Category Archives: Binge Drinking

Hangover Movie: Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

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Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

Hangover Movie: Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is a classic hangover movie that every college kid and stoner has seen. It is very much a remake on the very classic Cheech and Chong movies with its ridiculous antics, drug use, sex, and drinking.

Harold Lee and Kumar Patel play the parts of two stoners who end up getting the munchies and decide they want to go to White Castle. Harold is the more introverted awkward character and Kumar is the more outgoing and spontaneous one setting this hangover movie up for some interesting situations. Harold and Kumar’s journey to find a White Castle because of the relocation of the old one; turns into an entire movie.

Harold and Kumar set out to get White Castle and in the process of trying to get some delicious hamburgers to satisfy their munchies, Harold gets bitten by an animal and ends up in the hospital. After getting out of the hospital Harold and Kumar continue their hunt for White Castle and then the car breaks down. After their car breaks down they meet a nice man named Randy who takes them with him to his house to fix their car. At Randy’s house, Randy offers to let Harold and Kumar sleep with his beautiful wife Liane. After this debacle, Harold and Kumar end up picking up a hitch-hiker, who when they stop at a gas station steals their car. So now Harold and Kumar are walking and end up jay walking. After jay walking they get stopped by a police officer who just likes to pick on minorities and ends up arresting Harold and holding him in a cell. Harold and Kumar escape and both run to hid in the bush and come face to face with a cheetah. And the antics go on and on.

Eventually Harold and Kumar find themselves at a raging party that they stop by for a minute and they also in the end make it to White Castle after being up all night losing their car, walking, hitting a party and going through everything they have to get it. While at White Castle the hitchhiker returns the car. And while Harold and Kumar are eating the White Castle it is an epic moment for them because what was supposed to be a quick trip to White Castle had turned into an all-night debacle of sex, drugs, music, and drinking. The classic hangover movie: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Movie: Wedding Crashers

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Hangover Movie: Wedding Crashers

Hangover Movie: Wedding Crashers

“Wedding Crashers” is a 2005 movie starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. This comedy dream team worked together previously in “Starsky & Hutch” and “Zoolander”, but “Wedding Crashers” is by far their best team effort.

In this comedy, John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) and Jeremy Grey (Vince Vaughn) are divorce mediators in Washington D.C. Naturally, this line of work sours them as to the sanctity of marriage, and these two motor-mouthed conned men spend their free time crashing wedding parties and trying to pick up unaccompanied women. The two work from a set of rules established by a past crasher, Chazz Reinhold (Will Farrell).

In the first half an hour of “Wedding Crashers,” Jeremy and John crash a sequence of weddings and become the hit of every reception. They then begin gearing up for the social event of the year- the wedding for the daughter of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, William Cleary (Christopher Walken). Once inside, the two set their sights on Cleary’s other daughters, Gloria (Isla Fischer) and Claire (Rachel McAdams.) Jeremy ends up sleeping with Gloria on a nearby beach during the reception. Gloria quickly becomes obsessed with Jeremy and claims to have been a virgin until the encounter. Jeremy tries to get John to bail on the reception, but John is busy trying to woo Clair.

John, wanting to spend more time with Claire, convinces Jeremy to accept the family’s invitation to an extended weekend at their family compound. Jeremy agrees reluctantly, not wanting to spend any more time with Gloria. A serious of entertaining event occur at the compound: Jeremy gets hurt during a football game and Gloria tends to him while trying to have sex with him at the same time. John spikes Claire’s fiancé’s drink with eye drops and he gets sick for the rest of the night, allowing him to spend more time with her.  Claire’s mother, Kathleen (Jane Seymour) makes John feel her surgically enhanced breasts.

John and Jeremy’s ruse is eventually discovered by Claire’s fiancé, and they are kicked out of the compound. Jeremy continues to see Gloria secretly and when John finds out, it causes a rift between them. Thoroughly depressed, John begins to crash weddings by himself, often crying or destroying things at the reception and being kicked out. Eventually, he even joins Chazz in crashing a funeral.

