The Science Behind Binge Drinking

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), binge drinking is the most common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the nation. Some people can have a drink or two and stop, while others can’t help but overindulge. So, why do some individuals binge drink? The answer may be in how their brains respond to alcohol. Let’s look at the science behind binge drinking and how an alcoholic brain vs. a normal brain can differ.

What Is Binge Drinking?

You may be surprised by how few drinks it takes to reach the official definition of a binge drinking session.

Binge drinking is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08% (or higher).”

In simpler terms, this translates to an average of five drinks or more for men and four drinks or more for women when consumed within a 2-hour period. For youth, this BAC can be achieved with fewer drinks — three for girls and three to five for boys.

The Truth About Binge Drinking in the United States

The 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported that 21.7% of American adults binge drank within the previous month. However, this percentage varied significantly across different demographics.

Here’s a rundown of binge drinking trends for specific groups:

Teens. In the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, 2% of 8th graders, 5.4% of 10th graders and 10.2% of 12th graders indicated they binge drank in the previous 2 weeks.
Young adults. People aged 18 to 25 have the highest rate of binge drinking at 28.7%. This is most likely due to the prevalent drinking culture in colleges, leading to binge alcoholic behavior being normalized.
Older adults. The survey found that 12.0% of adults aged 65 and older reported binge drinking in the previous month.
Women. Approximately 25% of American women who drink stated they engaged in binge drinking in the previous month.

Why Do People Binge Drink?

Why do people feel inclined to binge drink? What causes them to engage in this potentially life-risking behavior? Individual reasons for binge drinking vary from person to person. The reasons for binge drinking can depend on several factors, including an individual’s specific life circumstances.

However, studies have shown that certain brain circuits are activated when a person binge drinks. New neuroscientific research reveals there may be clues in the brain to explain why some people tend to overindulge with alcohol. This means researchers may have discovered a circuit between two brain regions that, if turned off, could reduce instances of binge drinking.

The Neuroscience of Binge Drinking: Alcoholic Brain vs. Normal Brain

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined two brain areas: the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the extended amygdala. These areas have been implicated in binge drinking behavior in past studies, but this is the first time they’ve been recognized as a single functional circuit.

The amygdala had already been associated with stress and anxiety. The VTA is a pleasure center that responds to the rewarding properties of certain natural reinforcers. These can include benign substances such as food but also more dangerous, highly addictive substances such as drugs and alcohol. UNC researchers discovered these two regions are connected by long projection neurons, which produce a substance known as corticotropin-releasing factor, or CRF.

This study is also the first to provide direct evidence that inhibiting a circuit between these two regions may protect against binge drinking. Commenting on this finding, lead study author Todd Thiele explained, “The puzzle is starting to come together and is telling us more than we ever knew before. We now know that two brain regions that modulate stress and reward are part of a functional circuit that controls binge drinking and adds to the idea that manipulating the CRF system is an avenue for treating it.”

Alcohol’s effects on nerve pathways are becoming increasingly evident. In 2022, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine combined a mouse binge-drinking model with other approaches to see how alcohol consumption affects neural pathways. The study found a pathway that can be influenced by alcohol intake and may affect the need for additional alcohol consumption and the progression from binge drinking to alcohol use disorder.

Can Medication “Turn Off” the Urge to Binge Drink?

The findings observed in mice suggest that when we drink alcohol, our CRF neurons are activated in the extended amygdala and then act on the VTA, which ultimately results in promoting continued, excessive drinking.

Knowing this, we may be able to find future medical treatments to help curb binge drinking as well as prevent the transition to full-blown alcohol dependence.

Combined with more traditional forms of treatment, such as group and individual counseling and talk therapies, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has proven effective at combating alcoholism and substance abuse. MAT combines pharmacological intervention with behavioral therapies and counseling, which work to address both physical and psychological aspects of addiction. Clinically driven, MAT, like most other forms of substance abuse treatment, focuses on the needs of the individual. Now, with new knowledge provided by this study and others like it, medical treatments to aid addicted individuals through the recovery process can potentially be more effective than ever.

Why Binge Drinking Is Especially Harmful

Binge drinking may be common in social settings, but this doesn’t make it okay. Frequent binge drinking comes with many risks, including:

Addiction. Drinking to excess can cause your body to become reliant on alcohol, which can lead to alcohol use disorder.
Blackouts. Binge drinking sessions come with an increased risk of blackouts, as your body can’t function properly with too much alcohol in the system. When someone blacks out, they’re at a higher risk of experiencing physical or sexual violence, accidentally harming themselves and even dying.
Overdosing. Alcohol can be fatal if consumed in large doses.
Loss of judgment. Binge drinking can make it difficult to think clearly and can lead to poor decision-making, which could lead to unsafe sex and STIs, unwanted pregnancies, drinking and driving, troubles with the law and more.
Health issues. Over time, binge drinking can result in various health complications, such as a weakened immune system, acute pancreatitis, liver and other chronic diseases and an increased risk of head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast and colorectal cancers.

Preventing and Addressing Binge Drinking

A person who frequently binge drinks needs help, as they could be developing an alcohol addiction. Professional rehabilitation can help them understand their triggers and the dangers of alcohol abuse and teach them coping mechanisms to stay sober.

Fortunately, alcohol addiction is highly treatable, and the road to recovery starts with asking for help.

Alcohol Addiction Treatment at FHE Health

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