BINGE SUBSTANCE ABUSE

Binge substance abuse is of special note because of its prevalence among young people as well as in the military culture. Binge substance abusers have a more difficult time seeking recovery because they often deny that they have a problem, since they can go relatively long periods without using a substance or behaving destructively.

The most common form of binging is the type of alcoholism that is defined by intermittent alcohol abuse. Binge drinkers lose control of their ability to monitor the amount they consume at one time. They cannot stop, once they start, until they are drunk. The old saying, “one drink is too much and 10 drinks are not enough,” applies to binge drinkers.

According to the Surgeon General, the definition of binge drinking is having 5 or more drinks in a row for men and 4 or more drinks in a row for women.

Low intake of alcohol leads to reduced inhibition with impaired judgment, vision, movement and speech.

Larger amounts affect coordination, reflexes and balance and memory loss (blackouts).
Higher levels of consumption affect the brain’s ability to control basic survival functions, like respiration and heart rate.

Finally, the heart rate can drop and breathing can cease, leading to coma and death. Mixing alcohol with prescription medications, like muscle relaxers or prescription pain medication, is highly lethal and is currently becoming the highest death rate among adolescents and young adults.

In terms of alcohol poisoning, death can occur at a point, which is 4-5 times the legal limit for driving. A lethal dose is defined as the amount that would kill half the population.

It takes about an hour for the body to process one oz. of alcohol, about one mixed drink. It can take from 30 to 90 minutes after you stop drinking before reaching the highest level of intoxication, whether conscious, blacked out or not.