This 25-item scale measures alcohol dependence symptoms over the past 12-months and has been shown to contain items that are very relevant for alcohol dependent drinkers (Kahler, Strong, Stuart, Moore, & Ramsey, 2003), such as the ones recruited in the present study. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ 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.

• By the same token, controlled drinking may be the more common outcome for untreated remission, since many alcohol abusers may reject treatment because they are unwilling to abstain.
• Untreated alcohol abusers probably have less severe drinking problems than clinical populations of alcoholics, which may explain their higher levels of controlled drinking.
• Only 50% of those who focused on controlled consumption succeeded in controlling their drinking.
• Psychologically, you might be dealing with a range of emotions from guilt over past incidents to anxiety about future relapses.
• Several factors influence this decision, including societal perception, cultural factors, psychological impact, and health implications.
• Besides, alcohol affects your sleep quality and mental health too; it’s not uncommon for people who drink regularly to struggle with anxiety or depression.
• For example, in one study testing the predictive validity of a measure of treatment readiness among non-treatment-seeking people who use drugs, the authors found that the only item in their measure that significantly predicted future treatment entry was motivation to quit using (Neff & Zule, 2002).

Twelve step programs advocate lifelong abstinence, while Moderation Management leaves the choice between controlled drinking and abstinence up to the individual who uses the program. Moderation Management is a support group system developed by Audrey Kishline, a self-identified “problem drinker” in 1994. Kishline developed the program because while she struggled with drinking too much, she did not identify with abstinence-based programs. Kishline wanted access to a program that could help her to cut back on drinking and moderate because she didn’t believe she was an alcoholic. However, she saw the potential for developing full-blown alcohol dependence if she didn’t change her behavior.

Historical context of nonabstinence approaches

While AUD treatment studies commonly rely on guidelines set by government agencies regarding a “low-risk” or “nonhazardous” level of alcohol consumption (e.g., Enggasser et al., 2015), no such guidelines exist for illicit drug use. Thus, studies will need to emphasize measures of substance-related problems in addition to reporting the degree of substance use (e.g., frequency, quantity). For example, in AUD treatment, individuals with both goal choices demonstrate significant improvements in drinking-related outcomes (e.g., lower percent drinking days, fewer heavy drinking days), alcohol-related problems, and psychosocial functioning (Dunn & Strain, 2013). 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).

This literature – most of which has been conducted in the U.S. – suggests a strong link between abstinence goals and treatment entry. For example, in one study testing the predictive validity of a measure of treatment readiness among non-treatment-seeking people who use drugs, the authors found that the only item in their measure that significantly predicted future treatment entry was motivation to quit using (Neff & Zule, controlled drinking vs abstinence 2002). The study was especially notable because most other treatment readiness measures have been validated on treatment-seeking samples (see Freyer et al., 2004). This finding supplements the numerous studies that identify lack of readiness for abstinence as the top reason for non-engagement in SUD treatment, even among those who recognize a need for treatment (e.g., Chen, Strain, Crum, & Mojtabai, 2013; SAMHSA, 2019a).

How to Get Help for Drug or Alcohol Misuse

Reach out for help and engage in a conversation with your provider about all the treatment options that are available to you. Finding useful information and resources about addiction or alcoholism can be a minefield. To increase the chance of a successful recovery and life of sobriety it is important to receive guidance from a reliable source. The analytical strategy for the present study was consistent with the primary COMBINE report (Anton et al., 2006). Thus, PDA was tested using a mixed effects general linear model (PROC MIXED), relapse and DPDD were tested using a proportional hazards model (PROC PHREG), and GCO was analyzed using a logistic regression model (PROC LOGISTIC)1. Analysis accommodated the clustering of observations by site through the estimation of a random intercept term.