Binge drinking is one of the most common ways that people can become addicted to alcohol. However, many people don’t recognize the dangers of this practice until it is too late. Despite the prevalence, and seeming societal acceptance, the dangers of binge drinking should alarm you. If you need help from an alcohol addiction treatment center, consider contacting Red Oak Recovery® today.
The Dangers of Binge Drinking
The dangers of binging drinking range from very severe and immediate to long-term complications for your health and happiness.
Immediate Risks
Binge drinking increases your risk of an acute injury. That’s because you lack coordination and have impaired judgment. As a result, you may suffer burns, falls, internal injuries, head injuries, or even death.
You are at even higher risk if you get behind the wheel. You may hurt or kill yourself or another person. That other person could be the other driver. But imagine this. Your best friend, little sister, or father is riding with you. They don’t survive the accident.
Now, those are dangers of binge drinking you won’t want to ignore.
Additionally, regardless of your gender, you could be sexually assaulted. Conversely, you may sexually assault someone else. That could mean prison time in addition to a shattered life. Also, people are more likely to engage in unsafe sex while binge drinking, so you may contract diseases, some of which are not curable like:
- HIV/AIDS
- Herpes
- HPV, which causes cancer
- Hepatitis B
Additionally, if you have a small child, that child is at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome. This condition is not a disease. SIDS describes a baby that dies of an unexplained cause, often because the parent was not able to care for it.
You may also forget what you said or did. So if you said or did something terrible while binging, the responsible adult thing to do it own up to it even if you can’t remember it.
Medium and Long-Term Risks of Binge Drinking
First, are you able to get pregnant? Then you should know that even if you don’t know you’re pregnant yet, the dangers of binge drinking may cause a miscarriage or birth abnormality, both physical and mental.
Binge drinking also puts all people at increased risk of developing severe health challenges, such as:
- Liver disease
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Dementia
- Mental health issues
What Is Binge Drinking?
According to the CDC, one in six adults is binging around four times a month. Unfortunately, that rate is much higher among 18-34-year-olds. Because binge drinking is so commonplace, many people may not even realize that they binge drink. As a result, they’re putting themselves in danger.
The CDC defines binge drinking as:
- Men: five or more drinks in two hours
- Women: four or more drinks in two hours
A drink is:
- 12 ounces beer
- Five ounces wine
- Eight ounces of malt liquor
- One to 1.5 ounces (one regular shot glass) liquor, depending on the proof
It’s essential that you don’t forget that a mixed drink may have more than one shot in it.
Get Treatment at Red Oak
At Red Oak Recovery®, we’ve redefined the clinical experience. Our holistic and individualized approach recognizes that you and the way your drink is unique. So our treatment professionals work with you to develop a plan for lasting recovery that may include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Group therapy
- Individual therapy
- Adventure therapy
There are many dangers of binge drinking. However, you can reduce your risks of hurting yourself or others. Please contact Red Oak Recovery® at 866.457.7590 to speak with a caring professional about an alcohol addiction treatment plan.
