If you or your a loved one abuses alcohol, then it’s important to know about the dangers of binge drinking and what could happen should it continue. In this article, we’ll discuss the harmful effects of binge drinking and what treatment is available for those who drink over the limit.
What is Binge Drinking?
Binge drinking can be defined as someone who drinks excessively within a short period of time. In males, drinking five or more alcoholic drinks during a short period of time is considered bingeing, while in females, drinking more than four drinks is seen as over the limit.
Binge drinking over a long period of time may lead to alcoholism and addicts may then need a supervised medical detoxification, addiction counselling and therapy by staying in an alcohol rehabilitation facility to recover and live a clean and sober life.
How Binge Drinking Can Harm You
While binge drinking may lead to a full blown alcohol addiction, more seriously, it may also be fatal if it is not treated. Many people don’t realise how serious binge drinking actually is. For example, some might think that it’s harmless when drinking excessively with friends or family but the fact of the matter is, it doesn’t make it any safer.
Binge drinkers put themselves at risk of alcohol poisoning, which stops the heart and other important organs in the body.
Alcohol abuse can happen to anyone as well. Rich, poor, black or white, anyone can become a binge drinker. However, it is found that teenagers are most affected by it, as factors such as wanting to experiment and peer pressure can often force young people into drinking just to ‘fit in’.
This makes the role of parents an important one in the prevention of binge drinking in teens and simple things such as becoming more aware of their activities at university or at parties they attend can be helpful.
Helping your children understand the dangers and consequences of alcohol abuse at an early age can also ensure that they are well equipped to make the right decisions.
Communication is a powerful tool that parents can use with their loved ones, as it helps builds trust and ensures that your children are able to come to you when faced with these tough situations.
Binge drinking has no benefits and it certainly won’t raise the popularity status of anyone. The only thing that alcohol abuse leads to is addiction.
It also puts the lives of others at risk, as many binge drinkers may drink and drive or engage in illegal activities such as crime and violence.
What can be done to Help?
If you or a loved one binge drinks, the best way to address it is by getting professional medical help.
Getting treatment in an alcohol rehabilitation centre is the most effective way to treat alcohol abuse and patients will undergo a supervised medical detox in order to help ease the withdrawal symptoms that may be experienced.
Various alcoholic therapy and counselling methods such as 12-step group therapy and individual counselling also helps in educating patients about their addiction and what they can do to avoid using alcohol in the future.
Secondary care is also available, which comes in the form of outpatient treatment and halfway houses. This is simply a maintenance-program of what was taught in rehab but in further detail.
Tertiary care may also be attended, which helps with the transition from rehab back into society and helps ensure that addicts are able to remain clean and sober.
We are able to provide access to the best private drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinics all over South Africa, the United Kingdom and Thailand, get in touch now and let one of our experienced addiction counsellors assist in finding the right binge drinking treatment for you. Find a clinic near you: wedorecover.com/rehab-facilities/rehab-facilities.html