“Wedding Crashers” is pretty much a double romantic comedy, plus a “bromance” movie. The first third of the film, where Jeremy and John are crashing weddings, is the most entertaining. They use corny pickup lines and their always the life of the party. “Wedding Crashers” slows a bit when it settles into their serious romantic conflicts. Despite the romances between Jeremy and Gloria and John and Claire, the movie creates a stronger chemistry between the two best buddies than between the buddies and their girlfriends. However, Wilson and Vaughn complement each other nicely, and the cameo by Will Farrell is extremely entertaining. All in all, this is definitely a comedy worth watching.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Can vitamins help hangovers?

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Can vitamins help hangovers?

Can vitamins help hangovers?

Almost everyone who drinks has experienced a hangover at least once. A hangover usually consists of an upset stomach, shakiness, thirst, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and irritability. The more you drink the worse the hangover gets. There is no magic potion to make a hangover go away. Vitamins can help hangovers but they aren’t cure all’s. Your best bet to get rid of a hangover is to get plenty of sleep and to drink plenty of Gatorade or water. If you want to add vitamins to help with your hangover you are more than welcome to though. When you drink your body gets depleted of many essential vitamins.

Heavy drinking decreases your levels of vitamin B1. Alcoholics are partially at risk of being deficient in vitamin B1 because alcohol not only depletes your body of it but inhibits your body’s ability to store it. Good food sources of vitamin B1 also known as thiamine are brown rice, egg yolks, legumes, pork and whole grains. You could also take a B vitamin complex to replenish B1 and B-vitamin levels in the body. It is also recommended to help with hangovers that you even take these vitamins with a glass of water before you start drinking. You will remember that next time.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that can reverse the effects of free-radical damage to cells brought on throughout the body by alcohol. Vitamin C can also help to neutralize the effects of the alcohol byproduct in your body which is acetaldehyde and malondialdehyde. Good sources of Vitamin C are of course citrus fruit such as oranges, berries, and green vitamins. Vitamin E is also very good because of its anti-oxidant properties. Vitamin E is found in avocados, cold-pressed vegetable oils, legumes and nuts. So eat up during your hangover because vitamins can help.

Want some more natural help with hangovers?

Some other things that can help hangovers are garlic based vitamin supplements. Garlic is a cure all. Garlic contains vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and S-allyl-cysteine which neutralizes alcohol’s byproduct acetaldehyde.  Activated charcoal will also work to neutralize the poisons from alcohol that cause the hangover. Ginger is great for soothing upset stomachs. Consuming food and drinks that contain fructose such as fruit juices and honey will help your body burn alcohol faster too-so drink that soda, cherry juice, whatever it is you have on hand. Bouillon helps replace potassium that gets depleted by alcohol. Potassium levels get severely depleted when you drink so you can either take a potassium supplement or eat something with potassium such as fish.

The best help for your hangover though is plenty of rest and fluids. Hangovers are usually gone within 24 hours so if you don’t feel like getting in your vitamins now, take them a few days after your hangover to put your body back into tip-top shape. Avoid taking things like Tylenol and acetaminophen even though your headache is probably awful, because they can cause possible liver damage when combined with alcohol.

Either way the most reliable way to help a hangover is to not drink so you don’t have one. If you do get one though, vitamins can help a hangover but they are not a cure. You should always consult a medical doctor before taking supplements or starting any vitamins.

Sources: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2039990_2039991_2040040,00.html

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Consequences of a DUI

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Consequences of a DUI

Consequences of a DUI

Driving under the influence (DUI), or driving while intoxicated (DWI), is a serious criminal offense. A DUI can cost you money, your driving privileges, even your freedom. But there are other consequences of a DUI as well. Besides the legal repercussions, a DUI can have emotional, social, and even relationship consequences.

Consequences of a DUI: Legal

The penalties and requirements for drunken driving vary somewhat from state to state. However, due to the effort of advocacy groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, all 50 states have passes laws intended to crack down on drunk driving by increasing penalties and consequences of a DUI.

You are still innocent until proven guilty in this country, but if you took a breath or blood test that recorded your blood alcohol content at 0.08 or above, you will be convicted of drunk driving. It does not matter if you did not appear intoxicated, if you have a BAC of above 0.08, you can be convicted under the “per se” laws in all 50 states.

Once you are convicted of drunk driving in court, you will be ordered to pay a fine, court costs, and will have your driver’s license revoked for a period of time. In some states, you will face jail time. From state to state, the amount of fine and the length of license revocation and the jail time will vary. However, in every state, the consequences of a DUI include a fine and license revocation.

