While it may seem like a harmless pastime, binge drinking has health and well being implications that make it far from safe. Binge drinking is the act of drinking a lot of alcohol over a short period of time, such as five or more drinks in a row for men or four or more for women. It can also refer to an older meaning of drinking a lot over several days or weeks.
While a person may not notice signs of drunkenness at first dependent on weight, height, age and experience, the definition still applies regardless of subjective observations about being able to "cope" with binge drinking. The issue is really one of health and safety because binge drinking can be harmful to your health over the long term and can expose people to the risk of injury or even death. In this article you will find tips to help yourself overcome the desire to binge drink and to approach drinking in moderation and mindfully.
Steps:
1. Be aware of the health consequences of binge drinking. FIGHT THE POWER Facing up to the problems binge drinking can bring about is an important part of making a clear decision to overcome binge drinking. Some of the more common health problems that can arise from binge drinking include :
- Short term: Hangovers, nausea, shaking, vomiting, memory loss, injury to yourself and alcohol poisoning. Also, impaired judgment can lead to bad decisions that put you and others at risk of injury and death, such as drunk driving or walking on a high wall thinking you're invincible. Regular binge drinking can lead to being overweight and having high blood pressure in a short space of time.
- Long term: Physical and psychological dependence on alcohol (addiction or alcoholism) or at the very least, habitual binge drinking, brain and liver damage, risk of mouth, oesophagus or throat cancers, increased risk of neurological disorders, heart problems, impotency, emotional and mental health problems such as depression and relationship and workplace problems. Even moderate drinking can increase the chances of getting breast cancer (3-6 drinks weekly).
- Related dangers: Possibility of unprotected sexual encounters, shame and embarrassment, losing friends, losing money, etc.
2. Know what might trigger binge drinking, so that you can stay more alert to the presence of such triggers when you are confronted by them. The pressure or desire to binge drink can arise in a number of ways, such as:
- Being at a party where there is lots of alcohol and lots of people are drinking
- Curiosity at what it feels like to drink a lot quickly
- A belief it'll feel good
- Sculling competitions and drinking games
- Being part of rounds or "shouts" which go on over many hours
- Not being busy with something other than drinking, namely the drinking is the focus
- Feeling shy, vulnerable or unable to say no to offers of drinks
- Feeling stressed, unhappy or depressed and wanting to "drown" the emotions
- Wanting to look cool and keep up with the "in" crowd or trying to impress older people
- Thinking that a whole lot of drinks once a week isn't harmful (it is, this is erroneous self-justification).
3. Know what a standard drink is. Each country has a set amount for standard drinks, with the general understanding that between 1-4 standard drinks a day is all a person should consume, dependent on gender, age, etc (and dependent on what a standard drink is in your country). By sticking to a standard drink and the daily allowance suggested, you'll avoid binge drinking. However, be aware that drinks aren't always served in standard amounts and may contain a lot more alcohol than you think. You will need to ask the server if the drink is a standard serve if it's not clear. And even though there are recommendations for a daily amount, you should still take into account your own unique reactions to alcohol and stick to your own limits.
4. Consider whether you're binge drinking. If you're consuming more than double the standard drinks recommended by your country's health authority each drinking session, then you're binge drinking. Other signs that you're binge drinking include:
- You drink to get drunk
- You drink quickly
- You find it hard to resist more drinks during a drinking session.
5. Drink slowly. Only take a few sips of your drink at the time. Do not drink multiple drinks in an hour. Your body absorbs alcohol more than 90 minutes after your last sip, so you may not realize right away how it will affect you. If you're tempted to drink more, avoid purchasing alcoholic drinks or accepting drink offers from others.
6. Start with drinking a soda or other non alcoholic drinks. If you start by drinking a soda instead of drinking an alcoholic drink first, you will reduce the chance of you getting drunk quickly. Then intersperse your alcoholic allowance with more non-alcoholic drinks during the occasion.
- Keep track of your drinks. Once you reach the limit, stop drinking alcohol.
7. Go out with a friend who doesn't drink or who has similar low limits in mind. You can remind each other of how much you want to drink (tell each other your "limit"), and take a break together and drink a soda instead. Having at least two of you willing to say no to drinking more makes it easier to resist any social pressure.
8. Don't drink on an empty stomach. Eating before you go out will lessen your desire to down alcoholic drinks too quickly. When out, avoid eating salty snacks because these can increase your thirst. Of course, if you're prepared to quench that thirst with just water, then you're free to eat them!
9. Limit the amount of money you have on you and leave your credit card at home. Take a certain amount of money with you if you go out and hold yourself to that amount. Once it is spent, call it a day or night and simply have water for the remainder of the time.
10. Avoid drinking rounds or shouts unless you can resist alcohol for your own choice. Becoming involved in these can be an open invitation to drinking too much if you're not able to say "just an OJ thanks". If you still wish to participate in them, set an example by clearly telling people you want something non-alcoholic; you may just free up other people who'd also like to take a break from constant alcohol during the session.
11. Stay away from alcopops. Alcopops contain a lot of sugar, so they taste and drink like sodas. In particular, young people are seduced by the sweetness of these and can all too easily drink these in a short time without realizing that the drinks contain a high level of alcohol. Be careful when you drink them, because this high level of alcohol can make you seriously drunk and ill.
12. Stay busy. A big reason for continuously drinking from whatever is in front of you is lack of activity and sitting or standing next to a drink. What else are you inclined to do if you're not moving about or participating in something? Dancing, talking, playing pool or darts, etc. can all keep you occupied over and above the drinking. Once you remove alcohol as the focus, you're less likely to drink as much.
- Dance a lot when you go out. It keeps you active and you're more likely to want water to keep you refreshed.
13. Remember that alcohol, while socially condoned as a recreational drug, is not a competition, nor is it a way to look cool.
Consuming it thoughtlessly is a way to harm yourself; ultimately,
alcohol bites back and removes your ability to make sound judgments and
to stay in control of yourself. You have a choice to drink it mindfully
or to let yourself be swayed by social pressures. Saying that you feel
obliged or compelled to join in the binge drinking is just an excuse for
not thinking this through properly.
Think about how drunk people appear to you. On the whole, common
adjectives applied to those who drink too much include belligerent,
noisy, rude, vulnerable, unkempt, thoughtless and out-of-control. Are
these the sorts of labels you want others placing on you when you binge
drink?
14. Resist the pressure that you may feel from your drinking buddies.
Accept that you're likely to be pressured if you have friends who
consume a lot of alcohol. However, try to see things from their
perspective rather than giving in. First, they are well aware of the
ravages of binge drinking but they're often equally desirous that
they're not alone in their binge drinking. Second, they probably think
you're not having as good a time as them if you're not joining in. Tell
them that you're happy enough already without more alcohol and that
you're keen to take care of your own needs. Remember, it's your body and
life, not anyone else's. You might also help them by suggesting they
ease up a little too; it's better to hear it from a friend. Ultimately,
if your friends don't like you for deciding to stay sober, then they
aren't real friends and you are best off reconsidering the company you
keep.
Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Binge-Drinking
