Talking to Your College Student About Alcohol

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Alcohol abuse is a serious issue in the young people of today, especially for those in a college atmosphere and environment. Many people do not understand the risks of binge drinking as opposed to moderate use, and this can be a deadly mistake. Alcohol poisoning is a risk of binge drinking or alcoholism. However, to understand the risks, you must understand what binge drinking is. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans says that 2 drinks a day is moderate drinking, while binge drinking is consuming 4 – 5 drinks in a 2 hour or less period. Alcoholism can cause serious issues, and is a disease and addiction.    

Some of the health issues that excessive drinking can cause are alcohol poisoning, unintentional injuries, addiction, high blood pressure, stroke, heart diseases, neurological damage, and sexual dysfunction. Alcohol causes an unnecessary amount of car crashes and fatal accidents. Binge drinking is risky behavior that needs to stop, and the people of today need to be educated in the effects of such a dangerous habit.

In addition, high alcohol tolerance is not a strength or show of masculinity. Tolerance to alcohol increases risk of death on many levels and is life-threatening. You lose the ability to know when you have dangerous levels of alcohol in your blood when. In this case, risk of alcohol poisoning is drastically increased because you can’t tell when enough is enough. In addition, your desire to drink will increase, but the effect of alcohol on your system will decrease.

The blackouts sometimes experienced are very risky. Alcohol blackouts are when you have amnesia, but you remain conscious and active. You may seem semi-aware and active, but you are at a much bigger danger of physical assault, sexual assault, or accidents like car crashes. Alcohol can also cause mental disorders like anxiety, depression, aggression, and eating disorders. Drinking affects your mood, and quitting can raise your mood to much healthier, stable levels. It is equally important to evaluate how you became addicted, as some people use alcohol to cope with other issues they’d rather not deal with.

Heavy drinking usually leads to alcoholism and substance abuse. Even if you do not have the genetic disposition towards alcoholism, you are at a much higher risk of addiction if you binge drink or consume a large amount of alcohol daily. If you feel that you have negative coping skills and have substance abuse patterns, you should probably seek treatment in a professional facility where trained professionals can customize your recovery process.

Don’t allow social media to normalize heavy drinking and alcoholism for your loved one. If you are addicted or fear addiction, LEAD Recovery Center can help. The recovery facility provides a safe, healthy environment for your healing process. The trained professionals can help you decide on what treatment options will be best for you, and your recovery is the top priority. Call (800) 380-0012 for more information.