Consequences of a DUI: Social

The consequences of a DUI also include social consequences. Your revoked license can cause you to have difficulties getting to work or school or to social events. Your peers may judge or ostracize you for getting a DUI. You may not get a job, be passed up for career advances, or be denied admission to the school you want to attend.  A DUI will increase your insurance rates and it may increase your mortgage or other loan rates.

Consequences of a DUI: Emotional

Some of the consequences of a DUI are emotional consequences. You may feel sad, angry, or ashamed. Those that get into traffic accidents while under the influence are prone to developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder often includes experiencing flashbacks and unpleasant memories of the crash scene. PTSD can interfere with a person’s thoughts and awareness.

Another of the emotional consequences of a DUI involves being branded a criminal. In the time it takes for someone to be pulled over and arrested, they have gone from viewing themselves as an upstanding member of society to a common criminal. When you get handcuffed, put in the back of a cop car, taken to the police station, have fingerprints and mug shots taken, and put in a cell, it can be devastating emotionally.

Consequences of a DUI: Relationship

You can also experience relationship consequences of a DUI. Most people who are convicted of a DUI don’t even realize that their actions can negatively affect their relationships with other people. Loved ones may feel betrayed, disappointed, worried, or sad.

http://www.myduiattorney.org/dui-tips/emotional-impact-of-dui.html

http://www.wedodui.com/FAQ/Consequences-of-a-DUI.aspx

http://www.duifoundation.org/support/emotional/

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

How many drinks are too many?

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How many drinks are too many?

How many drinks are too many?

“I usually have about three glasses of wine every night,” Laurie tells me. “I never really think about it. It’s an automatic thing when I get home, and I don’t get drunk.”

“My husband has three or four beers when he gets home on weekdays, and he drinks more when he doesn’t have to work the next day.” Michelle says. “Is that too much?”

Sometimes it can be hard to judge your own alcohol consumption, or even to judge the alcohol consumption of a loved one. It may be difficult to know how many drinks are too many.

How many drinks are too many? Factors

There are a lot of factors that determine how many drinks is too many including body weight, body fat, hydration, initial blood sugar, stomach content etc. Typically a “serving” of alcohol is 8 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine, or 1 ounce (one shot) of liquor. Once alcohol is absorbed, it enters the blood stream and is distributed in the body’s tissues. Alcohol is broken down by the body at the rate of 0.5 OZ per hour in the average person. This translates into about 1 drink per hour.

Alcohol use affects a person’s behavior and functioning. When a person begins to consume more alcohol than their body can eliminate (i.e. more than one drink per hour) their Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) begins to rise. Most people are fairly functional at .08 BAC however some will have noticeable impairment. Generally a night of “Heavy drinking”, or to the point where a person blacks out, generally is from a BAC around .18-.22. Most people will become unconscious at .22-.25 BAC. A BAC over .25 can cause long term loss of brain function, induce heart attacks, and so on.

How many drinks are too many? Individual Concerns

However, that is just the science of drinking. What also determines how many drinks are too many depends on what you are most afraid of. If it is alcoholism, than limiting yourself to one drink per night will keep most women out of the danger zone. If you are pregnant, than total abstinence is the way to go.

This is not to say that if you have, say, two drinks a night, you are alcoholic or slightly alcoholic. For some people, two drinks a night isn’t a big deal, for others, the same amount can compel them to overindulge.

The key to recognizing a problem with drinking is deciding whether it has a detrimental effect on your life. That is the important part in determining how many drinks is too many. If you find yourself habitually making inappropriate comments, acting out sexually, driving dangerously, blacking out, or waking up with a hangover, these are signs of a problem, no matter how infrequently you drink.

Alcoholism is usually diagnosed by control, compulsion, and consequences. If you find yourself drinking more than you intend do, are preoccupied with drinking, or suffer negative consequences from drinking, then you probably have a problem that requires professional help.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Hangover Movie: Old School

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Hangover Movie - Will Ferrell

Hangover Movie: Old School

Parties, drinking, and college life is the back drop for the Hangover Movie, “Old School”. Only difference between this college life and reality is that the main characters are well out of college and much older. Old school stars Luke Wilson as Mitch Martin, Juliette Lewis as Heidi, Vince Vaughn as Bernard and Will Ferrell as Franks.

