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Jan 2016The Thin Line Between Drinking & Binge Drinking
Posted by Drink Responsibly / in Binge Drinking / No comments yet
Have you ever gone to a party and told yourself that you won’t drink much but ended up doing completely the opposite? Well, fret not as this is a more common occurrence than you think. As it turns out, the line between drinking and binge drinking is too thin.
For those who aren’t familiar with binge drinking, it denotes the phenomenon of getting heavily intoxicated in a small amount of time by drinking heavily as if there’s no tomorrow.
Peer Pressure
When one talks about the reasons how a normal get together turns into a binge drinking fiasco, peer pressure occupies the top most position. Just image – you’re a group of 5-6 friends who are hanging out at a local pub or bar. And each friend forces you to take at least one shot with him/her. Do the math! It doesn’t take much for one to go the full way.
All it takes is a push, a trigger per se.
Its All In The Will Power
Even though the lines between drinking and binge drinking are too thin, still with a semblance of will power one can avoid such situations by hook or by crook. Sometimes, saying ‘No’ is not as bad as people think it is. Ergo, your will power will define things for you.
More often than not, people budge in front of their closest mates. And reasons don’t come too hard to find! It could be as small as ‘I can’t let my friend drink alone’ to as big as ‘this is my last shot with my friend who is moving to the states the next day’. In any case, the reasons don’t matter, do they?
Effects Of Binge Drinking
It should come as no surprise that binge drinking is a cardinal sin. You’re putting your own and the life of others at risk in a way as you are intoxicated on such high levels. You’re out of control simply! Period!
Vomiting, brain damage, anxiety and depression, alcohol poisoning, and memory loss – such are the effects of binge drinking.
How To Avoid Binge Drinking When You’re Drinking Socially
- Be resilient enough to know when you’re done
- Predefine the amount of drinks that you will have today
- Possess the strength to stop yourself after that threshold
- If you don’t want to act like a party pooper, you can imitate drinking by holding a coloured mocktail which is non-alcoholic.
- Don’t drink at all if you’re questioning your mental strength and will power
- Stay close to your sober friends who don’t intend to drink as company matters a lot
- Fight against peer pressure
We sincerely hope that no one crosses the ever so thin line between drinking and binge drinking. There are other more responsible ways to have fun as well. Good luck!