How The Body Responds To Binge Drinking
The cliche, “All things in moderation,” has good science behind it, and that goes for alcohol consumption. There are shortterm and longterm things to know regarding how alcohol affects your body. Alcohol also specifically affects your brain, and there can be immediate impacts and also those that someone could experience down the road. There are definitions for binge drinking, and they are somewhat different for men and women. That being said, everyone’s metabolism and tolerance is a little different, and the same amount of alcohol can and will have varying effects on individuals.
If you think you or one of your loved ones may have developed alcohol use disorders of one severity or another, please give us a call at Quantum Behavioral Health. We have alcohol abuse and alcoholism treatment plans that can help. We also have treatment and educational resources for other types of substance abuse, how to recognize the symptoms of alcoholism, and the health risks of abusing drugs and alcohol.
Understanding Binge Drinking
Although it’s not something to purposely put on your schedule, one episode of binge drinking should not have any longterm effects on a person. However, the effects of binge drinking are good to know in advance, and avoid whenever possible. Binge drinking can also cause negative consequences outside of how alcohol affects your body. Excessive alcohol can cause lapses in judgment and result in driving while impaired, criminal activity, and unsafe sexual interactions.
What Happens To Your Body After Binge Drinking?
The abuse of drugs and alcohol can have negative effects on your mind, body, and spirit. At Quantum Behavioral Health we offer alcoholism treatment that will help you heal in all of these areas. We have many options available for the treatment of alcohol use disorders because we know that each person has their life impacted in different ways by alcohol abuse. Here are some of the shortterm and longterm effects of alcohol consumption:
- Blood and immune system: Chronic or excessive alcohol use can lead to anemia, high blood pressure, low platelets, and a compromised immune system.
- Bones and muscles: Use of alcohol affects your body when you binge drink and can interfere with absorption of calcium and bone formation. This can lead to osteoporosis.
- Brain and nervous system: Heavy alcohol use affects your brain and increases the risk of stroke. Excessive alcohol intake can also lead to dementia or impaired balance and coordination.
- Mental health: In addition to cycles of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, binge drinkers are also at higher risk of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and psychosis.
- Sexual health. Heavy longterm use of alcohol reduces fertility in both men and women and decreases a man’s sex drive. The health of the fetus can also be negatively impacted when pregnant women drink.
Treatment for Binge Drinking
Binge drinking increases the risks of developing issues with many different types of health disorders, including heart disease and liver disease to name just two. There are many options for a binge drinker when it comes to alcoholism treatment. At Quantum we offer several levels of care that can assist with changing a person’s drinking habits, including stopping drinking alcohol altogether. For many people who drink excessive alcohol, stopping once and for all is the only option to avoid having issues in the future.
Overcoming Alcohol Addiction at Quantum
If you are experiencing the symptoms of alcoholism and would like to know about your treatment options, call Quantum Behavioral Health today. We have a highly trained staff that will review the health effects alcohol has on your body and the treatment programs we have available for you. Get in touch with us today at (609) 993-0733.