Bender: Definition, Meaning, Effects, and Risks

Definition

A bender is an extended period of continued drug or alcohol use. An alcoholic bender is a multiple-day drinking spree during which the person does not eat and gets very little sleep. Someone on a bender might pass out for a short time, wake up, and start drinking again.

Meaning

Merriam-Webster defines bender as a "spree." The Cambridge Dictionary defines bender as "a period during which a large amount of alcohol is drunk."

'Going on a Bender' Meaning

• An alcoholic bender does not refer to one evening of intoxication. Instead, it refers to a drinking spree that is extended over at least two nights. Some definitions insist that to be a true bender, the drinking spree has to last at least three days. It is sometimes referred to as a three-day bender.

Why three days?

• Because a weekend is two days, and many drinkers drink all weekend. They may start immediately after work on Friday and continue until they are late or even miss work on Monday. Going that third day and possibly missing work or school 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 they wake up, continues drinking until they pass out again, then wakes up and repeats the cycle.

Why Do They Call It a Bender?

• The origin of the term "bender" meaning an extended bout of drinking alcohol is not certain. It appears to have been first mentioned in the mid-1800s.

• Some think the meaning of bender came about as a reference to the act of bending one's elbow to take a drink.

• 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 also warnings against going on a 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, drinking five beers or a bottle of wine in one day is considered hazardous drinking.

What Happens to Your Body During a Bender

• Whether bingeing or going on a bender, you risk your life and health. Both are destructive and unhealthy. To understand how excessive alcohol consumption affects your health, it is important to first understand how it affects the body.

• "Alcohol (more specifically ethyl alcohol) is a small molecule that is easily absorbed in your gut. Alcohol then travels throughout the body and has effects on many organ systems including the kidneys, immune system, cardiovascular system, and most importantly, the nervous system," says Joseph Volpicelli, MD, PhD, founder and medical director of the Volpicelli Center and executive director of the Institute of Addiction Medicine.

• Drinking for three days takes a toll on your brain and body, including inflammation, nausea, racing heart, and severe hangover symptoms.

• 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 any time to recover.

Health Risks of Excessive Alcohol Use

• You are also putting yourself at risk of many serious health concerns, including:

  • Alcohol-related liver disease
  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Cancer
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Pancreatitis
  • Fetal alcohol syndrome

• When to Call 911 Know the signs of alcohol use poisoning and call 911 immediately if you see someone experiencing them. You may save their life.

  • Confusion
  • Vomiting
  • Repeated loss of consciousness
  • Seizures
  • Slow heart rate
  • No 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

• Continuous alcohol use can have serious and severe consequences. It increases your risk of being the victim of violence, committing violence, being involved in crime, destroying property, or waking 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.

• Frequent benders may be a sign of an alcohol use disorder. If you habitually drink excessively 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.

Treatments for Alcohol Use Problems

• If you find that you have developed a problem with alcohol, help is available. Don't wait until it's too late. Reaching out to a trusted family member, friend, or healthcare provider is a great first step on the road to recovery.

• Treatments include psychotherapy, medications, and mutual support recovery programs. Medications can help you cope with withdrawal symptoms and reduce alcohol cravings. Through therapy, you can better understand the thought patterns that contribute to alcohol use and develop new ways to cope.

• Support groups can provide the encouragement and resources you need as you work through the recovery process.