Binge drinking

What is Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is different from the characteristics of alcohol use disorder, as people who binge drink may not drink alcohol every day, or even every week as someone battling alcoholism will do. Binge drinking most commonly affects people between the ages of 18 to 35, but can be seen in younger and older demographics. 

For it to be classified as binge drinking, it is not about how often the individual drinks, it is about heavy drinking in a short period of time. As per CDC studies, on average, one in six people who binge drink will only drink around four times a month.

If someone is struggling with alcohol consumption, it is important to know whether drinking alcohol is turning into an addiction. It is also vital that the dangers and effects of binge drinking are understood.

Signs of binge drinking:

• Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels rise to the legal limit of .08 in a short space of time.
• For men: Five drinks are consumed in under two hours.
• For women: Four drinks are consumed in under two hours.

Negative Health Effects of Binge Drinking

Alcohol consumption will always have a negative effect on health, but consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short space of time puts a far higher toll on one’s health. 

Adverse affects from binge drinking are:

• Severely impaired judgment, putting the drinker at risk of engaging in risky behavior and DUIs.
• Judgment, coordination, and motor skills are impaired, leading to falls and injuries.
• Increased higher risk of alcohol poisoning, which kills six people a day in the United States.
• Much higher risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, miscarriage, and stillbirths.
• Higher risk for high blood pressure, liver disease, and heart disease.
• Higher risk for developing cancers of the mouth, throat, liver, esophagus, breast, and colon.
• Easily slips in alcoholism and alcohol use disorders.

Facts About Binge Drinking

Binge drinking may erroneously be seen as less dangerous than full-blown alcoholism. This is a common and dangerous misconception based on the fallacy of how often one’s drinking sessions are. It is important to understand binge drinking can be just as dangerous and difficult to control. 

Anyone can binge drink

Although binge drinking is more commonly seen in the 18-35 age group, anyone can do it. It may be more frequently seen in young people and college students, but it can and does affect anyone. 

Although in the past, American adults who binge drink were usually male, there has been a recent increase in the number of women who admit to binge drinking. 

Binge drinking affects the economy

Aside from the burden on the healthcare system due to alcohol poisoning, alcohol-related injuries, accidents, and illnesses, binge drinking also impacts the criminal justice system and employers. 

A study published by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2010 showed that binge drinking cost the United States a staggering $249 billion a year. This is equal to about $2 for every drink consumed in the United States per year. 

Binge drinking is different to alcohol use disorder

Many people binge drink from time to time but do not suffer from alcohol use disorder. However, someone struggling with alcohol use will eventually exhibit behavioral patterns that will indicate an addiction. 

A person who binge drinks that has alcohol use disorder will not have control over how much they drink. Once they start drinking, they will be unable to stop. This often leads to alcohol poisoning. 

Other people who are not alcoholics may go for long periods of time without drinking but may binge drink occasionally. Although these people do not have an alcohol addiction yet, they are at an increased risk of developing one. 

Binge Drinking Prevention

The ideal way to decrease the risk of becoming addicted to alcohol is to abstain from drinking altogether. However, if one must drink, their goal should be moderation. 

If a person is going to drink alcohol, they should limit intake to one drink per day for women, and two a day for men. Individuals with a history of binge drinking should avoid alcohol consumption entirely. 

Get Treatment for Alcohol Abuse

If you are worried that you or a loved one is binge drinking, or already seems addicted to alcohol, learn more about the warning signs of alcohol addiction. 

It is never too late to get help for alcoholism. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help you. Our treatment navigators are able to guide you on the best course of recovery and to receive treatment for all stages of alcohol use disorder. 

Related Information:

Alcohol Detox

Alcohol Rehab

Co-Occurring Disorders

The article is from an addiction and alcohol treatment center website

First podcast on kindness to a stranger

I am still learning new things about the internet and its possibilities.. I`m talking english, so forgive me if the grammar could be better, and the nervousness, but I think the point is made, and that you`ll get an idea of what the podcast is about. I`ve finally sat down to look at podcasts, and have hopefully learnt enough to upload and publish my first one

Follow this link for the podcast

Acts of kindness

If you`d like to be interviewed about kindness, contact me at forfreepsychology@gmail.com with a request. After a while, I will try to pay the people I interview, but for now, the rewards will be psychological in nature. If you like the idea, remember you can donate to the cause (the money will never be used by me personally).

Depression and learning disabilities: Will you ever read anything like it?

