Abstinence vs Moderation: Which is Right for You?

The addictive behavior just is not worth it anymore! Also to be remembered are the experiences and feelings https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/total-alcohol-abstinence-vs-moderation/ that come from abstinence. A balance of both experiences has proven to be a powerful tool.

Before you consider that to be a SMART Recovery®
license to relapse, it is not. The reality for alcohol addictions, for example, is that people have an average of two and a half relapses in their ultimate turn to permanent sobriety. A commitment to sobriety means that you are committed to a course of action, understanding that it is not an easy task and one that takes a great deal of patience, persistence and practice. We are not perfect beings, we are fallible and breaking a commitment is not the same as giving up on one.

Abstinence vs. Moderation Management

Like lukewarm beer, a lukewarm Christian doesn’t appeal to them much. I say this because the “moderation” argument is used to justify the consumption of alcoholic beverages. I reject this idea because alcohol is one of those things not designed for human consumption and does not gain respectability through moderate use.

But many people are unable to stick with them and return to dependence on alcohol. Therapy and mental health are essential to the moderation management process. The ability to control your drinking starts with your beliefs and commitment to making behavioral changes. Moderation management programs are only for individuals who do not have an alcohol-dependent disorder. Reducing alcohol intake is more difficult for an alcoholic than for a person struggling with less severe problematic drinking episodes. Typically, the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about addiction recovery is how to quit using or abusing a substance forever.

Abstinence vs. Moderation

The Moderation Management philosophy encourages individuals to develop their own solutions. They can set goals and boundaries that help them reduce or eliminate their drinking. She struggled with the moderation management approach and returned to an abstinence program. She soon relapsed and was involved in a drunk-driving accident that killed a man and his twelve-year-old daughter.

For these addictions moderation is the prescribed course of action. Even in these instances commitment to moderation is an important factor for success. After years of struggling, she decided she needed help. She admitted she was dependent on alcohol and started seeing a counselor. Explore digital-first articles and audio that offer the most timely support to your spiritual watch.

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Be ever vigilant, but ever hopeful and know that you can control your outcome; the choice is yours. 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.

There is no “one size fits all” approach to changing your relationship with alcohol, and all pathways are unique. One person may start out with a moderation goal and later decide that a sober lifestyle more closely supports their aspirations and wellness. Another individual may pursue sobriety and later decide that they want to try to drink in moderation once they’ve clarified their boundaries. The research investigating effective approaches to the treatment of substance use disorders indicates that there are numerous programs that demonstrate variable levels of effectiveness to cope with these issues. Proponents of Moderation Management consider this program to be a good place to start for most individuals, but it is not appropriate for everyone, and many members of MM progress to more stringent approaches. If the MM program does not work for an individual or if they are unable to follow the steps of the program, they should consider becoming involved in stricter programs that stress abstinence.

If you lean towards gradualism, moderation may be a more comfortable place to start. Consider how alcohol is currently showing up for you. Is it a main character in your day, or more of an afterthought?

Many treatment facilities require that their “clients” remain substance-free, which may deter those wanting to adapt their relationship with alcohol. When a person chooses to be abstinent, it means that they refrain from all alcohol consumption for a duration of time. However, when someone starts on a journey of sobriety, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are committing to a lifetime of abstinence. They may have adopted a sobriety challenge, such as Sober September or Dry January in order to gain the space to re-evaluate their relationship with alcohol. They might practice sobriety regularly with interspersed episodes of moderation.