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Start by talking to your loved ones or a healthcare provider openly about the effects of your drinking, and try to dig deeper into why you are binge drinking in the first place. Binge drinking is the most common form of excessive alcohol use. It has serious short-term and long-term health consequences, including alcohol poisoning, accidents, injuries, memory issues, liver problems, and cancer. It’s easier to achieve a goal with the right tools, resources, and people to empower you along the way.
Only 2% of people who drink at the low-risk level are ever diagnosed with an AUD, according to the NIAAA. If you drink less than the above-recommended amounts, your level of drinking is considered in the “low-risk” category. Still, you may be thinking, “No one drinks that small amount of alcohol. Anyone who drinks alcohol drinks more than that.”
Binge Drinking Health Effects
As you start to prioritize your alcohol use, it can have a negative effect on your work, school, or social life. You might try cutting back on your drinking but find that you suffer headaches, fatigue, anxiety, or irritability on the days when you don’t drink. Only about 10 percent of people who binge drink struggle with a dependence on alcohol. However, the more frequently you binge drink, the more at risk you are of developing an alcohol abuse problem.
However, binge drinking can have serious consequences and any unhealthy patterns of alcohol use can lead to more serious problems. Binge drinking can be a result of social pressure, but may also be a response to uncomfortable or unpleasant feelings. For example, people navigating co-occuring mental health conditions like anxiety or depression may seek alcohol to self-soothe and seek relief. While alcohol can provide temporary relief, it ultimately makes those negative feelings worse, and can create a cycle of binge drinking.
You May Feel Irritable, Anxious, or Moody
If you’re worried about your drinking habits, book an appointment with your GP. While the idea of talking to someone about your binge drinking may be scary and even embarrassing, it’s an important step to take. So what should you do if your loved one initially denies having a binge drinking problem? You might want to give them a few days to reflect on what you said. If they continue to engage in the same unhealthy patterns, you could revisit the conversation later. While you can’t force a loved one to abandon their binge drinking habits, voicing your concerns and offering support in the right way may help motivate them to change their ways.
Fortunately, reducing your alcohol use can help improve your sleep over time, although you might experience more sleep disturbances for some time after you quit. If you feel comfortable doing so, https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/binge-drinking-how-to-stop-binge-drinking/ discuss your challenges with your primary healthcare professional. Finding a therapist can also be a great starting point if you’re uncomfortable opening up to your healthcare professional.
Your Skin May Improve
Drinking alcohol can contribute to a variety of cognitive issues, including poor memory, slow reaction time, impaired impulse control, and poor concentration. Over time, drinking can also damage nerve cells and contribute to a loss of brain volume. Like other symptoms, the impact on mood depends on the amount and duration of your alcohol use. For light or moderate drinking, you might experience a more temporary, mild effect on mood. If you’ve been drinking heavily or for long periods, the impact will be more pronounced, and it will take longer for your neurotransmitter systems to restore their balance in your body.
An hour or two later, you’re more intoxicated than you wanted to be. Additionally, anyone who feels they are not able to gain control of their drinking might consider the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline. By Sarah Bence
Sarah Bence, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist and freelance writer. She specializes in a variety of health topics including mental health, dementia, celiac disease, and endometriosis. Antidepressants, antiepileptic drugs, and certain stimulants are also sometimes used to treat BED, though more research is needed to evaluate the long-term effects of these medications (38, 39).
Having a full stomach may make you less likely to drink as much as you would on an empty stomach. Whether you decide to set a hard limit or not, make a habit of following up every alcoholic beverage with a non-alcoholic one.
Binge drinking is when you drink enough alcohol to bring your blood-alcohol content up to the legal limit for driving. That works out to about five alcoholic drinks for men or four for women in less than 2 hours. A drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor. Instead of inviting your loved one out for drinks at a bar, work on a crafting project or go see a movie. Be mindful of how often you engage in activities that could involve alcohol, such as local trivia nights or sports events. Try to make those types of activities take a backseat to other hobbies.
How to stop drinking alcohol: Tips for quitting, support, and more
How quickly a person’s body absorbs alcohol may depend on their sex, age, and body size. But it typically takes four or more standard drinks for women and five or more standard drinks for men to reach a BAC of 0.08% during a 2-hour binge drinking period. There are many cultural factors at play in binge drinking, and it can be difficult to change a behavioral pattern that society expects, even if those behaviors are objectively not good for your health.
- However, if a person is binge drinking, their liver cannot keep up with the amount of alcohol in the body.
- As a depressant, alcohol can lower your mood and make negative emotions worse.
- If you drink and it is possible that you could become pregnant, frequent home pregnancy testing can help protect your child from prenatal alcohol exposure.
- Everyone can contribute to the prevention of excessive alcohol use.