“Moderation” is a term that is often used to suggest that a person with an alcohol or drug problem does not really have to give it up but can “control” it. A program called Moderation Management advocates this alternative to abstinence as a solution for a substance abuse disorder2. Some answers can be found in research conducted by Keith Humphreys, Ph.D.3. This team of researchers undertook to compare self-identified members of Moderation Management with self-identified members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). They looked at demographics—who attends AA versus who attends MM—as well as the relative severity of the drinking problems in the two groups.
- Moderation offers a path to sobriety without completely eliminating drinking.
- More time at home may have contributed to less peer pressure to drink, less time in a “wet” culture, and lifestyle changes that might support a shift towards moderation.
- Take our free, 5-minute substance use self-assessment below if you think you or someone you love might be struggling with substance use.
SMART Recovery was established in 1994 in the USA to meet the increasing demand of health professionals and their patients for a secular and science-based alternative to the widespread 12-Step addiction recovery program. Take our short alcohol quiz to learn where you fall on the drinking spectrum and if you might benefit from quitting or cutting back on alcohol. As we get back to more social events, business meetings, and situations where you may have abused alcohol in the past, it may be time to consider how you can achieve moderation. Another possible option is using medications such as naltrexone or disulfiram along with psychotherapy. You may be able to gradually decrease the amount you drink without needing to go for full abstinence from alcohol.
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Don’t be afraid of proudly reminding those around you that you’re a recovering alcoholic and you won’t be drinking. This individual enjoys the effect produced by alcohol – just as the alcoholic does. However, once this individual begins to experience consequences due to their drinking, they have no issue putting down the drink altogether.
- Alcohol addiction treatment programs can guide individuals through a safe and effective medical detox, followed by counseling that targets the reasons behind addiction.
- If alcohol is playing a central role in your life, you might find more success exploring sobriety.
- For people who have not been able to maintain sobriety through Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other 12-step programs, they may wish to consider if moderation may be a more effective path for them to take.
This makes alcohol the third largest preventable cause of death in the country. John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The sample size used in the study also leaves something to be desired and I would hope that further research would examine these effects with a bigger cohort and a more variable participant group.
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There is a feeling of freedom that results from this commitment where one does not feel hopeless or without choices. Combined with a consistent and aggressive disputing of urges to use, most find their messages to use either decrease to nothing or become infrequent and easily handled. It may not be easy to see now, controlled drinking vs abstinence but your life can be restored to where you are in control, your addiction and the urges will recede to an unpleasant memory. You don’t have to live in a constant battle with these painful, nagging urges. Moderation or abstinence can be a viable tool for adapting ones’ relationship with alcohol when safely achieved.
This is not to say one may not go thorough a period of “day at a time,” or “week at a time,” or even try a “harm reduction” approach. Still, if you want the easiest way to minimize the problems in your life, go for abstinence eventually. It actually is much easier to just give it up entirely than punish yourself trying to moderate or control your addictive behavior. Studies have shown that regardless of the method employed to become sober, the number one factor for sobriety success is a permanent commitment to discontinue use permanently; a commitment to abstinence. When considered as an entire sample of 84 individuals, participants evidenced significant reductions in all three outcomes over the 7 week intervention period (total drinks, drinking days, and drinks per drinking day). Many individuals with an alcohol use disorder that wish to change their drinking, however, have a goal of moderation – sometimes referred to as “harm reduction” – rather than complete abstinence.
Alcohol Moderation Management Programs
Indeed, moderation appears to be a viable pathway to alcohol use disorder remission for some. Identifying who will be most likely to respond to these moderation-focused alcohol treatments will be key to clinical recommendations and policies related to moderation versus abstinence. For all we know, it might also be an option for people who do meet criteria for alcohol dependence but since the study we’re about to assess didn’t talk about it, we’ll leave that for later.
- Attempting to moderate his alcohol use had been important for her husband to try.
- We want to give recovering addicts the tools to return to the outside world completely substance-free and successful.
- Some treatments try to help you quit alcohol and find ways to establish a healthy recovery.
- Moderate or “controlled” drinking is a harm reduction approach tailored toward people with a drinking problem who do not exhibit the symptoms of physical dependence on alcohol.
- Studies have shown that in some cultures there are a small percentage of people who can return to moderate drinking.
- In fact they may have come to believe that 100% abstinence is the only acceptable solution.
Studies show that some non-abstinence recovery programs are connected to a faster recovery period and reduced drinking problems, especially in younger patients. Complete abstinence from alcohol, also known as quitting “cold turkey,” can be risky for people who have an alcohol dependence. These people will likely experience withdrawal when they quit, because their bodies need alcohol to function. Even if you think you will only have a little bit of alcohol, the act of drinking can be a trigger for your mind, and you may end up drinking heavily without planning to.
These goals differ from person to person and range from total abstinence to reduced alcohol consumption. It is important to note that moderation techniques work best with those concerned with their drinking habits but who are not diagnosed with an alcohol addiction. While research shows long-term benefits to abstinence, this approach can leave out those who want to change their drinking habits but are not ready to abstain completely. Many treatment facilities require that their “clients” remain substance-free, which may deter those wanting to adapt their relationship with alcohol. While the burden to deliver effective treatments falls on health care providers, individual factors can impact how well someone responds to these treatments.
- Planning exactly how you’ll say no—in a quick, polite, and convincing way—can make it easier for you to stick with your convictions and avoid a spiral of uncomfortable excuses.
- Treating alcohol withdrawal and abuse problems will depend on the severity of their addiction.
- If you don’t consider yourself an alcoholic or don’t feel comfortable labeling yourself one, practicing moderation helps you avoid having that discussion when you’re not in the mood.
- Most people in the population who have alcohol issues fall into this category and with structured support can bring their drinking down to safer levels.
- Of the patients studied, 90% of total abstinence patients were still sober two and a half years after treatment.
Interestingly, they also found that over a lifetime 30 per cent of adults will experience an Alcohol Use Disorder, yet 70 per cent of those people will transition to safe drinking patterns over time. Alcohol moderation or “harm reduction” is increasingly considered a viable pathway for those suffering with an alcohol use disorder (usually at a mild or moderate level) but don’t wish to cut out booze completely from their lives. This means that they may be looking for a way to review and modify the amount and frequency of their intake.
After a period of moderate drinking, some people end up achieving abstinence anyway. If quitting is your ultimate goal, starting with moderation may help you achieve it. And even if you don’t plan to quit, you may find that you lose interest in alcohol after practicing moderation. For many, a moderation approach to drinking is more realistic because it shows people how to learn to drink in moderation. However, anyone recovering from an alcohol use disorder knows how challenging moderation can be.