How to seek help for binge drinking

A binge drinker may not display signs of having issues with alcohol.

Binge drinking is the consumption of a large amount of alcohol over a short period of time, with the aim of intoxication. The UK has a particularly high rate of binge drinking. While there is no agreed definition of how many drinks equates to a binge, according to the NHS, eight drinks in one session for a man, and six for a woman, constitutes a binge. The questions of whether a binge drinker and an alcoholic is the same thing remains a contested issue. Naturally not all alcoholics are binge drinkers, but a binge drinker may be an alcoholic.

Things You'll Need

• Telephone

Instructions

1. 

   Your doctor can refer you for specialist help.

   Make an appointment with your doctor and explain how you are feeling and the effect binge drinking is having on your health and well-being. Your doctor will ask you a number of questions; be honest about how much alcohol you are drinking. Your doctor will refer you to a specialist and provide you with details of other specialised addiction services in your area, such as counselling services and support groups.

2. 

   Make sure you take any prescribed medication.

   Take any medication prescribed by your doctor, such as the sedative chlordiazepoxide, which helps deal with alcohol withdrawal symptoms. If you have been drinking consistently at a level that may trigger symptoms of alcohol withdrawal when you stop drinking, you will need some sort of medication to ease the process. Insomnia, anxiety, sweating, vomiting, diarrhoea, hallucinations and seizures are all possible symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.

3. 

   Support from others can help deal with your problems.

   Contact any of the local support services you feel you could benefit from; you may want to try a local support group to meet others in a similar situation, or go for the more private option of an addiction counsellor.

4. 

   Confiding in a friend can ease your burden.

   Confide in at least one family member or close friend, asking them to support you in your efforts to stop binge drinking.

References

• NHS: Binge Drinking

Resources

• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Addaction
• Connexions Direct
• Adfam