Binge Drinking
Clearly stated, binge drinking is the act of drinking alcohol for the sole purpose of getting drunk. Binge drinking is defined as having 5 or more drinks in one setting, but this can differ depending on an individual’s height and body weight. While many teens and young adults may view binge drinking as a normal and fun activity, many are simply not aware of the short and long term damage that it can do. Not only can binge drinking result in vomiting, but it can lead to loss of sensory perception, blackouts and nasty hangovers. Binge drinking can also result in acute alcohol poisoning, which in some cases can even be deadly.
Effects to your Body when Binge Drinking
Excessive binge drinking can put a great deal of stress on the body, including the liver, the immune system and the brain. First of all, excessive binge drinking can have a profoundly damaging effect on the liver. Because your liver must continually metabolize and detoxify waste in your body, excessive binge drinking can cause this act to slow down, sometimes to extremely dangerous rates. Binge drinking also dramatically reduces brain function causing blurred vision, slurred speech, poor memory and impaired judgment. While most of these effects will go away within a day or so, excessive binge drinking over long periods of time can cause these states to persist over long periods of time. Lastly, binge drinking can suppress the immune system putting individuals at a greater risk for viral and bacterial infections.
Long Term Consequences of Binge Drinking
While most people view binge drinking as a harmless and fun social activity, it can also have a number of very serious side effects. First of all, it is no secret that individuals who begin binge drinking as teens and young adults have an increased risk of developing a problem with drugs or alcohol later in their lifetime. Most alcoholics can trace the beginning of their alcoholism back to their teenage and young adult years where they began drinking for the first time. Alcoholism, combined with other things, can lead to other addictions as well.
Secondly, excessive binge drinking over the long term can have very damaging effects on your body and mental health. Studies show that excessive binge drinking can cause changes in the endocrine and cardiovascular systems over time, not to mention the severe damage it is doing to your liver, heart and central nervous system. Excessive binge drinking over long periods of time can all but destroy the liver, causing cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and ultimately death.
If you feel that your teenager or another young adult has developed a habit of excessive drinking, please contact us today and learn more about how you can help your addicted teen.
