Ten Signs of Binge Drinking: How Much Is Too Much

When an individual begins to recognize the signs of addiction and have realized their alcohol use is no longer out of control, it is time to get treatment. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used substance by adolescents under the age of 18. Drinking at a younger age drastically increases the likelihood of developing alcoholism or other addictive traits later on in life.

However, the binge drinker tends to have a short period in which they consume most of their alcohol. They can take weeks or even months to sober up before completing a binge session again. Experts sober house typically define binge drinking by the number of standard drinks you consume in a single period of 2 hours or less. Your age and the sex you were assigned at birth determine your threshold.

Helping Someone with a Drug Addiction

In other words, you feel as if you cannot function normally without alcohol. In this case, the cravings for alcohol have become so strong that you’re unable to manage how much or how often you drink. You may even try to stop drinking, but realize that you’re unable to do so successfully.

• If you believe that you are addicted to alcohol, then you should consider taking medication to help with the discomfort of alcohol withdrawal.
• So, while children drink less than adults, the chances of their experience being classified as binge drinking is drastically increased.
• If you or a loved one is ready to overcome an alcohol addiction, reach out today.
• Binge drinking and alcohol abuse can be prevented, or at least held to a minimum, through several protective measures.
• For some people, especially those on prescription medications or other drugs, it may take a smaller amount of alcohol to reach a binge drinking level.
• Binge drinking is often taken lightly and dismissed as “just having a good time” or “normal college behavior.” Binge drinking is essentially heavily consuming alcohol in a short period of time.

In longitudinal studies, Impulsivity and Sensation seeking are prognostic factors for the maintenance and intensification of the BD pattern (5, 13) and alcohol/drug-related problems and other disorders (18, 27). This is observed independently of the personality instrument of measurement. Ashenhurst et al. (13) proposed a deviant pattern of personality maturation without a reduction in both Impulsivity and Sensation seeking as age increases in young adults who developed an increasing trajectory of BD.

Alcohol poisoning

So, although there are similarities, alcohol use disorder should be approached with a specific treatment plan that includes rehabilitation, care from addiction specialists and self-help programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. Each year, thousands of college students end up in the emergency room because of alcohol poisoning. This is when heavy alcohol use affects the central nervous system, slowing breathing and heart rate. This increases the risk of choking on vomit if the drinker passes out from too much drinking. If a person who has been drinking a lot is confused, vomits, has a seizure, has pale skin, or passes out, it may be a sign of alcohol poisoning. The side effects of binge drinking generally depend on the amount you drink, how quickly you drink, weight, gender, other drugs involved and medical history.

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. Although drinking this much might not seem like a big deal in the moment, you may regret your choices later. You might struggle with the immediate physical consequences—headache, nausea, weakness, and poor sleep quality.

Better managing your alcohol intake

Binge drinkers who can only stop after they have consumed a substantial amount of alcohol are probably under the influence of alcohol but are not necessarily addicted to alcohol. Treatment for these individuals should focus on getting them to stop drinking and teaching them how to do so. This can include medication, counseling, and mutual support meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous. They will also benefit from a program to help them with the physical effects of alcohol withdrawal. Even if binge drinkers don’t have immediate physical damage, they can still experience gastric distress, nausea, and vomiting.

You might also worry about whether alcohol is causing permanent damage to your brain or heart health. If your excessive alcohol use is a reoccurring issue, you might admonish yourself for your poor self-control or even develop a sense of self-loathing. Treatment for alcohol addiction normally involves therapy and counseling, along with medication management.

Regardless, binge drinking can have negative consequences like alcohol poisoning and engaging in risky behaviors. Both terms are often used interchangeably, describing two different drinking behaviors. It’s essential to know the difference between them to identify the severity of alcohol misuse in an individual. We explore the difference between binge drinking and alcoholism, including causes, symptoms, and long-term effects. On college campuses across the U.S., many students ages 18 to 24 are taking part in a dangerous activity called binge drinking. This amount of drinking produces blood alcohol levels far above the legal driving limit of 0.08%.

A lack of sleep is often a symptom of alcohol addiction and can worsen if you drink too much in one session. Insufficient sleep can be physically damaging, and if you suffer from insomnia regularly, you may need to seek treatment. Treatment tends to have more benefit when you address unwanted patterns of drinking sooner rather than later. So, you don’t have to wait until alcohol use feels uncontrollable before reaching out for help. As you might have noticed, none of these criteria specify an amount of alcohol.

How Common Is Binge Drinking?

As binge drinking involves consuming significantly higher amounts of alcohol, the health impact can be more severe. Another common and more immediate effect of binge drinking is alcohol poisoning. This is when your blood alcohol levels are so high that your body isn’t able to remove the toxins quickly enough.