Partying and binge drinking in college and the young adult world are known as milestones students should experience at some point in their lives. Across our country, campuses have had more students who are experiencing alcohol problems and alcohol related injuries thanks easily accessible bars and the pressure of the Greek system. Weekly drink specials, harsh hazing, and mandatory exchanges that are centered around downing drinks to get tipsy are considered a social standard to conform to.
In fact, a national survey found that almost sixty percent of college students ages drank alcohol in the past month, and almost two thirds of those students engaged in binge drinking during that same time. Many of us know someone who talked about their drunk night out not remembering anything. Personally, it’s disturbing to hear those stories while wondering what could have happened to your friend had she not somehow stumbled home back to safety. Especially in an open campus, being a girl who puts herself in that kind of situation is so stressful and difficult to get out of. Aside from risking your safety, that risky lifestyle is extremely harmful and can cause lasting problems to your health. While you can think that telling yourself to be more responsible will be enough, the truth is that we can still get tempted and maintaining self-discipline is hard to do. Ultimately, we need to be educated about alcohol’s effects and seek treatment if addiction is present.
Short Term Problems
After drinking a large amount of alcohol from mixed drinks or straight shots, people can experience a variety of debilitating symptoms. These include intense drowsiness, slurred speech, delayed motor actions, very painful headaches, vomiting, blacking out, vastly impaired hearing, vision, and judgement that can lead them to make bad decisions. This can also increase the risk of hazardous activities like being caught in deadly car crashes, getting behind the wheel to do drunk driving, falling victim to sexual or physical assaults, and experience other injuries as well. What’s more, a person who keeps up this level of drinking can eventually develop a tolerance to get the same “high” as before. This means that what used to be a few drinks to get drunk can turn into five to ten drinks in one night as the body gets more used to consuming the substance over time.
Long-Term Problems
It’s no joke that alcohol abuse leads to serious long term effects on a person’s mind and body. Besides severe withdrawal symptoms, they may also develop memory loss and lose concentration on tasks throughout the day. They could also develop anxiety and depression, increase risk of cancer in the colon, liver, throat, breast, etc., high blood pressure, and a damaged digestive system. A study about alcohol’s long term consequences also showed a link to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, where the heart can’t effectively pump blood through the circulatory system and arteries. It depicts a striking statistic that the number of people in three years who developed heart failure, heart attack, or a condition of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, were three times more likely in their risk if they drank a lot of alcohol in the past. It’s in your favor to steer clear of this substance!
Overcoming Your Addiction
While forming a plan to recover by yourself may seem more convenient, it’s more helpful to see a doctor who can create an action plan for their own schedule. Pay attention to serving size as well, since different glasses hold higher contents of alcohol. If you or someone you know has a habit of abuse, a great place for them check out or be referred to is Elevate Rehab. Elevate Rehab is an acclaimed rehabilitation center based in California that has understanding professionals who know how to treat young adults with addiction. Restart your lifestyle and put your health first for the sake of your future.
