A Scottsdale Treatment Center Addresses Binge Drinking Signs Symptoms and How to Recognize It

A Scottsdale Treatment Center Addresses Binge Drinking: Signs, Symptoms, and How to Recognize It

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Binge drinking is a common type of alcohol use that can lead to severe physical and mental health challenges. If binge drinking is left unaddressed, it can quickly lead to the development of a drinking problem, alcohol poisoning, or countless other personal challenges. If you need help to stop drinking, reach out to Desert Cove Recovery’s Scottsdale treatment center today.

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What Is Binge Drinking?

According to The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, binge drinking refers to drinking any amount of alcohol that brings your blood alcohol level to 0.08 or higher.[1] For most adults, this means drinking five drinks in two hours for men or four drinks in two hours for women.

Importantly, this is the lower limit for meeting the criteria for binge drinking. College students or young adult binge drinkers will often drink much more than these amounts during an episode of binge drinking, often in a very short time.

Binge drinking is prevalent. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 23.5% of adults in the United States reported binge drinking in the past month, with young adults between the ages of 18-25 reporting the highest rate among age groups at 29.5%.[2]

How to Recognize Binge Drinking – Lessons With A Scottsdale Treatment Center

Recognizing binge drinking in your friends, family, or loved ones can be difficult if you don’t understand the signs and symptoms. If they don’t drink in front of you or they report their drinking habits inaccurately, it can be difficult to discern whether they drink heavily or are at risk of alcohol-related harm.

Signs of Binge Drinking

Binge drinking, unlike heavy drinking, is often episodic. A person who binge drinks doesn’t necessarily drink every day and may instead engage in heavy drinking on the weekend, during holidays, or on vacation.

Some of the signs you can look for to spot binge drinking include:

  • Smelling like alcohol the day after
  • Debilitating hangovers after drinking
  • Not remembering what they did while they were drinking
  • Skipping work, school, or other essential activities to go drinking or because they are recovering from drinking

These can all be indications that your friend or loved one has been drinking alcohol in excess and may need the support of addiction treatment professionals to recover.

Symptoms During Binge Drinking

Binge drinking puts people at direct risk of experiencing a wide range of negative symptoms. Drinking a large number of drinks in a short time can quickly spike blood alcohol concentration and lead to symptoms such as:

  • Blackout
  • Impaired decision-making abilities
  • Losing balance, which may lead to injury
  • Increased risk of risky sexual behavior
  • Alcohol poisoning

These effects of excess alcohol consumption can be highly dangerous, resulting in an average of 140,000 deaths in the United States each year.[3] Not only can alcohol poisoning often be fatal, but people who engage in binge drinking can experience other deadly consequences, such as falls, car crashes, or drowning.

The Long-Term Effects of Binge Drinking

Binge drinking puts people at a much higher risk of developing long-term harm as well. First, binge drinking increases an individual’s risk of developing an alcohol use disorder, in which they cannot stop drinking on their own despite adverse consequences.

In addition, binge drinking can raise your risk of several types of cancer, liver damage, and compromised immune system function. There are even more dangers if people start binge drinking during adolescence, which can impair cognitive functions such as memory, attention, and emotional regulation.[3]

How a Scottsdale Treatment Center Can Help

Binge drinking can quickly get out of control, leading to a cascade of behavioral, physical, and mental health challenges if people can’t find a way to stop drinking. But quitting isn’t always easy. Many people will need the help of a specialized addiction treatment center to achieve sobriety.

Desert Cove Recovery’s Scottsdale treatment center provides several tools to help people quit binge drinking and build stronger, healthier lives in recovery. Our comprehensive addiction treatment program focuses on providing evidence-based interventions. With compassionate professionals and a wide range of treatment options, we can fit the needs of all our clients.

Treatment typically begins with detox, which can help people overcome the physical withdrawal symptoms many people face during an alcohol use disorder. Our team can provide detox referrals to specialized medical facilities, making this process much easier.

After clients have detoxed, our Scottsdale treatment center offers several options for effective alcohol treatment. This includes:

These programs help our clients build the tools to resist alcohol cravings, learn healthier ways of coping with life’s challenges, and start the path to creating a life in recovery that is enjoyable, sustainable, and worthwhile.

Breaking free from binge drinking can be incredibly difficult on your own. But with the targeted support of compassionate professionals, you can overcome an alcohol use disorder and start reaping the rewards of recovery.

Get Help From Desert Cove Recovery, Your Scottsdale Treatment Center

Call our team today to get started with treatment at Desert Cove Recovery. Or, fill out our confidential online contact form for more information. Our team members are standing by to answer your questions. We can help you find suitable treatment options and support your sobriety journey.

 

Sources:

[1] https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/moderate-binge-drinking

[2]https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt42728/NSDUHDetailedTabs2022/NSDUHDetailedTabs2022/NSDUHDetTabsSect2pe2022.htm

[3] https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/binge-drinking