What are the Signs of a Binge Drinker?
Maybe you’re going out after an evening meal and ready to take advantage of all the happy hour cocktails. Once at home, you’ll further induce a heavy nights rest with a final bedtime drink. On occasion, there may be nothing wrong with any of the above, but when this becomes a regular thing, its considered binge drinking. So, now you may be wondering, what is regular? Regular binge drinking, according to the NHS, is when a person consumes more than the standard units of alcohol in one day, every day or nearly every day of the week. For men, they should not drink more than 3-4 units of alcohol and women not more than 2 or 3 units.
What is binge drinking?
Binge drinking is the most common form of any substance abuse. It is widely implored by college students, working adults and the retired. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or higher. This percentage applies to the aforementioned information regarding the amount of units a man or woman should drink in a given day.
A recent study carried out by the NIAAA also states that binging on alcohol can cause a wide array of acute and chronic problems as well as public safety concerns. Moreover, binge drinking is associated with three-quarters of the total economic cost of alcohol misuse. The most alarming outcome of the study was the evidence which indicates binge drinking in adolescents and college students is likely contributing to alcoholism and anxiety.
Statistics Associated with the Seriousness of Binge Drinking
Recent statistics from the CDC states that approximately 92% of U.S. adults who drink report binging on alcohol in the past 30 days. Moreover, binge drinking takes place in over half of U.S. adults consuming alcohol at any given time.
Health Effects Related to Binge Drinking
It’s not uncommon to hear from adults, who have sought out binge drinking treatment, to say that they never thought they were at risk for developing health problems because they didn’t drink all the time, and/or were not craving it. Unfortunately, this is not the case. When a person regularly consumes alcohol they can develop a series of physical and psychological related issues including:
- Unintentional injuries (i.e. car crashes, falls)
- Intentional injuries (i.e. injuries with weapons, sexual assault, domestic violence)
- Alcohol poisoning
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Unintended pregnancy
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease, heart attack or stroke
- Cognitive damage
- Liver damage (i.e. fatty liver, liver disease, cirrhosis, hepatitis)
- Sexual dysfunction
Binge Drinking and Brain Damage
Without getting treatment at a rehab, binge drinking can cause brain damage faster and more severely than an alcoholic, or person who chronically drinks. This is because during a binge, large quantities of glutamate are released and over stimulating the brain. When a person continues to binge drink, a larger amount of glutamate is released during the times they do not drink. As this happens on a regular basis, withdrawal symptoms consistently more severe than the last can occur. Moreover, cognitive impairments, inability to focus, memory loss, blackouts and speech disabilities are all potential outcomes of binge drinking. It should be noted that these can be long lasting or permanent.
Getting rehab overseas also means your privacy will be protected. Instead of hiding your struggle from friends, family and colleagues in Bunbury where drug use and alcoholism may have a negative stigma, you can check into our facilities without worrying about your reputation. Siam Rehab is located in Chiang Rai in the North of Thailand: an 8 or 9 hour flight from Perth. We will pick you up at the airport too and drive you personally to our private rehab centre.
Can a binge drinker go through withdrawal?
Absolutely; when a person has been actively involved in binge drinking over a long period of time, they can develop both a physical and psychological withdrawal. These symptoms can occur whenever the level of alcohol, which has been regularly plentiful, in the bloodstream becomes too low. Some binge drinkers can feel the withdrawal symptoms even after a heavy night out or weekend binger; often, when this happens the withdrawal is mistaken for a hangover.
Symptoms of withdrawal could include:
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Rapid eye movements
- Hot/cold sweats
- Tremors
- Clouded mind
- Insomnia/ nightmares
- Poor appetite
- Anxiety/ anger/ depression
- Rapid heart rate
- Seizures
- In serious matters, coma and/or death
Can a binge drinker go through withdrawal?
In any case, when a person actively binge drinks and does not get help at a rehab or other facility, they can quickly develop alcohol abuse or a full blown addiction. The fact of the matter is that binge drinking is a serious matter and should be not taken too lightly. Although a person may be able to get up and go to work after a night out every day of the week, it does not mean they don’t have a problem. There is support available; a rehab for binging alcohol can offer this guidance, treatment and help.
Getting rehab overseas also means your privacy will be protected. Instead of hiding your struggle from friends, family and colleagues in Bunbury where drug use and alcoholism may have a negative stigma, you can check into our facilities without worrying about your reputation. Siam Rehab is located in Chiang Rai in the North of Thailand: an 8 or 9 hour flight from Perth. We will pick you up at the airport too and drive you personally to our private rehab centre.
Reaching out to a Binge Drinking Rehab Center
Siam Rehab in Thailand is an addiction treatment facility to help people detox from drugs or alcohol. From the initial withdrawal period, binge drinking and other substance abuse problems will be individually tacked through a customized treatment program. Our low, 1-1 staff to patient ratio, therapy and group sessions, holistic activities and vital relapse prevention techniques can help to restore long term sobriety and new found health. Moreover, our staff and unique binge drinking rehab program will be able to show a person how to enjoy life without turning to an alcoholic beverage.
If you or someone you know is a binge drinker, and would like to overcome this potentially debilitating problem, contact Siam Rehab today.
