How to Stop Binge Drinking

Understanding and Overcoming the Habit

Are you or a loved one struggling with binge drinking? Have you found yourself concerned with the drinking habits of yourself or a loved one but unsure whether the substance use is problematic? If you have tried to stop or moderate your drinking, these tips can help you begin to build healthier habits and overcome your struggles with alcohol. 

What is Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking involves consuming a large quantity of alcohol in a short period, leading to acute intoxication. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines binge drinking as the consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks during one occasion for men and four or more drinks for women. To get a clear picture of what this entails, it’s crucial to explore precisely what is meant by “one drink.” For clarity, a standard drink in the United States is roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which translates to:

• 12 ounces of beer (typically around 5% alcohol by volume)
• 5 ounces of wine (usually about 12% alcohol by volume)
• 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits or liquor (approximately 40% alcohol by volume)

Photo Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

For many people, binge drinking may seem like a norm across social settings and in some instances, this is true. One of the biggest issues surrounding this significant public health concern is its normalization in specific social contexts, including college campuses and various social gatherings. In these instances, large amounts of alcohol are consumed rapidly, which can lead to multiple issues like alcohol poisoning, accidents, injuries, and various long-term health consequences. Binge drinking is most prevalent among adults aged 18 to 34, but it affects individuals across all age groups. 

It’s essential also to distinguish that binge drinking is different from chronic heavy drinking, where alcohol consumption is spread out over days or weeks but remains at high levels. Chronic heavy drinking can lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms, which makes it easier to identify if there is a problem with substance use. Since binge drinking occurs in spurts involving periods of abstinence, it is easier to rationalize, often lulling people into a false sense of security. 

Are You Binge Drinking?

Many people enjoy drinking socially, but it can be challenging to identify when social drinking crosses the line into binge drinking, albeit problematic binge drinking. Understanding and being honest about your drinking habits is the first step to determining whether you have a problem. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, binge drinking is often masked by social norms and peer behaviors, making it difficult to spot the warning signs, especially when looking at personal behavior.

Signs You’re Binge Drinking

Identifying the signs of binge drinking is a necessary step in beginning to address potential alcohol misuse. Here are some key indicators that you may be engaging in binge drinking:

• Consuming more alcohol than you intended: Do you start an evening intending to have one or two drinks but end up consuming more? This loss of control over the amount you drink is a hallmark of binge drinking.
• Struggling to stop drinking once you start: Once you begin drinking, do you find it difficult to stop? Do you sometimes or often find yourself continuing until you are heavily intoxicated? This is a common sign that there may be an issue with alcohol misuse.
• Experiencing memory blackouts: Frequent memory lapses or blackouts, where you cannot recall events that occurred while you were drinking, indicate that you are consuming too much alcohol too quickly.
• Feeling guilty or ashamed about your drinking: After a night of heavy drinking, do you often feel remorseful, embarrassed, or ashamed of your behavior? Do you find yourself swearing off alcohol, only to find yourself in the same situation in the future? 
• Noticing that your mental health worsens after drinking: Alcohol can exacerbate symptoms of mental health issues like depression and anxiety. If you see your mood deteriorating after drinking, this could be a signal there is a deeper issue.
• Engaging in reckless behavior while intoxicated: Binge drinking often leads to impaired judgment, resulting in risky behaviors such as driving under the influence, engaging in unprotected sex, or getting into physical altercations.

Connection Between Binge Drinking and Addiction

If you’ve identified you have been binge drinking, you’ve taken the first step toward understanding yourself better and, hopefully, paving a path toward a healthier lifestyle. So, if you’re struggling with binge drinking, does this mean you have an addiction?

While not all binge drinkers develop an addiction, frequent binge drinking significantly increases the risk of alcohol dependency. The transition from binge drinking to addiction often follows a gradual and insidious path. 

One of the primary factors driving this transition is the development of tolerance. Tolerance occurs when your body becomes accustomed to a certain level of alcohol, requiring you to consume more to achieve the same effects. As tolerance builds, the amount of alcohol needed to reach intoxication increases, leading to more frequent and heavier drinking sessions.

