Recovery After Rehab: Moderation or Abstinence?

A representative subset of 39,809 individuals from the GfK KnowledgePanel were sent the screening question via email, to which 25,229 responded (63.4%). This response rate is similar to other nationally representative surveys (Grant et al., 2015, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, alcohol abstinence vs moderation 2016, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Data were weighted using the method of iterative proportional fitting so as to represent the US civilian population (Battaglia et al., 2009). A total of 2,002 individuals who had resolved an AOD problem were included in the final analyses.

Does moderate drinking cause cancer?

Previous research suggests that people drinking alcohol in moderation live longer than those who do not consume it. Another, older study concludes that men who drink moderate amounts of alcohol have a higher life expectancy than individuals who drink alcohol occasionally or heavily. These answers will vary from individual to individual, and your choice of moderation vs. abstinence is a personal one.

Considering Your Options

• Seeking therapy or counseling can provide a safe space to process emotions and gain insight into your triggers.
• While this is always encouraging to me, it also made me wonder about the differences between these groups that might be easy to see when someone shows up to treatment.
• Once they are honestly talking about their use, they are more able to develop helpful coping techniques for managing issues that arise.
• Some people find it’s still too overwhelming to be around alcohol, and it’s too hard to change their habits.
• High alcohol consumption is not considered safe, and has the potential to damage vital organs, as well as affect your behavior and mood.

Indeed, 54.0% in the National Recovery Study also sought lifetime assistance for their substance use problem (Kelly et al., 2017) versus 19.8% among those with alcohol use disorder in the NESARC (Grant et al., 2015). National Recovery Study rates of abstinent recovery were lower, however, relative to the 88.0% with alcohol problems in the What is Recovery Study (Subbaraman and Witbrodt, 2014). Abstinence rates may be higher in samples where individuals identify as ‘in recovery’ (Kelly et al., 2018) as well as those recruited mostly through treatment-oriented organizations, as was the case in the What is Recovery Study (Subbaraman and Witbrodt, 2014).

Research shows that moderate drinking can work for those who abuse alcohol.

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. Studies have shown that in some cultures there are a small percentage of people who can return to moderate drinking. Attempts at moderation may not be worth the effort or the risk when considering the consequences.

• Of those, 405 (90.6%) used to drink alcohol, and 322 (72.04%) had engaged in at least one of the listed risky behaviors.
• With the aid of medications like naltrexone and more, we can get substantial improvements in drinking behavior even if we don’t achieve abstinence.
• Drinking is often a coping strategy subconsciously used to avoid having to deal with uncomfortable or painful issues.

Of course, this is easier to do at home—but you can try communicating your needs to the bartender or waiter. 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).

• However, the authors of the recent study chalk this up to risky behaviors that people abstaining from alcohol engaged in earlier in their lives.
• This is especially true if you suffer from specific health conditions or are cutting back to avoid increased risk of specific health consequences.
• Also interesting that, as the study authors point out,  all groups improved to varying degrees particularly in terms of fewer drinks per drinking day.
• For some, their decision to cut back on or abstain from drinking is connected to a desire to be healthier, save money, or reestablish their views on their alcohol consumption.
• Except that every time I present this at a conference, clinicians tell me that they already knew their clients had varying levels of “Alcoholism” and that the new definition simply better fit their conceptualization of the problem.

History of SMART Recovery

There are also support groups dedicated to abstinence, including the most famous support group of all, Alcoholics Anonymous. These kinds of groups become a source of support from people who understand, who are looking for solidarity and hope. Others, like naltrexone, can quickly alleviate intoxication, which is crucial in overdose situations. However, if the individual cannot become intoxicated, then what’s the point of consuming alcohol or drugs?

Abstinence vs Drinking in Moderation

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. Drinking in moderation means you still enjoy a drink, but avoid the harms to health, relationships and wellbeing that potentially come with heavy or risky drinking. For some people it’s an easy decision but for others, weighing up the gains and losses of each option can help. I’m a big supporter of the idea that improvements in quality of life, in addition to or instead of measures of abstinence, need to be incorporated broadly into addiction treatment research.

• However, results of a new study from the University of Greifswald in Germany contradict the idea of drinking alcohol to protect health.
• ‘Ageing out’ itself may consist of substance use becoming less compatible with individuals’ lifestyles and developmental contexts as they grow older.
• 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.
• Moderate drinking can be achieved through keeping track of how much you drink, pacing yourself when you drink, avoiding drinking with heavy drinkers, and pinpointing your heavy drinking triggers.