We first describe treatment models with an explicit harm reduction or nonabstinence focus. While there are multiple such intervention approaches for treating AUD with strong empirical support, alcohol abstinence vs moderation we highlight a dearth of research testing models of harm reduction treatment for DUD. Next, we review other established SUD treatment models that are compatible with non-abstinence goals.

Alcohol as a risk factor for mortality

• The use of alcohol in this way could pose a challenge to attempts to drink moderately and could result in participants drinking more than they intended, drinking more frequently or finding it more difficult to keep track of their consumption levels.
• Subsequently, the authors found that abstinence in this sample at three years did not predict better psychological functioning at ten years (Witkiewitz et al., 2020).
• The consequences of using should be remembered, not with a guilty conscience, but in a realistic portrayal of why you have chosen sobriety.
• Rates of abstinent recovery in the current study (54.0%) were greater than those among individuals in alcohol use disorder remission from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (54.0% vs. 28.9%; Fan et al., 2019).
• People who have a more severe drinking problem and find moderation difficult to maintain often do better with abstinence.
• Additionally, individuals are most likely to achieve the outcomes that are consistent with their goals (i.e., moderation vs. abstinence), based on studies of both controlled drinking and drug use (Adamson, Heather, Morton, & Raistrick, 2010; Booth, Dale, & Ansari, 1984; Lozano et al., 2006; Schippers & Nelissen, 2006).

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. Abstinence may not be a realistic solution with some addictions, such as eating and in some cases sexual addictions. Even in these instances commitment to moderation is an important factor for success. Plus, we’re always introducing new features to optimize your in-app experience.

4. Current status of nonabstinence SUD treatment

Alcohol is toxic to our body, and major health  authorities such as the World Health Organizations (WHO) hold that no amount of alcohol is safe. These answers will vary from individual to individual, and your choice of moderation vs. abstinence is a personal one. Our program offers expert medical support, recovery coaching, and a variety of tools and resources—all delivered 100 percent virtually. Learn more about moderation with Ria Health, or find out how our program works. If you have health problems related to alcohol, it may be unsafe to drink at all, period.

Alcohol Moderation Management: Programs and Steps to Control Drinking

Lastly, this being a study, it is very possible that participants were better motivated, more informed, and more likely to put in the effort required to use the moderatedrinking.org program. Future work would need to assess the effectiveness of this tool in the field without such interference. The population of people who use MM is pretty well educated and is made up for the most part of problem drinkers rather than those meeting full-blown alcohol dependence criteria. The idea is to teach problem drinkers more responsible drinking habits so that they don’t devolve their habits into all-out alcoholism.

You have experienced enough consequences in your life that no one needs to tell you that you are fed up with your addictive behavior. If you are just starting your recovery program it may take time to make a decision on a commitment to abstinence before it is really firm in your heart. It needs https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to be something that you are really committed to and not just something you would like to do. But we can also implement mindful drinking for a more extensive approach to bettering our relationship with alcohol. We can use active awareness to make more informed decisions about our drinking.

When taking disulfiram, you’ll be seen by your healthcare team about once every 2 weeks for the first 2 months, and then every month for the following 4 months. Acamprosate works by affecting levels of a chemical in the brain called gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA). If you’re detoxing at home, you’ll regularly see a nurse or another healthcare professional. You’ll also be given the relevant contact details for other support services should you need additional support. You may also choose to attend self-help groups, receive extended counselling, or use a talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). If you choose moderation, you’ll probably be asked to attend further counselling sessions so your progress can be assessed, and further treatment and advice can be provided if needed.

Whilst the closure of licensed venues may raise questions around a potential increase in drinking in domestic spaces, these issues must be considered against a wider backdrop in which changing drinking patterns and trends prior to the pandemic are acknowledged. Research on alcohol consumption before the pandemic indicates that home drinking is already a normalised (albeit little recognised) part of many drinkers’ consumption routines (Holloway, Jayne, & Valentine, 2008). For example, Ally, Lovatt, Meier, Brennan, and Holmes (2016) produced a typology of British drinking practices which included routine drinking at home (particularly present amongst older couples) and which acknowledged the occurrence of heavy episodic consumption across both licensed venues and domestic spaces. Abstinence-based models of addiction recovery dominated the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment landscape for most of the 20th Century and continue to dominate today (SAMHSA, 2013).

Additionally, no studies identified in this review compared reasons for not completing treatment between abstinence-focused and nonabstinence treatment. Multiple theories of motivation for behavior change support the importance of self-selection of goals in SUD treatment (Sobell et al., 1992). For example, Bandura, who developed Social Cognitive Theory, posited that perceived choice is key to goal adherence, and that individuals may feel less motivation when goals are imposed by others (Bandura, 1986). Miller, whose seminal work on motivation and readiness for treatment led to multiple widely used measures of SUD treatment readiness and the development of Motivational Interviewing, also argued for the importance of goal choice in treatment (Miller, 1985). Drawing from Intrinsic Motivation Theory (Deci, 1975) and the controlled drinking literature, Miller (1985) argued that clients benefit most when offered choices, both for drinking goals and intervention approaches. A key point in Miller’s theory is that motivation for change is “action-specific”; he argues that no one is “unmotivated,” but that people are motivated to specific actions or goals (Miller, 2006).

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