Additionally, the psychological grip of binge drinking can make it increasingly challenging to resist the urge to drink. What begins as a coping mechanism or a seemingly fun social habit can evolve into a compulsive behavior, where the need to drink overrides rational decision-making. This compulsion is a hallmark of addiction, where the brain’s reward system becomes hijacked by the substance, making it seemingly impossible to function without it.

Why Do I Binge Drink?

If you have found yourself struggling as a result of your binge drinking, you may be asking yourself why you continue to do it. This may be especially true if you’ve begun experiencing negative consequences. Binge drinking often serves as a maladaptive coping strategy for various underlying issues. Here are some common factors that may be driving your binge drinking or that of a loved one:

1. Stress

Stress is often one of the most significant drivers of binge drinking. Many people turn to alcohol or other substances as a way to self-medicate and alleviate symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression. 

Alcohol may provide temporary relief by numbing emotions and providing a sense of relaxation. However, this relief is short-lived, and the underlying stress remains unresolved, often leading to increased drinking to maintain that fleeting sense of calm.

2. Boredom or Loneliness

Periods of isolation or a lack of direction in life can lead individuals to use alcohol to fill the void. Drinking becomes a way to pass time, distract from feelings of loneliness, or provide a sense of purpose in the absence of fulfilling activities. 

This pattern can be particularly prevalent during life transitions, such as moving to a new city, graduating from college, changing jobs, or experiencing significant life changes that disrupt routine and social connections.

3. Social Anxiety

For some, alcohol serves as a tool to cope with social anxiety. It can lower inhibitions and boost confidence, making it easier to interact in social settings. For those who struggle with social anxiety, alcohol can seem like the perfect solution to their problems. The initial ease and comfort provided by alcohol can reinforce its use as a crutch in social situations, leading to repeated binge drinking episodes in an attempt to manage anxiety. 

Over time, reliance on alcohol for social comfort can hinder the development of healthy coping mechanisms and exacerbate anxiety in the absence of alcohol.

4. Peer Pressure

The influence of peers and social environments plays a significant role in binge drinking behavior. In many social circles, excessive drinking is normalized and even encouraged. The desire to fit in, be accepted, or avoid social ridicule can drive some people to drink more than they might otherwise choose. This is particularly common in college settings, social gatherings, and environments where alcohol consumption is a central activity.

5. Personality Traits

Certain personality traits can predispose individuals to binge drinking. Impulsiveness, for instance, can lead to spontaneous decisions to drink excessively without considering the consequences. 

Those who seek new and intense experiences may also be more likely to engage in risky drinking behaviors. Additionally, individuals with low distress tolerance may use alcohol to quickly alter their emotional state despite the potential adverse outcomes.

Related: Am I An Alcoholic?: Self-Assessment

How Can I Help Someone Who Binge Drinks?

Supporting a loved one who binge drinks can be challenging, but your help can make a significant difference in their journey toward healthier habits. While you cannot make anyone choose to change their behavior, there are ways you can encourage them and plant the seed regarding the possibility of a more significant, concerning issue. Here are some ways you can help and approach the issue if needed:

1. Choose the right time: Initiate a conversation when your loved one is sober and calm. Trying to discuss their drinking habits while they are intoxicated or hungover can lead to defensiveness and miscommunication.
2. Be honest and respectful: Express your concerns in a non-judgmental way. Use “I” statements to describe what you’ve noticed and why you are worried. For example, “I feel worried when you drink so much because I care about your health.”
3. Encourage professional help: Suggest they seek assistance from a healthcare provider, therapist, or support group. Support from loved ones is valuable, but professional guidance provides the tools and strategies needed to address alcohol misuse effectively.
4. Offer support: Be there for them emotionally and encourage them to engage in healthy activities that do not involve alcohol. You may suggest alternative ways to spend time together, such as exercising, pursuing hobbies, or attending social events not centered around drinking.
5. Set boundaries: Protect your well-being by setting clear limits on what your support will look like. Maintaining your mental and emotional health while helping a loved one is paramount. Make it clear that while you are there to support them, you cannot enable their drinking behavior.

