What is Binge Drinking?
When you hear the words binge drinking, you probably think of alcoholics. Binge drinking and alcohols seem to go hand in hand. Most of us are probably under the assumption that binge drinkers are alcoholics. Ref. Source 9
Are You A Binge Drinker Your Doctor Likely Doesnt Know Either
At least 38 million Americans binge drink ? Regularly downing at least four alcoholic beverages in a single bout ? But many doctors are failing to discuss with their patients how dangerous this behavior can be, a new government report shows. Source
The dangers, risks of binge drinking
Experts take an in-depth look into a favorite college pastime -- binge drinking -- by understanding the dangers and risks of alcohol. Moderate drinking is defined as no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men, translating to seven or fewer drinks per week for women and 14 or fewer drinks per week for men. Ref. Source 4c.
Researchers find brain circuit that controls binge drinking
Researchers have identified a circuit between two brain regions that controls alcohol binge drinking, offering a more complete picture on what drives a behavior that costs the United States more than $170 billion annually and how it can be treated. Ref. Source 2p.
I think this problem relates to a more fundamental psychological issue. I find that people who 'binge drink' are more likely to be 'prim and proper' people that have this idea of themselves as hard worker who must maintain a certain image and behave a certain way. However they have a conflicting need to be socially accepted and want to 'have fun' at a party. As such they won't drink unless at some social function where it is acceptable and even expected for them to drink large amounts of alcohol. Generally they don't go to such events often, but when they do, they down copious amounts of alcohol, with the mentality of 'in for a dime, in for a dollar'.
I was part of an honors program at the college I attended, and the motto was 'word hard, play harder', with the idea that we all work very hard to maintain our good standing in the school, but whenever we have down time, we deserve to party like the best of them. These 'parties' were admittedly rare, and always caused trouble, but were seen as a necessary evil to allow us to vent after working so hard.
Think binge drinking is safer for your liver than regular heavy drinking? Think again
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) occurs on a spectrum of severity. The majority of people who drink excessively develop a fatty liver, which though often symptom free, can progress to a state of inflammation, fibrosis, and cell death that can be fatal. Little is known about liver disruption that may occur in problem drinkers who are not alcohol dependent. To help understand the development of ALD, this study used a rodent model to examine differences in liver damage between binge drinkers and heavy drinkers. Ref. Source 5c.
.. Scary, that's what it is. My oldest daughter is in college now and she tells me about some of the things going on at parties. Oh, and I'm not so old that I don't remember when I was a kid. I'm pretty sure we taught her well and she knows better than this. That said, binge drinking causes others to make poor decisions, and that could put my girl in harm's way. Like I said, scary.