Your Guide to Recognizing When Someone Is Drinking Too Much
Rarely does a night out with friends begin with bad intentions. Most people drink socially as an opportunity to relax and unwind. But what happens when this night goes too far? What happens when your friend starts slurring their words, stumbles around, or even passes out? When is drinking too much “just overdoing it,” and when does it become dangerous?
Knowing how to tell if someone is too drunk saves lives. By intervening, you can stop them from climbing behind the wheel or get them medical help following alcohol poisoning or overdose. This is why it’s important to know how much alcohol is too much and when to reach out to a facility like South Shores for more help.
How to Tell If an Intoxicated Person Is Too Drunk
When you find yourself wondering if a person drank too much, things can quickly progress to dangerous territory. Your friend might be unable to walk (or talk) straight or act out of character. They could become overly emotional or act aggressively.
Watch closely when you see these signs. While medical attention might not be needed right at that moment, if your loved one can’t stay upright, loses consciousness, or isn’t making sense when they talk or answer questions, alcohol poisoning may be to blame.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, these are also early signs of alcohol overdose. This can be life-threatening, as it means that your loved one’s blood alcohol content is so high, their brain isn’t functioning, and they may start to experience significant impairments like having trouble breathing.
How Alcohol Affects the Body and Brain
Alcohol’s effects are more noticeable as you continue to drink it, especially if you drink on an empty stomach, don’t drink water, and don’t wait in between beverages. Your central nervous system slows down, and your body and brain don’t communicate as well. As you pass the border from tipsy to intoxicated, you don’t move, think, or react the same way as you would while sober.
The effects of alcohol become more noticeable the more that you drink. It slows your central nervous system. Your body and brain can no longer communicate. This is why, as you become more intoxicated, you don’t move, think, or react the way you would while sober. This is what causes slurring and stumbling after you’ve had too much alcohol.
Your thoughts and impulses are also affected. You might put yourself in dangerous situations, whether taking a dangerous route home or trying to climb behind the wheel. Alcohol poisoning threatens your life in more ways than one.
Is Binge Drinking Dangerous?
Binge drinking is any time that a person drinks 4-5 alcoholic beverages in less than two hours, bringing blood alcohol levels above .08 percent. It’s hard to function in this state and your body undergoes extreme stress that affects your immune system after binge drinking just once.
There’s a greater risk of injuring yourself, getting alcohol poisoning, or having long-term health problems if binge drinking becomes a pattern.
Blood Alcohol Concentration and Alcohol Overdose
The path alcohol takes through your body begins in the stomach and small intestine. After being absorbed, it’s distributed through your bloodstream. Your blood alcohol content (BAC) is essentially a measure of the percentage of alcohol in your bloodstream.
After drinking too much alcohol, your BAC gets so high that your body cannot keep up. Other functions are impaired, increasing the risk of alcohol poisoning or overdose. When this happens, your body can’t process or eliminate the high levels of alcohol in your blood.
Breathing slows, your heart doesn’t beat as fast, and you might have difficulty remaining conscious. Without medical help, there’s a risk of coma or death.
How Much Alcohol is Needed to Overdose?
When a friend starts vomiting or slurring their words, you might find yourself counting how many beers or shots they’ve had, wondering if they’ve had too much.
The problem is that several factors affect the amount of alcohol that you need to ingest before it’s too much, including body weight, alcohol metabolism, and individual tolerance. This is why one person experiences alcohol poisoning after so much alcohol, while another might be perfectly fine.
The Typical Signs of Alcohol Poisoning
Things like low body temperature, slow heart rate, and drinking can happen after drinking alcohol. If your loved one or spouse has been drinking heavily, listen to their breathing. When a person has irregular or especially slow breathing, taking fewer than eight breaths in a minute, it can indicate alcohol poisoning.
Vomiting without the ability to stop, having pale, clammy skin, and falling unconscious are other symptoms of alcohol poisoning. If they have a bluish tint to the lips or skin, it’s a sign they are not getting enough oxygen. There is a risk of brain damage if they stay in this state too long.