What Are The Effects of Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking can have immediate and long-term effects on your health, impacting both your physical and mental well-being. The severity and range of these effects can vary significantly depending on individual factors such as genetics, the amount of alcohol consumed, and the frequency of binge drinking sessions. Here’s a closer look at how binge drinking affects your body and mind:

Immediate Consequences

• Impaired judgment and coordination: Alcohol can quickly impair cognitive functions and motor skills, leading to poor decision-making and an increased risk of accidents and injuries.
• Memory loss (blackouts): Alcohol impacts the brain’s ability to create long-term memories. Consuming large amounts of alcohol in a short period can disrupt the brain’s ability to form new memories, leading to alcohol-induced blackouts where you cannot recall events that occurred while intoxicated.
• Hangovers: The physical aftermath of binge drinking often includes headaches, nausea, fatigue, and dehydration, significantly impacting your ability to function the next day. This can damage various aspects of life, including employment, school, and parenting.

Long-Term Effects

• Tolerance and dependence: Frequent binge drinking can lead to increased tolerance, where you need to consume more alcohol to achieve the same effects. This can pave the way for physical dependence and, eventually, addiction.
• Chronic health issues: Alcohol use is associated with various chronic health conditions and diseases, including cancer, liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and neurological damage.
• Mental health decline: Persistent binge drinking is known to exacerbate existing mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, and contribute to the development of new mental health issues.

Related: Alcohol and Anxiety

Health Risks of Binge Drinking

In addition to the long-term consequences discussed previously, binge drinking poses numerous health risks that can have severe and lasting consequences. Here are some of the critical health issues associated with this dangerous pattern of alcohol consumption:

• Alcohol poisoning or overdose: Consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short period can lead to alcohol poisoning, a life-threatening condition that affects the body’s vital functions, including breathing, heart rate, and body temperature. Symptoms can include confusion, vomiting, seizures, slow or irregular breathing, and unconsciousness.
• Chronic physical conditions: As we mentioned earlier, binge drinking significantly increases the risk of developing chronic illnesses. Cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke, is commonly associated with excessive alcohol consumption. Liver disease, such as cirrhosis and hepatitis, is another severe consequence, as the liver is directly impacted by alcohol metabolism.
• Weight gain: Wondering if binge drinking can cause weight gain? Alcoholic beverages are high in calories and can contribute to weight gain over time. Regularly consuming several drinks in one sitting can add significant calories to your diet, which, if not balanced with physical activity, leads to increased body fat and associated health problems.
• Cancer: There is a well-documented link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of various cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, esophagus, breast, liver, and colon. Alcohol can damage body tissues and interfere with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and eliminate harmful chemicals.
• Impaired cognitive functions: Binge drinking can negatively impact brain function, leading to memory loss, difficulties with concentration, and reduced mental abilities. Over time, these effects can contribute to long-term neurological damage.
• Mental health issues: As previously discussed, alcohol misuse and consistent binge drinking can worsen symptoms of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders. The cycle of drinking to cope with negative emotions, only to have those emotions exacerbated by alcohol, can be challenging to break.

Related: Understanding Wet Brain: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome 

How to Stop Binge Drinking

If you’ve identified that you’d like to change your relationship with alcohol, you’ve taken the first step on your journey to wellness. Depending on the severity of your situation, there are steps you can take to begin your journey to sobriety. 

1. Confide in Someone You Trust About Your Struggles

Sharing your struggles with a trusted friend, family member, or mentor can provide crucial accountability and emotional support as you seek to understand and change your drinking habits. Opening up about your challenges helps you stay committed to your goals and receive valuable encouragement. This accountability can be helpful if you find you cannot change this behavior alone.

