The risk is real. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 95,000 people die each year because of excessive drinking.

That’s one in 10 adult deaths overall. And one-half of these deaths are specifically due to binge drinking.

But let’s say that a person who binges doesn’t kill themselves. There are many other dangers of binge drinking you need to know about. Contact Viewpoint Dual Recovery Center to learn all about recovery options.

Accidents and Injuries

Losing your life or the life of someone you love to excessive drinking is horrible. Binge drinking-related injuries and accidents that are almost as bad, such as:

Killing someone else
Having a heart attack
Alcohol poisoning
Incurable STDs
Unwanted pregnancy
Poor pregnancy outcomes
Traumatic head injuries
Losing a limb
Getting sexually assaulted

These are not uncommon. In fact, one or more of these happening to you is likely if you continue excessive consumption.

Trouble with Police

Those who binge drink are also more likely to do something that gets them into legal trouble. That something could be a variety of charges like disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, public intoxication, or assault.

Putting yourself in this position puts you at risk or injury during the arrest because you’re not in control of your actions. It may also lead to high legal costs and even spending time in prison.

Health Problems

The health effects of binge drinking are significant. Many of these are irreversible or require significant medical intervention, such as:

High blood pressure
Heart disease
Stroke
Liver disease
Cancer

Brain Damage

Too much alcohol can damage the brain at any age. But drinking this way is most common for people 18-34.

Up until the age of about 25, the human brain is still actively developing, which means that those 25 and under are at greater risk of causing serious brain damage through over-consumption.

This damage can lead to a lifetime of learning and memory challenges, as well as difficulty managing your emotions, building meaningful relationships, and developing healthy habits.

That means that even if you stop binge drinking when you’re older, the effects will follow you. As a result, it’s more likely that you’ll take an unhealthy path into the future.

The most common path is a lifetime of alcohol abuse and alcohol addiction.

Failure to Get What You Want Out of Life

We all have dreams. We imagine what our life could be.

You might be thinking about getting a good job, making money, having a family, and doing fun life experiences as you see on social media.

Binging may seem fun at the time. But you may be cutting off your potential for a long, happy, healthy, productive life in exchange for some party nights.

It’s not worth it. You have a whole life to live. As you begin to see those around you dropping out of school, losing their jobs, or worse, their kids, that becomes increasingly clear.