What Should I Do If Someone Is Too Drunk?
After drinking too much, it’s not uncommon to want to lie down and sleep it off. This is dangerous and going to sleep can become a medical emergency. Instead of letting your loved one go to sleep, keep them awake and sitting upright. Don’t tell them to walk it off or drink coffee.
Instead, offer water, keep calm, and don’t let them leave or do anything dangerous. If they start showing signs of alcohol overdose or lose consciousness, reach out to 911 and emergency services for help immediately.
Is it Safe for Them to “Sleep it Off”?
Often, after a long night of drinking, most people are ready to sleep it off. If someone has passed the point of intoxication and entered the realm of alcohol overdose, however, going to sleep could be fatal.
Since alcohol calms the central nervous system, there’s an absent gag reflex. If they were to throw up, their body might not wake them up. There’s a risk of choking on it. A low body temperature has a risk of hypothermia, and not getting enough oxygen has risks of coma, respiratory arrest, or permanent brain damage.
When Does Drinking Alcohol Become a Problem?
Many people can have one drink after a stressful day at work or go out with a few friends without feeling the urge to drink large quantities of beer or liquor. They don’t get so intoxicated that they act out of character, can’t go to work the following day, or make dangerous decisions like driving drunk.
Binge drinking becomes a problem when it’s repeated and causes issues, whether financial, legal, or with their health. When alcohol becomes more important than relationships and responsibilities, it can be a sign of needing help. If they seem like they can’t stop drinking or are using alcohol as an emotional crutch, it’s another sign they need help.
Signs of Excessive Drinking in a Loved One
At first, it’s easy to overlook a drinking problem in another person. As they realize how much they are drinking, it’s not uncommon for them to try to hide it. They might feel ashamed that they feel powerless to control it. Sometimes, it isn’t apparent because they socially withdraw or start avoiding social activities when alcohol isn’t involved.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, another sign that your loved one is struggling is that they try to stop drinking as much, but can’t seem to quit. They may even develop tremors, nausea, headaches, and other withdrawal symptoms if they’ve developed alcohol dependence. Legal, financial, and employment problems are also signs of alcohol use disorder.
Getting Your Loved One Help for Alcohol Use Disorder
It’s rarely comfortable talking to someone about their drinking patterns. Even if you’re worried about damaging your relationship with that person, it’s important to say something. Sometimes, even knowing someone cares enough to recognize what they are going through is a wake-up call.
How Can I Convince Someone to Get Help for Alcohol Use?
You can’t convince someone to get help if they feel like you’re attacking them. Be non-judgmental when you voice your concerns, but don’t be afraid to tell them all the ways you’ve noticed alcohol affecting their life. Sometimes, this comes best after they’ve had an alcohol poisoning scare, lost their job over drinking, or have legal problems.
Try to talk to them when they are calm, outside the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Do your research and stay solution-oriented. The goal is to make it easy for them to consider treatment, provided they are willing. Let them know that no matter what, they’ll have your support. For helpful tips discussing recovery with your spouse, daughter or son, reach out to South Shores Detox directly.
What Does Treatment for Alcohol Addiction Look Like?
The path to lasting sobriety looks a little different for everyone. Someone who’s been struggling with addiction for a long time might go through intense withdrawal, making inpatient rehab the best choice. Others are able to find help through an intensive outpatient program, partial hospitalization, or other outpatient alternatives.
At South Shores, we do a thorough assessment that helps us make recommendations for how to best support your friend or family member. Call us today.
Find Help at South Shores for a Loved One Facing Issues With Alcohol
It can be scary to find yourself needing to contact emergency services for a loved one who might be struggling with alcohol poisoning. In situations, seeking help is the best way to keep your loved one safe.
Often, heavy drinking patterns are a sign of alcohol abuse. If a loved one is struggling, don’t look the other way. Helping them decide to get help is one of the best ways to show that you care. And, whether they are ready or not, you can feel confident contacting South Shores Detox for help with the recovery process.