2. Join A Support Group

Take advantage of support resources such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or SMART Recovery. These programs offer a supportive community, structured meetings, and valuable guidance to help you manage your drinking habits. Online forums and local support groups can also provide essential support and camaraderie. The foundation provided by support groups such as these can be helpful as you work to understand your relationships to alcohol better and relate to peers who have been through similar experiences. Different cities and communities often have unique offerings, so be sure to research local resources. 

3. Consider Outpatient Treatment or Group Therapy

Explore the possibility of an outpatient treatment program or group therapy for addiction. Outpatient treatment offers comprehensive and flexible support, allowing you to continue with daily responsibilities while participating in therapy and counseling sessions. If you haven’t developed a physical dependence on alcohol due to chronic alcohol use and are able to stay sober without 24/7 support, outpatient treatment may be an excellent fit for you. Outpatient treatment and group therapy can also help you gradually reduce the amount you consume by supporting you as you start tapering off alcohol. Porch Light Health offers a Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program (VIOP) that allows you to participate in structured treatment from your home.

Learn More About Virtual IOP.

4. Explore Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) 

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) combines FDA-approved medications with counseling and behavioral therapies to address alcohol use disorder holistically. Discussing MAT options with a healthcare provider can help you find the most effective treatment plan. Common medications like naltrexone can help reduce cravings and diminish the pleasure associated with drinking. If you aren’t sure whether MAT is suitable for you, contact Porch Light Health today to speak with one of our addiction specialists. We offer various addiction treatment programs and are committed to helping you find the best fit as you craft your path to recovery. Call today at 866-394-6123.

National Support Organizations & Helplines

If you or someone you know is struggling with binge drinking, support and professional resources are available:

1. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

• Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Website: SAMHSA
• Provides free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information services for individuals and families facing mental and substance use disorders.

2. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

• Website: Alcoholics Anonymous
• A worldwide fellowship of people who have had a drinking problem. It is nonprofessional, self-supporting, multiracial, apolitical, and available almost everywhere. There are no age or education requirements.

3. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

• Website: NIAAA
• Provides resources for understanding alcohol use disorders and finding treatment options.

4. SMART Recovery

• Website: SMART Recovery
• Offers a science-based program to help people manage their addiction to alcohol and other substances. Provides online meetings and local group meetings.

5. Al-Anon Family Groups

• Website: Al-Anon
• Provides support to families and friends of alcoholics, helping them to cope with the issues that arise from living with someone with an alcohol use disorder.

6. Veterans Affairs Alcohol and Substance Abuse Programs

• Website: VA Programs
• Provides comprehensive support and treatment services for veterans struggling with alcohol and substance misuse.

Porch Light Health Can Help

At Porch Light Health, we are committed to supporting individuals on their journey to overcome struggles with substance use in Colorado and New Mexico. Our network of clinics offers over 60 points of care, including mobile and walk-in clinics and telehealth. Our goal is to provide recovery and rehabilitation to as many patients as possible and help them fully recover to a life beyond addiction. 

We know this is a challenging journey, but you are not alone. Porch Light Health is here to support you as you navigate your struggles with binge drinking and substance use. Call today at 866-394-6123 or search our network of clinics to find a clinic near you.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, March 22). About alcohol use. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/about-alcohol-use/index.html

2. White A. M. (2003). What happened? Alcohol, memory blackouts, and the brain. Alcohol research & health : the journal of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 27(2), 186–196. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6668891/

3. White, A. M., Tapert, S., & Shukla, S. D. (2018). Binge Drinking. Alcohol research : current reviews, 39(1), 1–3. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6104965/

4. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (n.d.). What is a standard drink? National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/what-standard-drink

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Vital signs: Binge drinking prevalence, frequency, and intensity among adults – United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 61(1), 14-19. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6101a4.htm

6. Shield, K. D., Parry, C., & Rehm, J. (2013). Chronic diseases and conditions related to alcohol use. Alcohol research : current reviews, 35(2), 155–173. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3908707/

7. Obeid, S., Akel, M., Haddad, C. et al. Factors associated with alcohol use disorder: the role of depression, anxiety, stress, alexithymia and work fatigue- a population study in Lebanon. BMC Public Health 20, 245 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-8345-1