When it comes to drinking, everyone has times where they go a little overboard. However, what happens when that becomes a bit too common? When this happens, it could be an example of binge drinking. The binge drinking definition seems quite clear. However, when you drink on a regular basis, the line can easily blur. Therefore, it’s important to understand what this kind of drinking is can help you realize when your drinking might be going a bit too far…
Binge Drinking Definition: What Is It Really?
The definition
The binge drinking definition is essentially when someone drinks well over the “standard” amount in a short period of time. This amount is different for men compared to women. For men, this amount is having five or more drinks in the span of two hours. However, the amount for women is having four or more drinks in the same time span.
Something that confuses some people is how this kind of drinking differs from alcohol use disorder. The largest factor is that binge drinking is about how much you drink at one time, not constantly. Still, it can definitely increase the chance of someone developing an alcohol addiction.
Reasons
On the surface, it might be confusing as to why people engage in binge drinking. After all, it appears that it’s just not worth the risks involved. However, there are several different possible reasons for why a person might decide to binge drink. While the binge drinking definition tells you what it is, the definition does not cover why…
For example, a lot of parties tend to involve alcohol. As people’s inhibitions lower while they drink, they may be more likely to drink in excess. Some people also might binge when using alcohol to cope, in order to “forget” their troubles. Sometimes, it might be just as simple as someone trying to “one-up” someone by drinking more than them.
Side-effects
By nature, the binge drinking definition outlines that there are some side effects of taking part. For example, you can expect to get a pretty bad hangover from all the alcohol you’ve drank. You might also experience nausea, blurred vision, and dehydration among other issues. However, these are some of the lesser side-effects.
The more serious side effects include issues like alcohol poisoning. You also increase the chances of developing alcohol-related health problems. These can include damage to the mouth, throat, stomach, and liver especially. Plus, as mentioned before, you also increase the risk of developing an alcohol addiction.