Alcohol as Self Medication for Stress

Many people can be “social drinkers”, but when it come to a stressful time, alcohol can become the drug of choice to escape the uncomfortable feelings. If this is just a rare occurrence, it’s not the best way to handle your stress; but if it becomes a pattern, your health may be at stake….   Lianda

I’ve invited guest blogger, Raychelle Loman to share this great article on the subject of Binge Drinking….

Binge Drinking is Dangerous, Even When it’s Infrequent

Many people think of problem drinking in terms of someone who drinks every day, or several times a week, drinking alone or secretly drinking at work. But problem drinking can take other forms too, one of which is binge drinking, which for some people can be even more dangerous than other kinds of problem drinking.

Binge drinking is exactly what it sounds like: consuming large amounts of alcohol on one occasion. For men, that equals five drinks or more, and four women, four or more drinks is considered a binge, according to the CDC.

This kind of drinking is associated with a wide range of health problems, including heart disease and stroke, cancer, and alcohol poisoning. For young people, the dangers are even more profound, for three reasons: first, young people typically don’t tolerate alcohol as well as adults, which means even small amounts can have a strong effect. Second, young people often have lower impulse control, which can lead to them drinking extremely high volumes of alcohol. And third, young people who binge drink are at risk of suffering severe cognitive impairment, because the brain continues to grow and develop throughout the teenage years. It only takes one extreme binge for such a severe effects: in the US, binge drinking is the leading cause of premature death, and 10% of deaths in the 20 to 64 age group are due to over-consumption of alcohol.

Men still drink, and binge drink, more than women do; however, binge drinking is on the rise among both men and women. Alcohol drinking in general is on the rise too, despite the fact that information on the effects of alcohol are more widely available than ever before. If you think you might be at risk, or you know someone who’s at risk, check out this article at Rehabs.com, which goes into the potential effects of binge drinking in detail. And if you think you may need professional help, reach out to someone today.