Binge drinking doesn’t always lead to alcoholism. For many men, their alcoholism started with routine binge drinking. Consuming more than five drinks in a two hour period is considered binge drinking for men. New research from the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that about 1 in 6 adults in the US are binge drinking once a week with an average of seven drinks per binge drinking session. If you are reading this statistic and think that’s nothing, chances are you are severely abusing alcohol.
Research has confirmed many times over just how bad binge drinking is for your health. One night of binge drinking increases your chance of heart failure or stroke for the five days after, for example. Binge drinking practically eliminates your immune system temporarily, making you more susceptible to viruses, bacteria, infection, sicknesses, and more. Under the influence of high alcohol quantities, you are prone to making poor choices. Binge drinking causes the same effects any other kind of drinking does. Alcohol impairs cognitive functions like judgment, motor functions, and perception. When you binge drink, you are pounding your system with alcohol, leaving little time for the brain to adjust. All that alcohol surges through the bloodstream and overwhelmingly inundates the brain. Before you are able to tell yourself to slow down on the booze, you are feeling dizzy, losing your balance, slurring your speech, and not seeing the world clearly. Alcohol also lowers your inhibitions, meaning your motor misperceptions aren’t the only ones. You are more likely to engage in risky behaviors which can lead to injury, accident, death, or disease.
Warning Signs Of Developing Alcoholism
Though binge drinking may not lead to the development of alcoholism, it can. If you are concerned your binge drinking is getting out of control, look to these signs and symptoms:
You have thought about cutting down on your alcohol, because it feels like you’re drinking too much. Someone close to you has suggested cutting back for a while, because they are concerned about your health or wellness. When you think about cutting back, it feels okay. As soon as someone else mentions your drinking, you become defensive and feel more inspired to drink. After you drink again, you feel guilty, angry, and upset.
Certain signs of chemical dependency have started to creep up like needing more alcohol than normal to catch a buzz, not being able to stop drinking, or feeling like you need a drink first thing in the morning.
The ultimate signs of developing alcoholism are feeling like you cannot stop drinking, feeling out of control once you start drinking, blacking out, getting into trouble under the influence, and having cravings for alcohol when you are not drinking.
At Tree House Recovery in Orange County, we’re transforming beyond sober. Life is meant to be lived to the fullest, without limitations. Our men’s treatment programs helps men find freedom from addiction by creating a total transformation of mind and body, inside and out. For information, call: (855) 202-2138
