Drinking is usual in social situations. It can ease tension and promote social connection. After a long, exhausting day, having a few drinks is acceptable. But having a drink can easily lead to having five, six, or more.
But how can you tell if you are a binge drinker or an alcoholic?
What Is Alcoholism?
Alcoholism is the most severe type of alcohol abuse. It is characterized by the inability to control drinking habits. The term alcohol use disorder is also what it is called today.
There are three levels of alcohol use disorders, mild, moderate, and severe. Each one has a distinctive set of symptoms and potential negative effects. Any form of alcohol abuse can become out of control if left untreated.
Additionally, alcoholism is accompanied by withdrawal symptoms which can also push an alcoholic person to consume it continuously.
Here are the signs and symptoms of alcohol use disorder:
- Cannot limit the amount of alcohol you consume
- You spend your time mostly drinking
- Having a strong urge or craving to drink alcohol
- Inability to meet obligations at work, school, or home because of drinking
- Drinking alcohol even if it damages your physical, social, work, or relationship
- Neglecting your hobbies to drink
- Drinking while driving
The level of alcoholism depends on how many symptoms you experience.
What Is Binge Drinking?
Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time is known as binge drinking. More precisely, four or more drinks for women and five or more for men.
Binge drinking is often performed by teenage to young adult people. Although it sounds fun to binge drink with friends, it is very dangerous. Binge drinking can elevate the alcohol content in the blood which can cause blacking out, vomiting, or even death.
Every person has a different alcohol threshold. It depends on the person’s age, height, weight, and tolerance. Some people can reach a dangerous blood alcohol level from just one glass.
Binge drinking can cause serious health risks. And here are some of them.
- Accidents, crashes, and injuries
- Violence
- STDs
- Pregnancy or miscarriages
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Liver disease
- Cancer
- Memory problems
These are some of the consequences of drinking. An untreated drinking problem can lead to more severe outcomes.
Seek Help At Skyward Treatment
Whether it is alcoholism or binge drinking, it is important to get help as soon as possible. Skyward Treatment provides the best Alcohol Detox in Houston, Texas.
If you want to get the alcohol out of your system, start your recovery now! Call us!