Abstinence vs Moderation: Which is Right for You?

Rehab facilities achieve this through random urine drug screens, group treatment programs, and care coordination. As a result, many have been able to find and maintain sobriety.

Moderation management can help heavy drinkers consume alcohol more consciously and responsibly. But for the sober-curious drinker, it can be the first step toward a healthier way of life. You must be confident that you can drink in moderation while setting realistic long-term goals. Moderation management programs teach participants to set their own goals, which makes them more likely to reach them.

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According to the vast majority of addiction studies, of the various factors leading to substance abuse, stress and trauma are right up there. And just as we each had a different drug of choice, we each took a different path out. Among the 1% of Americans (2.8 million) who receive treatment for an alcohol use disorder each year, there are probably very few people with early-stage alcoholism. Whether via self-talk or a conversation with a trusted friend, family member, or healthcare professional, it’s important to talk about your urges and remind yourself why you chose to moderate your drinking in the first place. Learning to accept these feelings, and finding healthy ways to distract yourself from them, will also go a long way toward helping you to handle any urges to drink. “Moderate consumption” is limited to one to two alcoholic drinks per day for healthy men and one alcoholic drink per day for healthy women.

MM encourages people to take the month of January off from drinking. This is Moderation Management , a program whose rising popularity and success rate is posing the first real challenge in decades to the traditional, black and white approach to addiction. Upstairs from one of my favorite Oakland dive bars, 10 people of varying ages and backgrounds are sitting in a circle, talking about their drinking problem.

Moderation Management, the Organization

It may not be easy to see now, 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. As part of the evaluation process, we help clients understand where they are in terms of the nature and severity of their alcohol problem and their chances of succeeding at moderation.

• There are many different pathways to success, and the key lies in finding which particular pathway works best for each person.
• Nonetheless, Helzer et al. rejected the value of CD outcomes in alcoholism treatment.
• Dr. Washton offers personalized concierge care that can help you learn how to moderate your drinking within safer limits.
• There are no requirements for changing your relationship with alcohol and seeking treatment.
• Results from the 1989 Canadian National Alcohol and Drug Survey confirmed that those who resolve a drinking problem without treatment are more likely to become controlled drinkers.

Depending on the number of criteria met, an individual will be diagnosed with mild, moderate, or severe AUD. As a physician on the Monument platform, I speak with patients every day who are looking to change their drinking habits in order to improve their health and happiness. Once they’ve decided they want to make a change, a question alcohol abstinence vs moderation many people find themselves asking is whether sobriety or moderation is a better option for them. It is very important to note that this study specifically excluded people who had previously been admitted to alcohol or drug treatment as well as those who had symptoms of severe alcohol withdrawal at any point in their life .

Drinking in Moderation vs. Abstinence Effectiveness

Men should not exceed four drinks in one sitting or a total of fourteen drinks in one week. The limit for women is three drinks in one sitting and nine drinks in one week. After her release from prison, Kishline eventually died by suicide. Her story highlights the importance of seeking the right kind of treatment for excessive drinking. Moderation management doesn’t work for individuals who are addicted to alcohol. It challenges traditional methods, such as Alcoholics Anonymous , by allowing participants to determine the most effective path for their unique needs. AMP has helped people moderate or stop drinking altogether, reducing drinking by approximately 65%.

• Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates.
• In order to allow for a direct comparison of both disorders, we assessed different measures of impulsivity in a clinical sample.
• Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., is a lecturer at UCLA and the CEO of IGNTD, an online company that produces podcasts and educational programs on mental health and addiction.
• Verywell Mind articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and mental healthcare professionals.
• It involves the use of medications like naltrexone which help reduce alcohol cravings.

If I am committed to abstinence, I do a hundred things to prevent myself drinking alcohol. Over time, these things become normal parts of my life and don’t take much effort; but the principle of abstinence continues to guide and shape my everyday choices. Individuals with severe AUD often find that in the long term, sobriety is the most achievable goal for them. Keeping alcohol in your life in a healthy way can be really challenging, especially for people who have exhibited more severe drinking habits and patterns.

The next AA? Welcome to Moderation Management, where abstinence from alcohol isn’t the answer

We explain the benefits of not drinking at all and routinely encourage all new clients to start with a period of abstinence, even if their ultimate goal is moderation. When given a chance to try moderation with professional support and guidance, clients either learn how to drink moderately or they learn that moderation is not realistic for them and that it might be better to stop drinking entirely. Clients who choose abstinence after being unable to moderate consistently are often more motivated and personally invested in making abstinence work for them. If you feel freaked out by this idea that oh, so it’s totally up to me, so I just have to decide what’s right for me, if this freaks you out, you have to ask yourself why. Changing your relationship with alcohol isn’t a choice between abstaining or moderation. It’s a commitment to focusing on the why behind your decision and staying connected to your body and connected to your emotions and connected to your thoughts. Despite the reported relationship between severity and CD outcomes, many diagnosed alcoholics do control their drinking.

Additionally, many people who have gone through non-abstinence programs seek out complete abstinence later in life. Studies that recognize the potential benefits of moderation programs also see its risks. People who went through non-abstinence programs reported a lower quality of life compared to people who went through abstinence programs, according to one study. Non-alcoholic products are available for the sober curious drinkers looking to try moderation or an abstinence-based approach. Non-alcoholic wines are an excellent solution for anyone looking to make positive changes without sacrificing their enjoyment. The initial 30-day abstinence period teaches participants how to navigate social settings and abstain from alcohol when coming face-to-face with common triggers. They use this time to develop boundaries and limits to support them as they move through the MM program.