Binge Drinking Changes Your DNA

Here's yet another reason to seek help for binge drinking: It can mess with your very being - your DNA! 

So what does this really mean? Researchers from Rutgers University discovered that consistently overdoing it on alcohol can disrupt the natural effectiveness of two specific genes: PER2, which regulates body clock and POMC, which controls stress.

The researchers discovered that both genes were altered in binge and heavy drinkers and, in the heaviest drinkers, there was a reduction in the rate at which the genes created new proteins. According to Forbes.com, this basically means that binge drinking “stunted both genes.” 

And, what’s worse, these mutations may make it harder to quit. The researchers found that these long-lasting genetic changes sparked a greater desire to drink among binge and heavy drinkers. 

"We found that people who drink heavily may be changing their DNA in a way that makes them crave alcohol even more," Professor Dipak K. Sarkar, senior author of the study and director of the Endocrine Program in the Department of Animal Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, told Forbes.com. "This may help explain why alcoholism is such a powerful addiction, and may one day contribute to new ways to treat alcoholism or help prevent at-risk people from becoming addicted.”

Binge drinking is defined as when a person consumes an excessive amount of alcohol in a short amount of time. For men, this means drinking five or more alcoholic beverages in two hours. For women, four or more drinks within a two-hour time period.

College Students and Binge Drinking: What You Should Know

A large percentage of college students participate in binge drinking – and not without consequences. For one, binge drinking can take a toll on the young and still-developing brain of college students, causing cognitive difficulties. (Your brain continues to change and develop up to age 25.) Binge drinking can also increase your risk of life-threatening alcohol poisoning and suicide.

Here are a few more ways that binge drinking can put your health – and the health of others – at risk.

• Poor academic performance, including missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers and receiving lower grades overall.
• Increased risk of injury - from minor cuts to broken bones to concussions.
• More vulnerable to physical or sexual assault.
• Higher chance of committing a crime, including vandalism, property damage and driving under the influence.
• Greater risk of alcohol-related health complications like liver damage, high blood pressure, inflammation of the pancreas and other health complications.
• Increased risk of an alcohol use disorder.

Getting Help for Alcohol Abuse
Is binge drinking becoming a problem for you or someone you love? Our young adult alcohol rehab can provide the tools you need to get and stay sober. Reach out to us today to find out how we can help you. To learn more about what a day in the life of Hope Academy looks like, call: 866-930-4673.

Link Between College Binge Drinking and Social Media Addiction

A new study found a link between binge drinking and social media addiction among college students. For the study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, researchers recruited more than 400 undergraduate students, ages 18 to 25, and asked about both binge drinking (defined as five drinks at a time for males and four for women) and the use of social media (including Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter).

Student binge drinkers were more likely to post on social media platforms and on more social media platforms (most frequently on Snapchat and Facebook) while intoxicated than non-binge drinkers. What’s more, binge drinkers showed a greater emotional investment toward social media, which is common among those with an addiction.

“These findings suggest that, in terms of common brain reward mechanisms, perhaps when students get a positive response on social media, this might be ‘rewarding’ to them in a way that is similar to other addictive behaviors, and then over time they get hooked,” lead researcher Natalie A. Ceballas, PhD, of the Department of Psychology at Texas State University in San Marcos, told reporters.

Binge drinking and social media addiction can be a dangerous duo. Beyond the dangers of binge drinking – including an increased risk of injury, suicide, sexual assault, high blood pressure, heart attack, inflammation of the stomach, pancreas, brain, or spinal cord, sexually transmitted infections and memory and learning problems – this behavior can jeopardize a person’s ability to get into college or get a job.

The good news: A reliance on social media may also present an opportunity for innovative interventions, said researchers.

Getting Help for Alcohol Abuse
Binge drinking in adolescence can increase your risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life. If you or someone you love has a drinking problem, Hope Academy can help you get the help you need today. To learn more about our young adult alcohol rehab, call toll-free today: 866-930-4673.

Binge Drinking Puts Your Heart at Risk and More

Binge drinking can cause much more than a bad hangover. It can take a major toll on your ticker. 

A new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that young adults who binge drink have an increased risk of such heart risk factors as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and higher blood sugar levels. 

Researchers defined binge drinking as five drinks or more in a row for men and four or more drinks for women – and frequent binge drinkers repeated this behavior more than 12 times a year.

These findings are especially important considering the “pervasiveness, intensity and regularity of binge drinking” among today’s youth, lead researcher Mariann Piano, told HealthDay.

The study showed that young men who frequently binge drank had higher systolic blood pressure and higher cholesterol levels, setting themselves up for future heart trouble, Dr. Richard Becker, director of the University of Cincinnati's Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute, told HD.

