When you’re drinking a lot of alcohol in a brief amount of time, you’re not partying. You’re engaging in a practice that health experts refer to as binge drinking. The dangers of binge drinking may not be as apparent as you might think. Here’s what you need to know.
Do You Fit the Profile?
Government health officials see bingeing on alcohol as a pattern. It elevates your blood alcohol concentration to 0.08g/dL in a two-hour period. For men, this typically means having five alcoholic drinks. Women may reach it after only four drinks at a time.
Understanding the Dangers of Binge Drinking
Most people don’t stop their binges after four or five drinks. Moreover, they typically don’t just do it once a month, which is another government marker for the habit. In fact, it’s safe to say that the pattern is a frequent occurrence. Medical professionals at centers for addiction treatment have seen a broad range of unwelcome consequences.
For starters, there’s the risk of alcohol poisoning. It refers to overwhelming your body with the substance to the point that the liver can’t filter it out. The alcohol now goes into your bloodstream and results in rapid intoxication. Your body may try to purge the drug by vomiting, which can endanger you when the gag reflex doesn’t function.
Binge-drinking is typically also the precursor to the development of an alcohol use disorder. Moreover, there’s the risk of organ damage after persistent binges. Alcoholic hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that experts trace back to this condition. The same’s true for the development of an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to heart failure or stroke.
Help is at San Antonio Recovery Center
The easiest way to eliminate these dangers is to stop the binges. But you may have already tried that. In fact, you may have realized that the drug hooked you. Withdrawal symptoms are now the norm when you don’t give your body the alcohol it craves.
Expert alcohol counseling in San Antonio can be a solution to your problem drinking. You work with therapists who help you to overcome the addiction. You typically start with an intake interview. At that time, a counselor will conduct a dual diagnosis assessment.
Many people are surprised to find out that they’re struggling with a co-occurring mental health condition as well as addiction. Receiving treatment for both betters your opportunity for healing. Next, you and the counselor decide on treatment delivery.
Examples include:
- Residential care, which is an excellent option for people with a severe alcohol use disorder
- Extended care that lets you stay past the initial 30 days when you need more time to heal
- Partial hospitalization care that enables you to live at home but spend the day at the center
- An intensive outpatient program, which works well for people with a moderate addiction.
- Aftercare that helps you live sober by focusing on relapse prevention
Now that you know about the dangers of binge drinking and how to counteract them, get the help you need. Reach the therapists at the San Antonio Recovery Center by calling 866-957-7885.