“Stories are the foundation of identity. We forge meaning and build identity.”

Andrew Solomon

I am moving my eyes back and forth as I chase the words of enlightenment in Solomon`s book. Sometimes I glance up, look out the window and stare at moving cars or people. I let my feelings, awakened from a line beautifully crafted, circulate inside. I let the meaning of it touch me, and let the aftershock of new insights and hope explode. I want to inspire. I want to live.

The power of books, and the people writing them, can never be unappreciated. Instead of learning every lesson ourselves, we can let other words touch us by reading and listening to other`s experiences. The last week, I have either let my eyes rest on «The Noonday demon» or listened to “Far From the Tree “. Andrew`s two books feed you with experiences and knowledge from the first to the last page. The first digs deep into Andrew`s personal depressive demons, the other explores learning disabilities and challenging diagnoses like autism, schizophrenia and down`s syndrome.

Both books have a plethora of examples fitting the themes like a glove. They both blow life into theory, by letting us feel the people`s pain so we can also feel it. As psychological theories shows, you learn more when emotional. Another thing I like, is that my eyes never bumped into walls of bad writing, you simply float from page to page, only irritated by lack of time to devour everything at the same time (I have wished many times that I`d taken more time to learn to read faster, like I tried for a while).  

In addition to relevant stories from people with different types of problems, he writes about the newest research and even test many of the methods himself. He is not afraid of testing even alternative approaches that hasn`t been researched much. This is done in a balanced way since he manages natural skepticism blended with openness for new experiences at the same time (he liked EMDR).

I`m not sure how much time he`s used on the books, but I do know he`s been travelling all around the world (Bali, Africa, Europe and of course many states in USA) and investigated both medical and theoretical theories by reading and talking with professionals with diverse thoughts. He even tried to talk with America politicians (who sadly had their hand tied). It is clear he has taken the time necessary to write the book, even if he had to stop writing when Mr. depression knocked on the door.

Far From The Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity by Solomon, Andrew (Feb 7, 2013)

Another positive feature of the book, is the compassion towards people with a variety of conditions most of us would automatically turn our backs too. He is honest while describing his thoughts and experiences, and doesn`t try to walk on the water with the work he`s done. He has a down to earth attitude, also when it comes to the description of own shortcomings. He writes he can feel self-absorbed at times, and tries to look own motives in the eye if they walk next to him. Acceptance is mixed with curiosity, and the end-product is two of the best books I`ve read this year. He talks about the magnificent courage of the interviewees, but seldom points to his own. If he mentions it, he talks about how he should have written more.

I must not forget to mention how much knowledge he has managed to fit in between the stories of people who fight every day. He is capable of doing this in a very readable way. The emotions awakened after stories, make it easier to remember the facts.

He presents a cocktail of different treatment options, and is not judgmental if others chooses something different than himself. Once in the book he states that people can use the strategy they want, as long as it helps. This shows more than anything, that he writes (among other reasons) to help others who suffer.

What touches me the most is his own insight about why he writes; Because it gives hope. He chose the stories of people who impressed him, which doesn`t mean that you won`t see the dark sides of depression or learning disabilities, because you will. It just means that he again uses his ability to balance different views with grace and style. In my opinion, if others find it too positive, this is one of the books qualities. We learn better if we realize that we can do something about it. That`s why they have anti-smoking advice on the cigarette packages. You can`t jump into the water if you don`t know how to swim. I could have written much more, but I`d rather just recommend it, and hope that people with interest in psychology and especially in depression or learning disabilities, will run to the next shop (or amazon internet store) and start their own trip to wonderland. 

• Author of The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, winner of the 2001 National Book Award. http://www.farfromthetree.com/

  buy the book here: Far From The Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity by Solomon, Andrew (Feb 7, 2013)

  Andrew Solomon Supports Teen Writing Contest About Ment

  Andrew Solomon | TED Blog

  other blog entries:

  • The kind cat jumps out of its sack 
  • Looking for a writer

  Donation

  Scenes from the Empty Classroom

Abundance

I`ve thought for a long time that I must write about an audiobook I listened to a while ago. It made me optimistic and happy, and when I stumbled upon a news article on the future we face, I thought about it again. I`ve also read a lot of “inferno” which focus on the same thing: What happens when we become so many humans, that it threatens us all? Abundance takes this challenge, but without scaring us so much that we feel helpless. Quite the opposite; After reading it I thought there is hope, we just have to put our best minds together and work for the future we want.