"Hypertension and high cholesterol are powerful risk factors for cardiovascular events, including heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and death," Becker said. "They represent global health problems of unparalleled proportion that not only continues to increase, but are being detected at younger ages."

What’s more, researchers found a link between binge drinking and excessive consumption of junk food. Young women were found to have higher levels of blood glucose, increasing their diabetes risk, Piano said.

The takeaway: Binge drinking can result in serious safety, academic and health risks. "It's really important that young adults understand that what they do in their youth can affect their health later in life," Piano said.

Getting Help for Alcohol Abuse 

Binge drinking in adolescence can also increase your risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later in life. If you or someone you love has a drinking problem, Hope Academy can help you get the help you need today. To learn more about our young adult alcohol rehab, call toll-free today: 866-930-4673.

Studies Show Dangers of Underage Binge Drinking

Two studies came out this month that focused on binge drinking and college – and both results provided even more reasons for students to skip the binge sessions. Though binge drinking isn’t recommended for anyone, at any age.

What is binge drinking? The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines it as “ingesting four or more alcoholic drinks within two hours by a woman and five or more alcoholic drinks within two hours by a man.”

The first study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, found that heavy drinking six times a month reduces the probability that a new college graduate will land a job by 10 percent. Researchers from the Smithers Institute found that each individual episode of student binge drinking during a month-long period lowers the odds of attaining full-time employment upon graduation by 1.4 percent.

The second study, published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, found that binge drinking altered the resting brain activity of some college students and may have led to cognitive difficulties. 

Students who reported binge drinking within the last 30 days displayed higher measurements of activity known as beta and theta oscillations in the right temporal lobe and bilateral occipital cortex brain regions, said researchers. And these changes might indicate a decreased ability to respond to external stimuli and potential difficulties in information processing capacity in young binge drinkers. These are the first signs of alcohol-induced brain damage.  

These brain changes among college binge drinkers is likely due to the plasticity of their young and still-developing brains, say researchers. Many experts believe the brain continues to develop well into young adulthood and doesn’t stop changing until an individual reaches 25 years of age. 

Stopping the Side Effects of Alcohol Abuse 

The best way to combat the physical and emotional health consequences of a substance use disorder is early intervention. Don’t wait. If you or someone you love has a drinking problem, Hope Academy can help you get the help you need today. To learn more about our young adult alcohol rehab, call toll-free today: 866-930-4673.

New Study: College Students Aren't Binge Drinking As Much

A new study shed light on binge drinking among young adults (ages 18 to 24) and there’s both good and bad news. 

First, the good: Binge drinking – which researchers defined as five or more drinks at one time – is down among college students. It declined from 45 percent in 2005 to 37 percent in 2014, according to the results published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

And now, the bad: Among non-college students, binge drinking increased by 4 percent between 1999 and 2014. And alcohol-related overdose hospitalizations and deaths rose among 18- to 24-year-olds.

Study author Ralph Hingson thinks the disparity may be due to college administrators who are working to curb troublesome drinking. "Among young adults who aren't in college, there aren't the same organizational supports to implement interventions, and that may be contributing to why binge drinking is increasing in that group," Hingson said in a statement.

Two other possible factors: less disposable income to spend on alcohol and the lowered legal limit for drivers, say researchers, who began the study in 1998 following the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) decision to start a task force looking at college drinking. 

How Much Is a Drink?

To avoid binge drinking and its consequences, college and non-college students are advised to track the number of drinks they consume over a give period of time, notes the NIAAA. In the U.S., a standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol. 

A few examples: 

• 12 ounces of beer with 5 percent alcohol content
• 5 ounces of wine with 12 percent alcohol content
• 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits with 40 percent alcohol content

Although these standard drink amounts are helpful guidelines, they don’t necessarily reflect customary serving sizes, says the NIAAA. A large cup of beer, an over-poured glass of wine, or a single mixed drink could contain much more alcohol than a standard drink. What’s more, the alcohol content within each type of beverage can also vary.

Sobriety College at Hope Academy

If you are or someone you love is a college student caught in the throes of substance abuse, Hope Academy may be the ideal rehab program for you. Our peer-based rehab program provides the safety and support you need to succeed in school and at sobriety. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

Study: Binge Drinking and Your Brain

Binge drinking can do some serious damage to your brain, according to a mini review published in Frontiers in Psychology. 

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men — in about two hours, notes the NIAAA.

Researchers found that this type of heavy drinking among young adults can lead to a thinning or reduction of areas of the brain that impact: 

• Inhibition
• Memory
• Verbal learning 
• Decision making and reward processing
• Alcohol cue reactivity
• Socio-cognitive/socio-emotional processing

What’s more, "these brain alterations, as a result of heavy alcohol use during adolescence and young adulthood, could result in increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder later on in life,” said study author Anita Cservenka, Assistant Professor at Oregon State University.

