There’s an old adage that goes, “youth is wasted on the young.” That seems to be a saying that we could apply to the young adults running through college campuses. When it’s time to let off a little steam, college students often turn to activities that are considered substance abuse issues. In fact, some of them like to have a lot of drinks, oftentimes in a short period of time. Experts refer to this as binge drinking. Unfortunately, binge drinking in college has long been a big problem on college campuses. It also causes problems for the culprits.

How Binge Drinking in College Affects the Student

While having a few drinking in a short period might seem harmless enough, the reality is something very different. Setting aside the infrequent binge drinker, binge drinking is notorious for leading to alcohol dependence, which is just a baby step away from addiction. Far too often, college drinking problems become one of the top causes of alcohol addiction among young adults.

If we look at the reasons college students might binge drink on a regular basis, then there always seems to be a severe underlying issue. They may try to mask their problems by claiming they drink in good fun, but it is destructive behavior. As such, we have to ask why binge drinking in college seems necessary to so many students? Here’s a list of issues we find common among college students who frequently binge drink:

• Social awkwardness – trying to fit in
• Difficulties with stress related staying up on school work
• Loneliness – often a problem for kids away from home for the first time
• The drama and trauma of trying to manage new relationships
• Fear of failure and the future

Where to Go When Binge Drinking Leads to Alcoholism

It’s not by chance that our alcohol addiction rehab center in Tacoma, WA, serves many young adults. When alcohol addiction strikes, the college student has very few available options. They need to get help sooner rather than later to avoid messing up their college education.

As part of the treatment process, young adults can expect to go through a detox process when necessary. After detox, they will get the chance to work with a licensed therapist in an effort to figure out the “why.” The “why” is the real reason they feel the need to drink to excess. With any luck, they will find the cause and then develop better life skills to help them with their personal issues.

Bayview Recovery – Ready to Serve

As part of our charter, we strive to make a material difference in the community. Our contribution comes in the form of offering quality addiction treatment. For those people who have an interest, here’s a partial menu of our services:

• Partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and outpatient care
• Dual diagnosis therapy
• Family and individual therapy options
• Trauma therapy
• Referrals for detox services

If you or your college-age child has been guilty of binge drinking in college, please proceed with caution. It has the potential for leading to big problems. For more information, you can reach our Bayview Recovery facility by calling 855.478.3650.