Abundance helps us understand that we are not entering a “post-scarcity” world, but rather an abundance world. Scarcities and competitions will persist at the leading edge of civilization, and the winners will profit more than everyone else. But at the same time, our accelerating technologies are creating vast new abundance in living standards, and so much capability to take care of our environment, that the scarcities of today will be distant memories just a few generations from now. As long as we rise to the challenges.

Peter Diamandis, Founder and Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation, Co-Founder and Chairman of Singularity University, and pioneer of the personal spaceflight industry, is eminently qualified to write this book. He is both a visionary and an accomplished entrepreneur, with a passion for new horizons, and a deep ethical interest in global development. His practical, results-oriented perspective permeates the book, and frankly, it jumps right into the reader’s psyche long before the end. His co-author, Steven Kotler, is a writer of vast experience, and it shows.

Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis  and Steven Kotler.

http://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikker/Vi-blir-altfor-mange-mennesker-7491329.html

Thanks for the wisdom, Edison!

Gotta remember what ‘true’ doctors do. Be well, everyone… Eat right, rest well, hydrate, keep movin’ and stay happy!

Pretending to be happy

I wanted to share finding my inner courage`s latest post, since I find her incredibly brave in what she does. Living in excruciating pain is more than anyone can imagine, but still, she goes through it. The strength it takes to smile when all you want to do is cry out in agony, is immense. I send my best wishes, and cross my fingers for more pain-free moments in the future. You are a star.

Nina, psychologist

Pretending To Be Happy

15TuesdayOct 2013

Posted by findingmyinnercourage in BLOGS

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

beneficial,circumstance,determinant, emotional,happy, infectious,negativity, Pain, person,physical, positivity,pretending, strong,wound

Determinant of the circumstance, a lot of times it is heavily beneficial for me to keep a smile on my face, even though the emotional or physical pain that I am experiencing is weighing me down.

It takes more strength to be able to keep a smile on my face and to keep moving forward towards my goals, than it does to let a serious emotional or physical wound affect me, but what would life be without its challenges? Whether I choose to believe it or not staying positive and keeping a smile on my face is infectious, my positivity will infect everyone around me as will my negativity.

I must choose at times of extreme pain to be strong and make sure no one sees my pain!

Pretending to be happy when you’re in pain is just an example of how strong you are as a person. 

 

Related articles

• Pain as a Gift (candacethoth.com)
• Pretending To Be Happy (findingmyinnercourage.wordpress.com)
• Why is Pain so Painful? 9/27 (mbachdevil.wordpress.com)

Schizophrenia and Poverty, Crime and Violence

EXPLORINGtheLATERAL

Schizophrenia and Poverty, Crime and Violence

For people who have schizophrenia, and don’t get treatment, the result is far too often that they end up homeless or in jail (most often due to minor offenses). Approximately 200,000 individuals with schizophrenia or manic-depressive (bipolar disorder) illness are homeless, constituting one-third of the approximately 600,000 homeless population (total homeless population statistic based on data from Department of Health and Human Services). These 200,000 individuals comprise more than the entire population of many U.S. cities, such as Hartford, Connecticut; Charleston, South Carolina; Reno, Nevada; Boise, Idaho; Scottsdale, Arizona; Orlando, Florida; Winston Salem, North Carolina; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Abilene, Texas or Topeka, Kansas. At any given time, there are more people with untreated severe psychiatric illnesses living on America’s streets than are receiving care in hospitals. Approximately 90,000 individuals with schizophrenia or manic-depressive illness are in hospitals receiving treatment for their disease. Source: Treatment…

View original post 110 more words

Are you affected? I sure hope so

  Psychology – A class divided

Elliott divided her class by eye color — those with blue eyes and those with brown. On the first day, the blue-eyed children were told they were smarter, nicer, neater, and better than those with brown eyes.

Throughout the day, Elliott praised them and allowed them privileges such as a taking a longer recess and being first in the lunch line. In contrast, the brown-eyed children had to wear collars around their necks and their behavior and performance were criticized and ridiculed by Elliott.

On the second day, the roles were reversed and the blue-eyed children were made to feel inferior while the brown eyes were designated the dominant group. What happened over the course of the unique two-day exercise astonished both students and teacher.

On both days, children who were designated as inferior took on the look and behavior of genuinely inferior students, performing poorly on tests and other work.

