The good news is that binge drinking can be prevented by adjusting your habits and being more intentional when you pour yourself a drink. When you feel isolated or lack direction and purpose, it’s common to turn to alcohol and other drugs to fill that void. For example, you might feel tempted to recline on your couch, drink beer, and watch television simply to kill the hours spent alone.

The above definitions are limited in that they do not take into account the time period over which the drinking occurs or the body mass of the person drinking. A person could be defined as a binge drinker even if he or she never becomes intoxicated. The term, however, has succeeded in drawing public awareness to the problem of excess drinking.[citation https://www.excel-medical.com/5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-living-house/ needed]. Now that you know the official definitions of binge drinking and alcoholism, let’s take a look at what makes them different from each other. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), binge drinking happens when men have 5 or more drinks or women have 4 or more drinks in a 2-hour period.

Liver Damage

However, the binge drinker tends to have a short period in which they consume most of their alcohol. They can take weeks or even months to sober up before completing a binge session again. Experts typically define binge drinking by the number of standard drinks you consume in a single period of 2 hours or less. Your age and the sex you were assigned at birth determine your threshold.

So, although there are similarities, alcohol use disorder should be approached with a specific treatment plan that includes rehabilitation, care from addiction specialists and self-help programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. Each year, thousands of college students end up in the emergency room because of alcohol poisoning. This is when heavy alcohol use affects the central nervous system, slowing breathing and heart rate. This increases the risk of choking on vomit if the drinker passes out from too much drinking. If a person who has been drinking a lot is confused, vomits, has a seizure, has pale skin, or passes out, it may be a sign of alcohol poisoning. The side effects of binge drinking generally depend on the amount you drink, how quickly you drink, weight, gender, other drugs involved and medical history.

Binge Drinking Statistics & Long-Term Side Effects

When an individual begins to recognize the signs of addiction and have realized their alcohol use is no longer out of control, it is time to get treatment. Alcohol is one of the most commonly used substance by adolescents under the age of 18. Drinking at a younger age drastically increases the likelihood of developing alcoholism or other addictive traits later on in life.

Regardless, binge drinking can have negative consequences like alcohol poisoning and engaging in risky behaviors. Both terms are often used interchangeably, describing two different drinking behaviors. It’s essential to know the difference between them to identify the severity of alcohol misuse in an individual. We explore the difference between binge drinking and alcoholism, including causes, symptoms, and long-term effects. On college campuses across the U.S., many students ages 18 to 24 are taking part in a dangerous activity called binge drinking. This amount of drinking produces blood alcohol levels far above the legal driving limit of 0.08%.