Plus, the physical and mental effects of binge drinking are just as dangerous as any other type of unhealthy drinking behavior even if you don’t consume alcohol on a daily basis. To avoid binge drinking, consider setting a maximum number of drinks for yourself and having someone hold you accountable. If you find yourself continuously passing your limit, you may want to explore tools like medication to stop drinking, or personalized alcohol therapy.

Consider professional support

• Getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet are also great ways to help manage whatever is triggering alcohol-related chest pain—including underlying heart conditions, says Dr. Otulana.
• This is enough to raise your blood alcohol level to .08, which would result in impaired driving.
• Theories suggest that for certain people drinking has a different and stronger impact that can lead to alcohol use disorder.
• Call or text a friend and have your goals handy to remind yourself why you’ve dropped drinking.

You also can’t be expected to constantly monitor their decisions. Your role is simply to remind them of commitments they made and offer small nudges in the right direction. For example, they might decide to stick to one drink per occasion or no more than three drinks per week.

Our free addiction assessment

Perhaps you’re worried that they’ll think less of you if you don’t drink more. Keep in mind that people who really care about you will accept your decision. Consider avoiding people who pressure you as well as people who tend to binge drink. You might also worry about whether alcohol is causing permanent damage to your brain or heart health. If your excessive alcohol use is a recurring issue, you might admonish yourself for your poor self-control or even develop a sense of self-loathing.

• The rest is excreted through the lungs, kidneys, or in sweat.
• Excessive alcohol consumption is tied to the development of alcohol-related diseases, which can be fatal.
• Alcohol use can have life-long effects on developing brains and bodies.
• No matter your situation, Dr. Das emphasizes the power of enlisting help as you embark on a life sans booze.
• And if you’re worried about yourself or a loved one’s relationship with alcohol, the NIAAA’s treatment navigator can help you find treatment programs in your area and answer questions about insurance and costs.
• Alcohol consumption and some indicators of binge drinking have been on the rise in recent years, particularly among some demographic groups.
• Other factors also affect your BAC, such as how quickly you drink, whether you’ve eaten recently, and your body type.

Supported living

• Some research even shows that the habit is increasing among older adults.
• Say you don’t have any cravings when you go without drinking.
• Because denial is common, you may feel like you don’t have a problem with drinking.
• It might feel different at first, but a weekend with less alcohol has many benefits.
• Our next tip is an example of an achievable and attainable goal you can set to break free of binge drinking patterns.
• Even though binge drinking can be a single event, it could still have severe health consequences (e.g., alcohol poisoning, STIs, heart disease) in the short and long term.

And a more recent 2021 study showed that binge drinkers are more likely to also abuse other substances, such as the misuse of prescription drugs. Heavy drinking is believed to cost the U.S. economy more than $200 billion a year in lost productivity, health costs, and property damage. Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. If you feel comfortable doing so, discuss your challenges with your primary healthcare professional.

If no one’s pressuring you, but you still feel a desire to fit in, have a non-alcoholic beverage. Simply having a drink to sip on might make you feel more at ease. This strategy can also come in handy if you’re with a group of friends who want to play drinking games. In some cases, the people around you might continue to pressure you to drink.

Explore statistics on alcohol-related deaths and emergency visits in the United States. Dr. Anand stresses the importance of drinking in moderation, if at all. There’s also more of an effect on your brain and its development if you’re younger — one that can have a lasting impact.

Talk with a healthcare professional if you’re concerned you may experience detox symptoms when quitting drinking or cutting back. Alcohol abuse can affect brain structure development, so people who start binge drinking as teens or young adults may how to stop binge drinking experience issues with learning and concentrating. Binge drinking is when someone drinks a large quantity of alcohol in a short amount of time. Many experts define it as drinking enough alcohol during a 2-hour period to bring the BAC to 0.08%.

If you drink more alcohol than what your liver can process, your blood alcohol content (BAC) will increase. Binge drinking entails having four or more drinks in two hours for women and five or more drinks for men. About 25.8% of people 18 or older binge drank in 2019, and 14.5 million adults have an alcohol use disorder. People with alcohol use disorder frequently binge drink, but they do this on a more regular basis than people who engage in single episodes of binge drinking. Drinking alcohol three days in a row is not good for you, but it’s not necessarily considered binge drinking either. Whether it’s considered binge drinking will depend on how much alcohol you consume each day and over a week or month.