Total Alcohol Abstinence vs Moderation: Which One Wins in the End?

However, lockdown had also provided time to reflect on the impact of alcohol on their health (both had under-lying, long-term health conditions and limited mobility) and they shared their intentions to start a period of abstinence and healthier eating from the following Monday. Whilst the interview took place before the ‘dry’ period started, it is interesting to again observe the ways in which lockdown facilitated an initial increase in consumption that then provided a catalyst for reflection on drinking and possible short or longer-term https://ecosoberhouse.com/ change. 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). Interestingly, analyses conducted after the main analyses to explore and learn more about the findings (i.e., “post-hoc” analyses) categorized individuals just according to their motivation to reduce heavy drinking and to abstain from alcohol; here the groups were not different in terms of their treatment response.

Alcohol Moderation Management Steps and Process

• Such reductions are very often the goal of treatment and as such, show some possible promise for the treatment of individuals with alcohol abuse problems.
• Alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for a number of health conditions, and potential mortality cases.
• This reduces cravings for alcohol when used consistently (i.e., each and every time the person drinks).
• This model both accelerated the spread of AA and NA and helped establish the abstinence-focused 12-Step program at the core of mainstream addiction treatment.
• Treatment providers are available 24/7 to answer your questions about rehab, whether it’s for you or a loved one.

These groups tend to include individuals who use a range of substances and who endorse a range of goals, including reducing substance use and/or substance-related harms, controlled/moderate use, and abstinence (Little, 2006). Additionally, some groups target individuals with co-occurring psychiatric disorders (Little, Hodari, Lavender, & Berg, 2008). Important features common to these groups include low program barriers (e.g., drop-in groups, few rules) and inclusiveness of clients with difficult presentations (Little & Franskoviak, 2010). Given data demonstrating alcohol abstinence vs moderation a clear link between abstinence goals and treatment engagement in a primarily abstinence-based SUD treatment system, it is reasonable to hypothesize that offering nonabstinence treatment would increase overall engagement by appealing to those with nonabstinence goals. Indeed, there is anecdotal evidence that this may be the case; for example, a qualitative study of nonabstinence drug treatment in Denmark described a client saying that he would not have presented to abstinence-only treatment due to his goal of moderate use (Järvinen, 2017).

• While working with a clinician is the best way to determine what goals and treatment approach is appropriate for you and your medical history, here are some useful pointers to consider when reflecting on the question of abstinence vs. drinking in moderation.
• The challenges and opportunities around moderate drinking when in the home environment were apparent elsewhere in our interviews.
• An additional concern is that the lack of research supporting the efficacy of established interventions for achieving nonabstinence goals presents a barrier to implementation.
• At least based on these data, they are likely to make up a minor sub-set of individuals who seek moderation-focused treatment.

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• Rehab facilities achieve this through random urine drug screens, group treatment programs, and care coordination.
• In the chart, we see data across some countries on the share of people with an alcohol use disorder who received treatment.
• These data suggest that non-disordered drug use is possible, even for a substantial portion of individuals who use drugs such as heroin (about 45%).

Small changes can make a big difference for someone whose alcohol use is problematic but hasn’t risen to the level of official diagnosis, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This will give you a good idea of how much alcohol you’re drinking, the situations in which you drink, and how you could start to cut down. If you’re aiming to moderate your drinking, you may be asked to keep a “drinking diary”.

Who Is Most Likely to Benefit from Moderation-focused Alcohol Treatment?

More people than ever are recognizing the negative effects of drinking alcohol and re-evaluating how it shows up in their life. 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 many people find themselves asking is whether sobriety or moderation is a better option for them. Different people may be drawn to trying a moderation approach for a variety of reasons.

Consider the health benefits

In the United Kingdom, where there is greater acceptance of nonabstinence goals and availability of nonabstinence treatment (Rosenberg et al., 2020; Rosenberg & Melville, 2005), the rate of administrative discharge is much lower than in the U.S. (1.42% vs. 6% of treatment episodes; Newham, Russell, & Davies, 2010; SAMHSA, 2019b). Rather, when people with SUD are surveyed about reasons they are not in treatment, not being ready to stop using substances is consistently the top reason cited, even among individuals who perceive a need for treatment (SAMHSA, 2018, 2019a). Indeed, about 95% of people with SUD say they do not need SUD treatment (SAMHSA, 2019a). Even among those who do perceive a need for treatment, less than half (40%) make any effort to get it (SAMHSA, 2019a). Although reducing practical barriers to treatment is essential, evidence suggests that these barriers do not fully account for low rates of treatment utilization.

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