Archive for February 12th, 2012

Binge Drinking and Types of Alcoholism

Sometimes the realization that you have a problem with alcohol or even prescription medications can come as a surprise. This is especially true for those who consider themselves to be strictly social drinkers or who have very little history with prescription medicines . And while this message isn’t intended to declare all social drinkers or medicine consumers to be addicts, it is important to remember the potential for becoming one. Typically for a social drinker, who may only drink once a week, it can be considered to be a concern or even a problem when more than three drinks are consumed in an evening. Of course aspects such as gender, age, weight and other health circumstances figure into what constitutes an appropriate amount of alcohol for any one person. And if you find yourself drinking five or more drinks in an evening, even though you only do this once a week or maybe even two or three times a month, it will almost certainly indicate a potential problem and possibly even lead to or be indicative of binge drinking .

This is where the effects of binge drinking differs slightly from the chronic maintenance drinker. However, it is still a form of alcohol abuse and many binge drinkers are also alcoholics. That term also contains a stigma and unfortunately is part of the reason many people resist seeking the help they need. Alcoholism is a disease, and suffering from it is not something to be ashamed of. You would certainly go to the doctor if you had acute chest pains or a severe case of the flu or pneumonia. You should most definitely seek the help you need if dealing with a disease such as alcoholism.

Chronic maintenance drinking and binge drinking differ in certain respects, however they are both forms of alcoholism and carry the common traits, one of the significant ones being progressive degeneration. This means that when left untreated or dealt with, alcoholism always increases in lifestyle destruction as well as health compromise. And while it’s well known that alcohol abuse is damaging to the liver, heart and other organs, it’s interesting to know that many alcoholics actually die from falling down. The image of the stumbling drunk takes on its tragic association when placed in this context. If you’re in the Palm Beach area you can find further information and even treatment resources at a rehab in rehab in West Palm Beach center.