What Does It Mean to Go on a Bender

What Does It Mean to Go on a Bender Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Print Your Body on an Alcoholic Bender By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Updated on September 17, 2019 Marco Di Lauro  / Stringer  / Getty Images More in Addiction Alcohol Use Binge Drinking Withdrawal and Relapse Children of Alcoholics Drunk Driving Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery In This Article Table of Contents Expand Going on a Bender Binge Drinking vs. Bender What Happens to Your Body When to Get Help View All Back To Top What is a bender? This slang term can mean a drug party, an extended period of continued drug use. An alcoholic bender is a multiple-day drinking spree during which the person does not eat and gets very little sleep. If youre on a bender, you might pass out for a short time, wake up and start drinking again. Going on a Bender An alcoholic bender does not refer to one evening of intoxication. It refers to a drinking spree that is extended over at least two nights. But some definitions insist that in order to be a true bender, the drinking spree has to last at least three days. Why three days? Because a weekend is two days and there are many drinkers who drink all weekend. Going that third day, and possibly missing work or school day, makes the drinking spree a self-destructive bender, rather than just another lost weekend. During a bender, the drinker typically begins drinking as soon as he wakes up, continues drinking until he passes out again, then wakes up and repeats the cycle. The origin of the use of the term bender to refer to an extended bout of drinking alcohol is not certain. Some historians think it may refer to the act of bending ones elbow to take a drink, while others believe it is associated with the phrase getting bent out of shape. Binge Drinking vs. Bender Sometimes the term binge drinking is confused with bender. Some people believe that warnings against binge drinking are warning against going on multiple day bout of intoxication, but that is not what binge drinking is at all. Binge drinking is drinking five or more drinks in any one drinking session for men, or four or more drinks a day for women.?? Harmful drinking can occur long before it reaches the level of a bender. While going on a bender might be considered self-destructive behavior, simply drinking five beers or a bottle of wine in one day is considered hazardous drinking. How Much Alcohol Is Safe to Drink Per Day? What Happens to Your Body Whether you are binging or going on a bender, your life and health arent being done any favors. Both are destructive and unhealthy. Drinking for three days certainly takes a toll on your brain and body, including inflammation, nausea, racing heart, and some pretty severe hangover symptoms.?? The Symptoms of a Hangover Researchers attribute these effects to excess acetaldehyde (one of the byproducts your liver pumps out after breaking down alcohol) that travels through your blood to your brain, heart, and stomach when drinking heavily.?? When you go on a bender, you are not giving your liver anytime to recovery. You are also putting yourself at risk of the following health concerns:?? Nutritional deficienciesDehydration and electrolyte imbalanceGastrointestinal issuesLow blood sugarSleep disturbancesBlack-outsHeart diseaseLiver diseaseStrokeAlcohol use disorderAlcohol withdrawalAcute alcohol poisoning Signs to Call 911 Knowing the signs of alcohol use poisoning and calling 911 immediately can help you save someones life.ConfusionVomitingKeeps passing outSeizuresSlow heart rateNo gag reflex (which prevents choking when vomiting)Extremely low body temperature or clammy or blue-tinged skin Slow or irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between any two breaths)Vomiting while passed out without waking up during or after vomiting When to Get Help If your continuous drinking or drugging session goes bad, you may end up committing or being the victim of assault, destroying property, or finally wake up in jail, perhaps with little memory of what transpired. A three-day bender that results in missing work or shirking other duties can be especially destructive to your reputation. It may be a wake-up call to others that you have a drinking problem and may soon be hitting bottom. What Hitting Bottom Means for an Alcoholic Frequent benders may be a sign of an alcohol use disorder.?? If you habitually drink in excess for consecutive days, you may want to  take an online quiz  to see if your drinking has reached  the level of alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence. If you find that you have developed a problem with alcohol, help is available. Dont wait until its too late. Reaching out to a trusted family member or friend or health care provider is a great first step on the road to recovery.