that increased their risk of alcohol-related harm in the long-term.
At least 26.8 percent drank at levels that increased their risk of alcohol-related harm in the short-term at least monthly.

More people in the 20-29 year age group drank at these risky levels than any other age group, with over 16 per cent of 20-29 year old females drinking at levels that increased their risk of alcohol-related harm in the long-term.
Over 45 per cent of 20-29 year old males drank at levels that increased their risk of alcohol-related harm in the short-term at least monthly. Most people under 18 years old (87.8 percent) had never drank alcohol; however, over 20 percent of those who had drank were drinking at least weekly.

Research shows that although the number of 12-17 year olds who are drinking alcohol has remained fairly stable during the past decade, the number of those who are drinking at harmful levels has increased significantly in that time. Among 16-24 year olds, alcohol-related harm is one of the leading causes of disease and injury.

If you are worried about the amount you are drinking, and would like help to cut down, see your family doctor.

This article has been shared Moder8Now. You can find Moder8Now. by searching quitting drinking or control drinking.

An Alcohol Addicted Man Registers For Rehabilitation, Receives Alcohol Detox and Treatment for His Alcoholism and His Depression, and Begins to Live Life to the Fullest

Barry used to brag to his buddies how he could stay employed at a fulltime job and get intoxicated just about every night. Unfortunately, after engaging in this unhealthy lifestyle for approximately four years, he started to experience various alcohol related difficulties.

Barry Starts to Display Various Alcohol Related Difficulties

As an illustration, he had a very hard time getting up for work because he felt so sleepy when he awoke. Moreover, just about every morning Barry suffered from a horrible hangover. It was apparent that the combination of his hangovers and his lack of energy did not make it easy for him to get up and feel motivated to go to work. To make things more difficult, approximately a week ago he received his third driving under the influence citation in the past two years.

To complicate things further, at his job his last two work evaluations were less than tolerable. And finally, his four-year relationship with his girlfriend had declined due to his angry outbursts, depression, lack of patience, and his financial difficulties.

Though Barry was only twenty six years old, he simply began to look like he was in his late forties. Regrettably, this is what hazardous drinking can do to a person. And in all honesty he realized that he was experiencing the negative effects of alcohol abuse or alcohol addiction and that he was too young to waste his life on careless and irresponsible drinking. So initially he tried to drink in moderation. Sadly, he soon understood that he lost all control after drinking his first alcoholic beverage. Stated another way, after his first drink he invariably proceeded to get smashed. Due to the fact that this was a circumstance that was repeated every single time he drank, this greatly bothered him. In truth, he started to wonder if he was exhibiting some of the signs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.

Barry Makes up His Mind To Make an Appointment to See His Physician

After articulating his excessive alcohol drinking and his excessive and careless drinking with his girlfriend, he finally made up his mind to make an appointment to see his physician. When Barry saw his physician, he sincerely mentioned that he has been drinking in an excessive manner, that he may be displaying alcoholic signs, that he wants to refrain from drinking. He then confirmed that drinking responsibly and in moderation doesn’t seem to work for him and, as a consequence, he wants to learn how he can create an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Barry also told his physician about his depression and how this mental health problem was negatively affecting his relationship with his girlfriend. His healthcare practitioner referred Barry to Doctor Glick, a drug and alcohol addiction psychiatrist, who convinced Barry to enter into an alcohol and drug rehabilitation center as an in-patient for alcohol detox and alcohol rehab. The good news is that Barry would also be able to get treatment for his depression at this treatment facility.

Abstaining From Drinking Was the Best Decision Barry Had Ever Made

After five months of comprehensive rehabilitation, Barry left the in-patient treatment facility and continued his recovery via outpatient therapy and via going to local Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Encouraged to change his life in a healthier way, Barry went to a health store and bought some vitamins and a cookbook. He then joined a gym and began working out three or four times per week. Within five months Barry was a new person. He was eating nutritious meals, he wasn’t depressed anymore, he now looked younger than he was, he was in shape, and most important of all, he maintained his sobriety for many months. He also didn’t resort to angry outbursts, he became more patient, and he became a more compassionate person in his relationship with his girlfriend. Simply put, getting and staying sober was the best decision Barry had ever made.

The Alcohol Related Problems and Alcohol Related Deaths That Are Linked To Excessive Drinking

How many children are born each year with fetal alcohol syndrome? How many people’s lives are cut short due to excessive and abusive drinking? How many people get injured or lose their lives in alcohol related traffic accidents every year? How many individuals lose their lives every year because of drinking problems? How many junior high, high school, and college students lose their lives every year due to an alcohol overdose? How many people are the victims of alcohol related crime or violence each and every year? How many people face serious consequences in their lives because they received a DUI conviction? How many people die each year from a condition that is totally preventable, such as alcohol poisoning? On an annual basis, how many alcoholics fail to get the professional alcohol treatment they need?

Why Would Anyone Want to Drink in a Hazardous Manner?

So what’s the point in asking these questions? Basically to highlight the destructive and devastating nature of unhealthy and abusive drinking. Indeed, and based on the above questions, I wonder why anyone would choose to drink in a hazardous manner.

Stated more precisely, with the host of legal proceedings, relationship issues, financial problems, health dilemmas, and employment difficulties that are associated with chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction, why would any person with any sense at all want to drink in a hazardous and excessive manner? In fact when some of the above topics are put under the microscope more closely, abusive and excessive drinking becomes more illogical and makes even less sense.

Wouldn’t you think that alcoholics would be able to see some of the alcohol symptoms that they display? In a similar way doesn’t it seem logical to think that more families would involve themselves in an alcohol intervention for the person in the household who is an alcohol abuser or an alcoholic? Not only this but wouldn’t you think that individuals who drink excessively would try to learn more about their drinking behavior by reading about various alcohol related statistics?

After reviewing the alcohol dependency and alcohol abuse research literature, the point is so critical that it needs to be restated: With all of the destructive and debilitating outcomes that are directly or indirectly associated with continuous and repetitive alcohol abuse and alcoholism, why would any person want to engage in abusive and excessive drinking?

What Can be Done About the Extensive Nature of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse in the U.S.?

So what can be done about the extensive nature of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction in the U.S.?

1. Our students need more meaningful and more relevant educational and preventative approaches and methods so that more students at all grade levels, including those at college, are “reached.
2. With a similar line of thought, our students need to learn how to become problem solvers in life rather than getting easily attracted to the “instant gratification” and the “quick fix” of a drug or alcohol abuse ”high” or “buzz”.
3. Individuals who are alcohol dependent or alcohol abusers need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask why they are not getting the professional alcohol therapy they require.
4. Society needs to get the message to more people about the debilitating and destructive outcomes of careless and abusive drinking.

There’s Room For Hope if Those Who Engage in Abusive Drinking Can Become Encouraged to Get the Alcohol Treatment They Need

There’s room for optimism and hope if individuals can start drinking in moderation and those who engage in abusive and excessive drinkingcan become encouraged to get the alcohol rehabilitation they need. Indeed, why put your loved ones through pain, turmoil, and suffering because of your abusive and careless drinking when you have the power to control your life by drinking responsibly or even stopping drinking if you cannot control your drinking?

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