More Side Effects of Binge Drinking

Binge drinking can result in serious health, safety and academic risks. Binge drinkers who consumed alcohol at least 3 times per week were roughly 6 times more likely than those who drank but never binged to perform poorly on a test or project as a result of drinking, according to the NIAAA. Over time, frequent binge drinking can also cause damage to the liver and other organs.

Other consequences of binge drinking include a higher risk of:

• Alcohol use disorders
• Car crashes
• Drunk-driving arrests
• Sexual assaults and unsafe sex
• Suicide attempts
• Injuries  

Stopping the Side Effects of Alcohol Abuse 

The best way to combat the physical and emotional health consequences of a substance use disorder is early intervention. Don’t wait. If you or someone you love has a drinking problem, Hope Academy can help you get the help you need today. To learn more about our young adult alcohol rehab, call toll-free today: 866-930-4673.

What’s Drunkorexia?

A growing trend among college kids – both females and males alike – “drunkorexia” is a term used to describe the “weight conscious” behavior of drinkers who save calories (by skipping meals or over-exercising) during the day to compensate for the calories consumed later from alcohol.

There have been several studies documenting how common “drunkorexia” is on college campuses – and, in fact, statistics show that a whopping 30 percent of women, ages 18 to 23, admit to having skipped a meal to drink more. Individuals with eating disorders are up to five times as likely as those without eating disorders to abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, according to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

And it works the other way, too: Those who abuse alcohol or illicit drugs are up to 11 times as likely as those who don’t to have eating disorders.  

Risks of Disordered Eating and Binge Drinking

Although drunkorexia is not an official eating disorder, habitually drinking on an empty stomach can have serious health consequences – and that’s in addition to the dangers of binge drinking in the first place. These include:

• Malnutrition
• Short- and long-term cognitive problems, including difficulty concentrating, studying, and making decisions
• Serious eating disorders
• Violence
• Risky sexual behavior
• Alcohol poisoning
• Substance abuse
• Damage to vital organs
• Chronic diseases

Dual Diagnosis: Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse
As addiction worsens, so does the co-occurring condition—and vice versa. Because of this, both diseases must be treated simultaneously to achieve the best results. To learn more about Hope Academy’s treatment programs for dual diagnosis patients, call today: 866-930-4673.

Do You Know the Health Risks of Chronic Heavy Drinking?

Beyond leading to dependence, drinking too much alcohol can have serious consequences for your health. Alcohol abuse can damage organs, weaken the immune system, and contribute to cancers, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA). In fact, researchers have linked alcohol consumption to more than 60 diseases.

Alcohol Abuse and Your Body
Chronic heavy drinking can lead to a variety of health conditions, including:

• Anemia: Heavy drinking lowers your red blood cells. 
• Cancer: Mouth, pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), esophagus, liver, breast, and colorectal cancer have all been linked to alcohol use – and these risks are even higher among smokers.
• Cardiovascular disease: Binge drinking causes platelets to clump into blood clots – and this can lead to stroke or heart attack. 
• Cirrhosis: Alcohol is toxic to liver cells, and can severely scar the liver, making it unable to function.
• Dementia: Heavy drinking speeds up the shrinkage of key regions in the brain responsible for memory.
• Depression: While it’s still unknown whether drinking or depression comes first, the conditions are undisputedly linked. Depressed people often self-medicate with alcohol and heavy drinking has been study-proven to lead to depression.
• Gout: Family history is a major risk factor but alcohol and poor nutrition play a big role, too. 
• High blood pressure: Binge drinking can cause blood pressure to rise. 
• Infectious disease: Heavy drinking suppresses your immune system and this can lead to a host of infections, including tuberculosis, pneumonia, HIV/AIDS, and other sexually transmitted diseases.
• Nerve damage: Alcohol abuse can cause alcoholic neuropathy, a form of nerve damage that can result in symptoms including the feeling of painful pins and needles or numbness in the extremities, muscle weakness, incontinence, constipation, and erectile dysfunction.
• Pancreatitis: Up to 60% of cases of chronic pancreatitis stem from alcohol consumption; heavy drinking inflames the pancreas and causes stomach irritation.
• Seizures: Heavy drinking can cause epilepsy and can even trigger seizures in people without the neurological disorder.

Getting Help for Alcohol Abuse

According to the NIAAA, the young adult subgroup makes up 31.5% of alcoholics. At Hope Academy, we provide a safe environment in which teens and young adults feel comfortable sharing their concerns and setting sobriety goals. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.