The movie begins with Mitch, Luke Wilson, breaking up with his girlfriend. In the midst of this breakup he goes house hunting and finds a house located near the campus of the fictional school Harrison University. The first big party of scene of this hangover movie is thrown by Mitch’s friends Bernard and Frank (Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell). Frank ends up streaking through the neighborhood and Mitch ends up making a fool of himself in front of an old friend Nicole (Ellen Pompeo).

When Mitch wakes up from this party he realizes that he slept with an underage girl who is played by Elisha Cuthbert. Soon after Mitch gets himself together he meets the dean of students at the college who is onto Mitch and his friend’s antics. So Mitch makes the house he is living in a fraternity for the college. From this point forward it is just a mess of drunken parties, failing marriages, and hilarious jokes. Eventually the dean tries to revoke the fraternity’s charter. Towards the end of the movie the dean’s attempt to get rid of Mitch and his friends fails because he ends up getting fired due to a bribery scandal.

In the end everything works out and Mitch ends up with the girl from the very beginning, Nicole. Mitch and Bernard leave the fraternity they started and Frank who has now lost his marriage due to his incessant drinking decides to stay on as an authority figure for the fraternity.

College is the place for parties and this is one of the classic stories of college binge drinking. It is almost socially acceptable to be binge drinking in college and this is a perfect example of it. Except the men in this movie are older, are married, and have kids. It shows the consequences due to drinking but it also is one of the slapstick funny comedies that only Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughan, and Luke Wilson could do. This is the perfect example of drunken nights, crazy antics, and their consequences.

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Binge Drinking Facts

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Binge Drinking

What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is also known as heavy episodic drinking. Binge drinking usually serves the sole purpose of becoming increasingly intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. Binge drinking rapidly brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. The definition of binge drinking for women is when they consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours and for men it is 5 drinks in about 2 hours. People who engage in binge drinking are not usually alcohol dependent but it can quickly turn into alcohol dependence if it is done on a regular basis.

Here are some binge drinking facts according to different national surveys:

  • Around 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the last 30 days.
  • It may seem like binge drinking would be more common in college students and while it is true they commonly binge drink, 70% of binge drinking episodes actually involved adults age 26 years or older.
  • Binge drinking is also more common in men with it being twice more prevalent in them than in women.
  • Binge drinking is fairly common among all people. One in six U.S. adults binge drink about four times a month. Not just that but they also drink eight drinks per binge.
  • Over half of all the alcohol being consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
  • Binge drinking is more common in households that have incomes of 75,000 dollars or more a year.
  • Nearly all, 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.

One of the biggest facts about binge drinking is that it can severely and negatively affect those who engage in it. Binge drinking comes hand in hand with many health problems such as:

  • Binge drinking because of the level of intoxication in individuals can cause unintentional injuries. These unintentional injuries include car crashes, falls, burns, drowning.
  • Binge drinking can also cause intentional injuries such as firearm injuries, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
  • Binge drinking can quickly and easily lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal.
  • Binge drinking can also lead to a lack of inhibition and risk taking behavior which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy.
  • Binge drinking for those who are already pregnant can cause fetal alcohol syndrome in the unborn child.
  • Binge drinking can also cause high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
  • Binge drinking just as any drinking, can cause liver disease, neurological damage, sexual dysfunction and poor control for those who have diabetes.

Believe it or not but the negative effects of binge drinking don’t just affect the people who are drinking. Binge drinking costs everyone money.

  • Binge drinking and drinking too much, costs the United States a whopping 223.5 billion in 2006.
    That is $1.90 a drink from losses in productivity, health care, crime and other expenses.
  • Binge drinking also cost federal, state, and local governments about 62 cents per drink in 2006 while the federal and state income from taxes on alcohol only totaled 12 cents per drink.

Binge drinking is very harmful not only to the individual and those who know the individual but it is harmful to the community. The bad things we hear about that happen when someone is drinking are usually due to some form of binge drinking. Not only that but the facts about binge drinking can easily lead to a larger and more serious alcohol dependency which will require outside help to overcome.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm 

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.