Alcohol Moderation Management: Programs and Steps to Control Drinking

16 apr. Alcohol Moderation Management: Programs and Steps to Control Drinking

This option is generally intended for “problem drinkers”; i.e., non-alcoholics with less severe drinking problems who have not suffered life-damaging consequences from their drinking and have no prior history of alcohol dependence (alcoholism). Rarely, if ever, do heavy drinkers choose to give up alcohol for good until they are convinced by their own experience that moderation is simply not attainable. What’s more, they refuse to define themselves as “alcoholic/addict” or give in to pressure to attend AA meetings. Different people may be drawn to trying a moderation approach for a variety of reasons. For example, most college students don’t want to give up drinking altogether.

Forgive yourself, learn from it and remember that a commitment applies to what we plan for the future. Speak with a treatment provider and get your questions about rehab answered today. Speaking with a specialized therapist can help you evaluate your needs and get expert guidance on defining and implementing your goals. Drinking is often a coping strategy subconsciously used to avoid having to deal with uncomfortable or painful issues. Moderated drinking could give you the space to address those issues you’ve been pushing aside.

We can help you cut down or quit

More recent versions of RP have included mindfulness-based techniques (Bowen, Chawla, & Marlatt, 2010; Witkiewitz et al., 2014). The RP model has been studied among individuals with both AUD and DUD (especially Cocaine Use Disorder, e.g., Carroll, Rounsaville, & Gawin, 1991); with the largest effect sizes identified in the treatment of AUD (Irvin, Bowers, Dunn, & Wang, 1999). As a newer iteration of RP, Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP) alcohol abstinence vs moderation has a less extensive research base, though it has been tested in samples with a range of SUDs (e.g., Bowen et al., 2009; Bowen et al., 2014; Witkiewitz et al., 2014). For years, the answer to whether people with alcohol dependence and AUD could ever drink again in moderation was presumed to be a firm “no.” But today, programs like Moderation Management may offer people living with AUD a way to drink moderately or taper off into abstinence.

• This theory supposes that the common alcoholic — something 17.7 million people were classified as in 2012[5] — can manage their addiction by limiting how much and how often they drink.
• They’re able to enjoy an occasional drink while still avoiding negative drinking behaviors and consequences.
• Many advocates of harm reduction believe the SUD treatment field is at a turning point in acceptance of nonabstinence approaches.
• You might think having a few drinks regularly is harmless, but even consuming alcohol in moderation carries some risks.
• When I first set about writing this article, many of the issues I was going to bring up had to do with research on alcohol relapse patterns, my own story, and other evidence I’ve already introduced on All About Addiction.
• Contact us today to learn more about us at The Bluffs and take a step toward life-long recovery.

12-step programs alone do not usually address the underlying need that’s been suppressed through alcohol. Without addressing those needs, it’s like https://ecosoberhouse.com/ trying to cap an active volcano with a giant boulder. Sooner or later, the pressure will build up and the volcano will explode—or you will relapse.

Abstinence vs. Drinking in Moderation: Which is Right for You?

A commitment to sobriety means that you are committed to a course of action, understanding that it is not an easy task and one that takes a great deal of patience, persistence and practice. We are not perfect beings, we are fallible and breaking a commitment is not the same as giving up on one. A permanent commitment means we are committed to a course of action for the future and we will do every thing in our power to fulfill and maintain that commitment.

→ Are not currently grappling with severe life problems such as divorce, job loss, bankruptcy, debilitating or life-threatening medical illness, death of a loved one, depression or other psychiatric illness, etc. It is clear from looking at the research that if you want to increase your odds of success, abstinence is the way to go. And while neither path is easy, the abstinence road seems to offer less resistance. A study conducted at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden found that the Reagans of the world are more successful in treatment than the Saras.