Can You Overdose On Alcohol?

What is An Alcohol Overdose?

There are many people who don’t realize that you can overdose on alcohol. Many, simply think that when you drink too much alcohol, you will end up with a bad hangover the next day. However, alcohol overdose is quite common for a person who has a long-standing history of alcohol abuse. Alcohol overdose is something that has a direct impact on the brain. When your blood alcohol level is too high, your brain will not be able to function correctly. Therefore, your vital signs and organs will begin to not work. This lack of brain function is something that can have an effect on your nervous system and lead to other physical and psychological risk factors such as alcohol poisoning or brain damage. 

Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Overdose

There are several signs and symptoms that you or a loved one may be experiencing during an alcohol overdose. You should always be familiar with this health information associated with alcohol overdose so that you can reach out for help as soon as it’s needed. Here are some of the details that every person should know regarding the management and treatment of alcohol overdose: 

Difficulty remaining conscious 

Alcohol has a direct impact on the nervous system. Therefore, someone that is experiencing an alcohol overdose may experience difficulty remaining conscious. While you’re waiting for help to come, you should always try talking to this person to see if you can help them stay awake. 

Identifying the symptoms of alcohol poisoning and alcohol overdose immediately could be key in saving the life of someone you love. If you suspect that a person is experiencing symptoms of an alcohol overdose, please be sure to reach out for help as soon as possible. 

Who Is At Risk For Alcohol Overdose?

Any person who exhibits symptoms of alcohol addiction is at risk of experiencing an alcohol overdose. An alcohol overdose is something that could be potentially fatal or, at the very least, life-changing. When so much alcohol is flowing through your blood you put yourself at risk of brain damage which, although it may not kill you, could substantially impact your life. It’s important to remember that even binge drinking could put you at risk of alcohol poisoning or alcohol overdose. A substantial amount of alcohol could result in you stopping breathing for a short period of time. During this time, an unconscious person could find that they involuntarily throw up, however, due to the fact that they are unconscious, they are unable to clear their airways which also results in them stopping breathing. In short, alcohol overdose and alcohol poisoning is never something that should be taken lightly and should always be addressed as soon as possible by a medical professional if you or someone that you love is experiencing signs of alcohol poisoning or overdose. 

What is BAC?

BAC is short for blood alcohol concentration. As you consume alcohol, your blood alcohol concentration goes up which can result in an increase in certain risk factors associated with alcohol overdose. Often, when a person is suffering from a possible alcohol overdose, one of the first things that medical professionals will do is to draw blood to determine the blood alcohol concentration of a person. This will help those medical experts to understand just how much alcohol a person has in their system and what steps they need to take in order to save the life of that person.  

What Happens When Your BAC Increases?

As your blood alcohol concentration goes up, you will find it difficult to do certain things that you may have been able to do when you had no level of alcohol in your bloodstream. For instance, it’s likely that you may experience a decrease in motor coordination, you may feel sick or you could experience a serious lack of judgment. 

Identifying Alcohol Addiction

In order to receive the help that you need, it’s imperative that you identify whether or not you’re struggling with alcohol addiction. There are several factors and signs that can play into making this identification. Here are a few examples: 

Realistically, the list of the possible signs of alcohol addiction can go on and on. You must get to a point in your life where you actively recognize that this is a problem and you consciously take steps to overcome this potentially deadly disease. 

Alcohol Rehab and Detox at Resurgence Behavioral Health

At Resurgence Behavioral Health, our goal is to provide our clients with the information that they need regarding the dangers of alcohol. Once you have come to a place in your life where you’re ready to truly address your alcohol abuse, you can take comfort in the fact that our recovery team will be here to help you every step of the way. Regardless of whether you have a chronic drinking problem or you struggle with binge drinking, our drug and alcohol programs will help you to address your addiction as well as any other health conditions that you may be suffering from. 

Before you can address your alcohol abuse, it’s likely that you will need to work through an alcohol detox program. During this stage of your recovery, you will begin to experience certain withdrawal symptoms which will make it all but impossible for you to properly care for yourself. One of the dangers of alcohol abuse is the fact once your body has become used to receiving this substance 

After alcohol detox, you will be in a better place both physically and psychologically to address your alcohol use disorder. In order to do so, you will need to commit to either an inpatient or an outpatient treatment program for your addiction. There are wonderful benefits to each one of these treatment options. For example, if you feel as though you need to change the people, places, and things around you in order to be able to get your life back on track, then you may realize that you are a candidate for inpatient addiction treatment. During inpatient treatment, you will have the benefit of living on the campus of your addiction treatment facility of choice. You will enjoy the around-the-clock care from your addiction treatment team which can provide you with a certain sense of peace and comfort in knowing that you have someone there that you can turn to when you need them. 

However, not every person has the flexibility to commit to an inpatient program. For example, if you have work or school responsibilities, you may find it all but impossible for you to be able to commit to an inpatient treatment program. This does not mean, however, that you will not be able to receive the alcohol addiction treatment that you need. By committing to an outpatient program, you will have much more flexibility to work, go to school, or see to the other responsibilities that you may have in your life. If you opt to come to Resurgence Behavioral Health, for example, you will work closely with your addiction treatment team to develop a recovery program that meets your individual needs but does not require you to live on campus. Keep in mind that you can always begin your recovery journey in an inpatient treatment program and then transition into an outpatient one at any time simply by speaking to your recovery team. 

Regardless of whether you decide to commit to an inpatient or an outpatient program, the focus of your time in treatment will be to identify the root cause of your addiction. This is typically different for every person. For example, a person may have experienced trauma early on in their life that they were never able to recover from while many other people may have experienced something later in their life. Through openly and honestly participating in different forms of addiction therapy, you will be able to come to a better understanding of the root cause of your addiction. 

When you’re ready to learn more about the dangers of alcohol overdose or abuse and you would like to leave your heavy drinking habits in the past, we strongly encourage you to get in touch with the Resurgence Behavioral Health team at (855) 458-0050. We work quickly to ensure that you have the tools that you need to stop drinking alcohol and navigate the effects of alcohol on your life. You will have a dedicated care provider who will be able to assess your signs and symptoms of alcoholism and will continue to provide you with information that you need regarding the treatment options that you have to address your alcohol abuse. We encourage you to get in touch with us today for more information. 

Can you overdose on alcohol? Find out by reading our latest blog, and call Resurgence for help today! #alcoholoverdose #alcoholrehabhttps://t.co/jgcReOzXpw

— Resurgence Behavioral Health (@RBHRecovery) April 21, 2022

David Rofofsky
After growing up in New York, David chose to get help with substance abuse in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than nine years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for eight years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. David remains passionate about the field because he understands how hard it is to pick up the phone and ask for help. However, once the call is made, someone's life can be saved.

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