Like many readers already know: I am an incurable softy. I get touched by everything beautiful, especially people`s courage, personalities and thoughts. I must confess that this documentary awoke a mix of different feelings: Sadness for the wrongs we`ve done, but also hope for the future and love towards humanity. It also excited some thoughts: What if we could teach children by asking the right questions without feeding them our own pre-made solutions?  Do we learn teachers how to teach, what to focus on and how to take care of our future at all? Because, our children are the future, and I really hope they will do better than we did.

I`d rather know this before I have my own children; I want to know that the world can be better, before I let them run around in it. Peril will be everywhere, of course, but as long as there`s hope, I`m willing to take a chance. I want to protect them from landmines around the next corner. 

My eyes are still filled with tears, touched by the courageous woman who wanted to show her class what racism is by making them really understand it. My first sceptical «be-carefulness», was convinced by her gentle voice that soothed both the children in the “experiment” and me.

Thank you, brave woman. Thank you for not closing your eyes.

I embed hope in my touched tears, and know they won`t be shed for nothing.

Love, Nina. Clinical psychologist

The documentary

The horrible part was not that one was forced to join in: But that it was impossible not to.

G. Orwell: 1984

76 CommentsOctober 5 – World Teachers’ Day (teacherinsights.wordpress.com)
Socializing Race (warwithinmorris.wordpress.com)
You have something in your eye. (purpleturd.wordpress.com)
Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes (chewingmyfruit.wordpress.com)

Project: Kindness to a stranger

 

Designing Research

Research

Almost all the time when we tune into research being performed about genetics, there is a connection to some type of illness or defect – be it physical or mental. Don’t get me wrong! This stuff is very important and we have good reason to be studying these types of things – learning about genetic tendencies and how types of genes are now being linked to deformities is nothing less than fascinating and bound to help many people in the future.

But one of the things I don’t see much about is the connection of positive attributes or positive qualities being studied with regard to genetics. Here’s an example of where I’m going with this.

When I was in my mid to late teens, whenever anyone called our house, everyone had a really difficult time determining whether it was my mother or me or even my sisters who answered the phone. And when I say ‘everyone’ had a tough time with it, I mean everyone, even my aunts and grandparents. Nobody was able to tell us apart when we spoke. That was because of how similar all our voices sounded.

Goldie

And since my mother came from a family of singers, we sounded similar when we sang too. And, oh yeah, we all could sing – without lessons or without training. I believe we ‘inherited’ the singing gene.

I think it would make for some interesting findings if researchers could study families (we already established that large groups like large families make for great subjects,) they would learn about how positive and healthy traits are transmitted genetically too.

Yogart and Long Life

Like – what genes are involved in families who have healthy metabolisms, or in people who come from families where lots of family members live into the late 90s or 100s? (Remember the old commercial for Dannon Yogurt where they went to the mountains in Asia somewhere to find healthy older people?)

I would love to hear about these studies too.

Maybe we should get input from each other as to the types of things we would like to see researched. Is there anything in particular you can think of (be creative) that would make for fascinating research?

Add your voice here and let’s see what we come up with.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Judy is a licensed clinical social worker and has worked extensively as a counselor with children, adolescents, couples and families. Judy’s professional experience in the mental health field along with her love of writing, provide insight into real-life experiences and relationships. Her fresh voice and down-to-earth approach to living a happier, more meaningful life are easy to understand and just as easy to start implementing right away for positive results!

How Buddhist Rituals Helped My OCD

Our society likes to portray obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as a cute quirk, a goofy, if irritating, eccentricity. It is not. For the person undergoing OCD experience, it is a form of mental terrorism.

This terrorism takes the form of what psychologists call ‘intrusive thoughts’ — unwanted, painful thoughts or images that invade one’s consciousness, triggering profound fear and anxiety. This is the ‘obsessive’ part of OCD, and it can arise in even the most mundane circumstances. Sitting here typing, for example, I sometimes feel modest pain in my fingers, and my mind kicks into gear: You’re typing too much and causing permanent damage to your hands. Feel those little irritations at the second knuckle of your left ring finger? Those are the harbingers of arthritis. This is how it starts.

read the rest of the article by Matt Bieber here at Aeon.

Related articles

• Misconceptions about OCD. (citrushorizonblog.wordpress.com)
• Obsessively, compulsively, unusual (thehindu.com)
• Learning to fall apart (aeonmagazine.com)
• OCD and Me (embracingnormal.com)