A small amount of drinking done by a healthy, product adult generally isn’t the source of a lot of concern. But if the person were to continue to drink to the point that their drinking caused problems in their social, personal, and family life, then people start to become concerned. If someone you love is starting to drink more often, and experiencing negative consequences as a result of their drinking, then it’s possible that they are on the path to alcoholism.
The National Institute on alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIDA) is well known for its credibility in the field of addiction. In a recent study, they are estimating that there are over 23 million Americans currently suffering from alcohol disorders. Alcoholism is a progressive disease, and there is clear evidence that it manifests slowly over time. Knowing the signs and symptoms of the progression of alcoholism can help you to navigate away from addiction, and to get help for yourself or the person you love who is suffering from alcoholism by Alcohol abuse rehab.
Binge Drinking
Alcoholism begins with a little bit of experimenting with alcohol. The person will often try different types and brands of alcohol, and may begin to drink a little too much and too often. Although this can happen to people of any age, it is commonly present in the high school and college communities.
One of the most well-known forms occasional alcohol abuse is binge drink. Binge drinking is not defined by the frequency an individual drinks, but rather the amount that they consume on each occasion. Although the amounts may vary, binging is usually characterized as:
- men drinking more than five drinks every two hours
- women drinking more than four drinks every two hours
Often times, people who are binge drinking consume far more than this on each occasion. high school and college students, for example, are well known for drinking massive amounts of alcohol at some of their parties, which far exceeds this 4-5 five drink threshold.
Additionally, binge drinkers are often in denial of their abnormal relationship with alcohol because they are not drinking often. Many people justify this behavior by only binge drinking once a month, or once every few months. But the problem relies in the person’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol, and the comfort it produces can cause them to shorten the distance between binge drinking episodes.
Are Binge Drinkers Alcoholics?
Although many binge drinkers would be offended to hear this, many of them are possible or potential alcohol abusers. The medical community makes a distinction between alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence (alcoholism), and defines alcohol use disorder as a person who drinks heavily and has negative consequences associated with their drinking, but is not yet physically addicted to alcohol. Because binge drinkers often space out their binges, they are usually not physically addicted to alcohol, but can still experiences problems with work, school, and relationships as a result of their drinking.
If you or someone you love is binge drinking, or abusing alcohol in any way, then Northbound Treatment Services can help. Northbound implements a customized treatment plan for each client, which takes into account their specific needs and challenges. Northbound also provides a wide range of transitional inpatients treatment programs, including a Christ-Centered approach, programs dedicated to helping clients continue with work or their education, and aftercare support through an Alumni Group.