Doreen McGettigan

For the month of April I am participating in the annual A-Z Blogging Challenge. The Challenge was started by author/blogger, Arlee Byrd. http://tossingitout.blogspot.com

Each day of the month (except Sundays) we will post something based on that days correlating letter. Some of us chose a theme and others are winging it. My theme is the A-to-Z’s of Mental Health, Raising Awareness. It is a topic that is very close to my heart. I hope you find the posts interesting and you will comment and share the posts everywhere. To see a list of all of the participants or for more information-click on the badge over there to the right>

Today’s letter is the Letter Y

Young Binge Drinkers and Mental Health

Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood/alcohol concentration up to high levels, quickly. For men it would take five-drinks in a two-hour period and for women it would be four-drinks per two-hour period.

Binge drinking is common among the eighteen- thirty-four-year-old – age group. In fact ninety-percent of drinking in this age group is done in the form of binging.

Young drinkers may be the most common binge drinkers but those over sixty-five years of age binge drink more often usually five or six times a month.

This type of drinking is also much more prevalent among households that earn more than seventy-five-thousand-dollars a year and men are two-times more likely to binge drink than woman.

Excessive alcohol use can cause all sorts of medical problems including but not limited to liver cirrhosis, cancer, cardio vascular disease, gout, pancreatitis, nerve damage, infectious diseases and more.

Having one drink may give you a relaxed feeling due to the chemical changes the alcohol causes in the brain. It can relieve anxiety. If you continue to drink a negative emotional response can occur. You can become angry, anxious and or depressed.

It can also complicate mental health disorders. Alcohol use has been linked to depression, self harm, suicide and psychosis. It can be extremely difficult to diagnose psychiatric disorders when alcoholism and mental health disorders co-exist. In fact people that have a mental health issue and use alcohol excessively are at great risk of suicide.

Someone who is taking anti-depressants, anti-psychotic or anxiety reducing medication should NEVER binge drink. It can be fatal.

Occasional binge drinking is not going to cause a mental health disorder. Excessive binge drinking can cause mental health problems, physical problems and medical problems.

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