How to Avoid Binge Drinking
There is a lot of information out there about alcohol abuse, alcohol misuse, alcoholism, alcohol dependence, alcohol poisoning, binge drinking, over drinking, and all of the other, many factors that play into alcohol consumption. Alcohol use is easily the most contested, mind-altering substance, as so many people struggle to agree on how much is too much.
Avoiding binge drinking becomes an important priority in this day and age, a century where drug misuse is extremely common and actually accepted in modern-day society. We live in a time where it is more uncommon not to drink alcohol than it is to drink. The prevalence of regular, almost customary and sometimes over-zealous drinking is such that we need stable information on how to avoid binge drinking.
In just a few paragraphs, we’ll go over a few great strategies for avoiding binge drinking and how to spot binge drinking when it does occur.
What is the Definition of Binge Drinking?
First, let’s look at what the actual definition of binge drinking is. This is not something that many people understand very well at all. It is actually a highly misunderstood subject.
But the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines alcoholism quite simply. In a direct quote from their website:
“NIAAA defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after four drinks for women and five drinks for men in about two hours.”
And the NIAAA is not the only organization that has provided us with a very specific definition of binge drinking either. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration very specifically identifies binge drinking as:
“SAMHSA defines binge drinking as five or more alcoholic drinks for males or four or more alcoholic drinks for females on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least one day in the past month.”
“SAMHSA defines binge drinking as five or more alcoholic drinks for males or four or more alcoholic drinks for females on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a couple of hours of each other) on at least one day in the past month.”
So our top, federal institutions that are in charge of preventing and reducing drug abuse and alcohol misuse in the country are in agreement on what is and what isn’t binge drinking.
Tips for Avoiding Binge Drinking
First off, let’s begin by saying that it is very easy to binge drink. The physiological and psychological manifestations of alcohol consumption combined with the social implications of the “drinking scene” make it very easy to pick up the bottle one, two, or three too many times.
With that in mind, here are three strategies for stopping oneself before they go over the edge into binge drinking:
- Set a cap for yourself before you drink, and hold to it. If you are going to go into a situation where you know there will be alcohol, make a decision before you arrive as to what your limit will be, and stick to it.
- Get an “accountabilibuddy.” An accountabilibuddy is someone who you make agreements with before going out as to what is okay to do and what is not okay to do. Pick a person of similar morals and personal ethics to you, set some standards in advance, and then keep an eye on that person and allow them to do the same for you.
- Just don’t drink at all. As radical as that might sound, abstinence is the safest policy for avoiding binge drinking. If you think you might be more prone to binge drinking and that you might not be able to control yourself, just not drinking might be the best policy.
This is just an insight as to what one can do to curb binge drinking. It’s important to stay away from binge drinking, as drinking too much is really just the first step on the road to an actual drinking problem.
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