The Dangers of Binge Drinking

The NHS defines binge drinking as drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time or drinking to get drunk. In the UK, binge drinking is drinking more than 8 units of alcohol in a single session for men and 6 units of alcohol in a single session for women.

The Dangers of Binge Drinking

People may wrongly assume that the physical and psychological damage caused by alcohol only affects those with alcohol addiction, whereas, in actual fact, binge drinking can have an equally detrimental impact on your body and mind.

Binge drinking is associated with many problems, not limited to sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancies or miscarriages, violence including homicide, suicide or sexual assault, memory and learning problems, unintentional injuries such as falls, burns or car crashes, chronic diseases including stroke, liver and/or heart disease, and high blood pressure, alcohol poisoning, and cancer.

Students and Binge Drinking

Drinking as a student, particularly at university, has long been a clear association. In the UK, a huge 85% of students agree that drinking and getting drunk is part of the university experience, which is seen as the norm.

They go on to describe a survey that was conducted in 2011 where one in five students were likely to have a diagnosable alcohol use disorder. This survey spoke to undergraduates across seven English universities and found very high rates of dangerous drinking, with 41% identified as hazardous drinkers, 11% as harmful drinkers, and 10% as probably alcohol dependent.

Students and binge drinking it a hot topic of conversation as universities try different methods to tackle the issue. An intervention method using motivational interviewing could be used to highlight the negative consequences of binge drinking and support college students in changing their behaviour.

Another approach to tackling the problem of college students and binge drinking is to correct the inaccurate perceptions around drinking behaviour; however, with the increased availability of alcohol, this can be a very difficult task.

Whilst there will always be a link between students and binge drinking, it’s important that universities do what they can to educate students on the dangers of binge drinking and alcoholism.

For many people joining university for the first time, this may be their first experience of heavy or social drinking, so they’re likely uninformed about the risks that come with alcohol. Universities must be aware that drinking is part of most students’ experience, but with the right support, these educators can help students to recognise when alcohol is having a negative effect on them and know when to stop to prevent any further issues.

How to Notice the Signs and Symptoms of Binge Drinking

The more excessively you drink, the more noticeable your signs and symptoms will become, resulting in a more damaging effect on your physical and mental health. The longer you leave your binge drinking untreated, the worse it will get, leaving you with potentially life-changing damage.

Some signs you can look out for which may indicate that you require immediate alcohol rehab support include displaying problem behaviours when drinking, severe mood swings, drinking at inappropriate times and places, experiencing memory loss or blackouts, neglecting yourself or others, choosing to drink alone rather than socialising with loved ones and becoming isolated.

If you’re observing these signs and symptoms within a friend or family member and aren’t sure how you can help them, we encourage you to take advantage of an alcohol intervention service.

Interventions have produced great results in helping the person in question see how their binge drinking is impacting not only themselves but others around them, too. More often than not, this is the final straw that they need to accept the support of alcohol rehab.

Detoxing from Alcohol

Detoxing from Alcohol can be physically and emotionally tough, but it will ensure that you are ready for further addiction Treatment. The only way to get alcohol out of your system for good is to stop drinking it. Step by step and day by day, you will notice the difference and be able to gain back control of defeating your addiction.

We understand the risks associated with an alcohol detox, but the rewards of a life free from alcohol are far greater. With an excellent team of specialists by your side to manage any withdrawal symptoms, an alcohol detox is the most effective way to safely reduce your consumption of alcohol, thus cleansing your body and mind of the damaging toxins within the substance.