Binge drinking is when you drink a large amount of drinks all at once, normally at parties with a group of people cheering you on. High functioning alcoholism is an uncontrollable craving to alcohol and you do not need a crowd to drink. They may be similar in the risk of accidents, violence, injury, damage to relationships, serious health conditions, and legal problems but one poses longer-term health compared to the other.
Binge drinkers are not physically dependent on alcohol and do not experience intense cravings. Maybe it was just one time that person decided to binge drink after one party but it does not mean they will develop an addiction. It does not mean that person will become an alcoholic in the future but there is always a risk of that occurring after just one time. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says that binge drinking is about the quantity consumed to raise your blood alcohol level to .08 or higher over a couple of hours. Male binge drinkers drink five or more drinks and women drinks four or more drinks in two hours or less. Alcoholism is not determined by the amount that you drink but physical dependence, tolerance, time spent drinking, and the distress linked with drinking.
Functional alcoholics have routines of when they drink whether it’s everytime they are done with work, before they eat dinner, or at a certain time. They will make it a goal to maintain that routine no more what the cost is. Alcoholics normally drink alone, in the morning, or in secret so that no one suspects that they have an addiction. Binge drinkers save their drinking for social situations. Binge drinkers have the ability to cut down on drinks and will set limits if they have to. Alcoholics, on the other hand, have uncontrollable cravings, physical dependence, and tolerance. It feels impossible for them to stop despite the physical and mental consequences that can come.
If someone is worried about your binge drinking, that person involves a short intervention that may include sessions with an addiction recovery counselor, support groups, and therapy. Alcoholism is not so easy to treat as it involves a long-term approach. Even though binge drinking does not necessarily mean that you will become an alcoholic, there is always that chance. Binge drinking should still be taken seriously as one time can bring deadly results.
Located in downtown Midland, The Springboard Center’s mission is to offer programs and services to treat alcohol and drug addiction treatment using an evidence based curriculum, 12 step programs, diet, nutrition, exercise, emotional, mental and spiritual development for a long recovery. For more information, please call us at 432-620-0255 as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
