Binge drinking can kill you. I know, as it killed someone I loved. I quit before it killed me.
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NIAAA (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) defines binge drinking as:
“A pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 4 or more drinks (female) or 5 or more drinks (male) in 2 hours.”
Is this possible? Who drinks that much alcohol in 2 hours?
I did but only on occasion.
As a woman who once was a binge drinker (or binger) as I call myself, it was easy to convince myself I had no problem. My drinking wasn’t daily. Most times I drank “normally.”
The binge would creep in, unexpected, unplanned, with a fierce force attempting to sabotage my life.
That’s why the pattern is so insidious, hard to nail, and hard to admit it was time to stop.
I would replay in my mind over and over and over after a binge, with what I remembered anyway, some of these questions:
How much did I drink?
Did I hurt anyone’s feelings?
Did I do anything insulting or dangerous?
I’d call my friends so they would validate me. “It wasn’t that bad. I had my shit together. I have a low tolerance. I don’t do that all the time. Don’t worry so much Colleen.” These words kept me stuck but it was what I wanted to hear so my friends came through.
I wasn’t ready to face or accept the problem. Until I was forced to finally face it.
In my last binge episode, I drove home. Appalled the next day, so very grateful I didn’t kill or hurt anyone and made it home, hungover, tired of this cycle, giving thanks to my guardian angel once again; in that moment I decided alcohol was not my friend. It was time to quit. I was ready.
This last day became my “why.”
I was not proud of myself that evening, or the next morning, or the next week, or the next month, or…
But I am proud of myself now.
This event was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
It was my catalyst for change and personal growth. My catalyst in helping others change.
Binge drinking is not a joke. Here are 10 reasons why:
- Injuries/car crashes/deaths
- Not prepared to get home
- Ending up in a compromising situation
- Falls – I fell from a staircase at a party, nearly bleeding to death internally.
- Medication interactions
- Alcohol Overdoses or Suicides
- Committing or being a victim of violence
- Engaging in unsafe sexual behavior
- Missing Commitments
- Blackouts – lost memories – waking up not knowing who you’re with or how you got there.
- Hangovers – Physically and Emotionally
It took me a LONG time to admit I had a problem and seek help.
I wish I had done it sooner.
I understand the reasons why change is hard and may even seem impossible. If it were easy, there’d be no growth. Struggle=lessons. We don’t learn anything if it’s an easy lesson.
There is so much freedom on the other side of drinking that is worth chasing.
Instead of chasing the lies that alcohol offers us, change your chase.
Chase freedom.
I was lucky.
Rock bottom never happened to me.
It did happen to someone I loved though.
They aren’t on this earth anymore to ask for help. Don’t let that be you too.
