An Attempted Explanation of Why People Binge Drink

Binge drinking is something that many people have done at some point in their life. If you’re not a regular drinker, you may be wondering, “Why do people binge drink”? and the answers vary. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states binge drinking is when a person’s BAC (blood alcohol content) reaches .08 percent or above. In many cases, this can happen because a person was having a fun night, but it may be a problem. Beaches Recovery can guide you through what’s involved in binge drinking and getting the necessary substance abuse treatment.

Why Do People Binge Drink Socially?

The CDC states that getting one’s BAC to .08 is about five drinks for men and four women. This can happen in any number of situations, and it’s very common among young people. Young people are typically the ones who binge drink, but people of all ages may do it. When going out on the weekend with friends, after work, or to a party, many binge drink.

Also, the likelihood of binge drinking rises when individuals gather for events. For example, many sports fans will binge drink on a game day. When binge drinking becomes the default way an individual interacts with alcohol, they are in danger of developing an alcohol use disorder.

Why Do People Binge Drink When They Know It’s a Problem?

There comes a point when binge drinking becomes a problem, making one wonder why they do it. This is when friends and family start to ask, “Why do people binge drink?” There comes a point for many people when they cross an invisible line, and it’s a problem. The issue is that many people will justify or rationalize his or her drinking. It’s very easy and common for individuals to brush off binge drinking as a one-time thing or simply as a lapse of judgment. Yet, when binging becomes how an individual drinks, they are abusing alcohol and closer to developing a dependency or addiction.

Once the person crosses that line, they are no longer drinking to have fun, but they need to. This can be a sign of a mental or physical dependency in which a person needs rehab for alcohol addiction. The mind tells the person that they need to drink to deal with life’s daily stresses. Some people have a physical need to drink, or they may experience symptoms of withdrawal.

Symptoms of alcohol withdrawal can include:

• Anxiety
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Body tremors
• Hallucinations

This is why it is so important to undergo a medically supervised detox. In this way, individuals can begin treatment in a safe, secure environment.

Why Do People Binge Drink After Detox?

There’s a misconception that simply losing the physical dependence is enough for a person to stay sober. The reality is that it takes alcohol recovery center programs to learn how to stay sober. Although the physical dependency to alcohol may leave, the person doesn’t know how to live life. Once the physical dependency leaves, the person still must face life’s challenges.

Addiction treatment is about people learning how to deal with thoughts, emotions, stresses without alcohol. Without this type of knowledge and tools, many people will go back to binge drinking. Drinking is only a symptom of the problem when it comes to a person’s alcoholism. Learning how to deal with life, friends, family, work, and other situations is how one recovers.

Allow Beaches Recovery to assist you on your path to recovery at our 30-bed facility in Jacksonville, Florida. We have a partnership with a local detox to help you have a safe and comfortable detox process. Once detox is over, we will assist you in learning a new way to live with our addiction treatment program. Give us a call at 866.605.0532. We want to help you stop drinking for good.