Author: Gary Jackson
How to Stop Binge Drinking: 13 Tips for Cutting Back
An hour or two later, you’re more intoxicated than you wanted to be. Binge drinkers often have a harder time with tasks that involve impulse control, leading to reckless or dangerous behavior. 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.
However, even if you’re drinking less than this in one session, if your binge drinking is having unwanted consequences in your life, it may be time to reassess your drinking habits. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol, typically within a 2-hour period, which brings a person’s BAC to 0.08% or higher. A person’s BAC is the percentage of alcohol in their blood, and in the United States, a BAC of 0.08% means the person is legally intoxicated. Whether you want to take a break from drinking or you’re quitting alcohol for keeps, bring in some pros to help.
Brain Damage
However, binge drinking can have serious consequences and any unhealthy patterns of alcohol use can lead to more serious problems. While binge drinking alcohol may not seem problematic because the occurrence doesn’t happen frequently, every time you binge drink, it poses a risk to your health. Bingeing has both short- and long-term risks, including alcohol poisoning, increased risk of a stroke or heart attack, and damage to the heart, brain, and liver. Consistent binge drinking over a long period of time can lead to a variety of issues with your physical health. It may increase your risk of liver damage, various types of cancer, high blood pressure and even brain damage.
- While the idea of talking to someone about your binge drinking may be scary and even embarrassing, it’s an important step to take.
- Binge drinking is when a person consumes enough alcoholic beverages during a 2-hour period to bring their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or higher.
- In fact, research shows that young binge drinkers have about the same decision-making problems as people with a severe AUD.
- The more drinks you have, the more your pre-frontal cortex is thinned, impacting cognitive, emotional, and social functioning.
He is the medical director at Alcohol Recovery Medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Federal and state health agencies also offer resources and can refer you to someone who can help. You could look for a support group in your area, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), where you can share your experiences, gain strength from others and receive ongoing support from your peers.