Abstinence or controlled drinking a five-year follow-up on Swedish clients reporting positive change after treatment for substance use disorders

As they attempt to lessen the amount they consume, individuals might accidentally consume too much and relapse. Moderation can also make individuals feel as though they can control their substance use, giving them a false sense of wellness. Abstinence may not be the easiest addiction treatment approach, but it is the most effective.

Admitting that you are no longer able to manage your drinking or drug use is the first step in the healing process and the beginning of your recovery journey. Many addicts have How to Choose a Sober House: Tips to Focus on heard that living a sober lifestyle means abstinence from alcohol and drugs. While this is true, living a sober lifestyle isn’t simply about abstaining from substance abuse.

Moderation Management vs. Abstinence

Simply put, those who want to learn to drink in moderation are less likely to achieve their goal, while those who set a goal of quitting drinking entirely see greater success. Some of the abstainers reported experience of professional contacts, such as therapists or psychologists. One may go to rehab, a detox center or engage a sober companion to start. The next recovery support program may be slightly more difficult to find.

• Dr. Stanton Peele, recognized as one of the world’s leading addiction experts, developed the Life Process Program after decades of research, writing, and treatment about and for people with addictions.
• This fixation on abstinence requires that people who recover through the 12 steps decide that their lives revolve around an empty space.
• According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, abstinence is “the practice of not doing or having something that is wanted or enjoyable.” That being said, abstinence is simply giving up drugs or alcohol and not using them anymore.

The concept of abstinence is rooted in the recognition that addiction is a chronic disease with no known cure, and complete abstinence is often the most effective approach to maintain recovery. Abstinence programs emphasize abstinence as the ultimate goal, urging individuals to avoid all substances and often encouraging regular attendance at support group meetings. The journey to changing your relationship with alcohol is about progress, not perfection. Whether you’re working towards sobriety or moderate alcohol intake, the most important thing is to keep going. Every day presents a new opportunity to define your goals and make progress towards them. Learning more about your options and the health benefits of cutting back is already a meaningful step.

Recovery support programs

It also covers tips on how to deal with the challenges you’ll face on your journey to sobriety. From a scientific point of view, the studies that have been conducted of AA are troubling. A well-known difficulty with these studies is that patients who actually attend AA are self-selected. To put it another way, there is no way of knowing what would have happened to these individuals if they had not gone to AA. Perhaps many of those who choose to go to AA are people who would get better with any help, or with none. To get an understanding of the true value of AA, attendance at AA would have to be manipulated.

She admitted she was hooked on alcohol and started seeing a counselor. Alcohol had taken its toll—her job, friends, family, and health had all suffered—and she wanted it out of her life. Her counselor agreed that abstinence was a good solution and they took steps to help Reagan achieve this goal.

Focusing on Building Healthy Relationships

Lastly, you can join free, therapist-moderated alcohol support groups to get encouragement and gain accountability in a non-judgmental and secure forum. 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.

There are also resources such as 12-step groups and recovery groups. It is estimated that up to 80% of those who find long-term sobriety had at least one relapse along the way. Some people experience many setbacks before they find lasting recovery. Your intentions may be good, but it takes more than willpower to avoid having a relapse. Other definitions, however, often focus on the process of recovery and developing coping mechanisms and habits that support health and wellness over the long term.

Sobriety Does Not Mean Abstinence

Combined with a consistent and aggressive disputing of urges to use, most find their messages to use either decrease to nothing or become infrequent and easily handled. 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. While your relationship with alcohol is entirely personal, reflecting on outside influences can be helpful when considering the relative benefits of sobriety or moderation. These influences may include family dynamics, workplace culture, friendships, strained relationships, and lifestyle elements.

Listed below are some of the principles you must apply to achieve sobriety. Abstinence is the process of reducing drinking, and sobriety is the process of complete abstinence from alcohol or drugs. Abstinence refers to a voluntary restraint from engaging or indulging in activities or substances. It, however only focuses on a drug-free lifestyle without factoring in other aspects of life.

What is Abstinence?

Often, but not always, a period of problematic use or addiction is followed by sobriety. Sobriety is a lifelong process involving psychological, social, and spiritual freedom from stress. It is essential to address each aspect of the individual, including their cultural background and beliefs, so the recovery process can be effective. The process must be personal and social, allowing each person to experience success on their terms. When an individual decides to stay sober, they make lifestyle changes that will benefit their life. One of the most drastic changes is abstinence, which stops substance use and changes the way one thinks and regulates emotions.

• The symptoms involved in PAWS can be a barrier to recovery if you’re not careful.
• To put it another way, there is no way of knowing what would have happened to these individuals if they had not gone to AA.
• That means drinking is limited to moderate, responsible amounts as defined by your personal goals or the more official Moderation Managementguidelines.

As the IP had a successful outcome, six months after treatment, their possibilities for CD might be better than for persons with SUD in general. On the other hand, as the group expressed positive views on this specific treatment, they might question the sobriety goal in a lesser extent than other groups. People have used the word sober and abstinent interchangeably until the implication is that sober means the same thing.

Abstinence-based treatment involves enrolling in a treatment program and acquiring the necessary tools and resources for recovery. Experiences of the 12-step programmes and AA meetings were useful for a majority of the clients. Thus, it was not the sobriety goal in itself that created problems, but the strict belief presenting this goal as “the only way”. The results suggest the importance of https://www.healthworkscollective.com/how-choose-sober-house-tips-to-focus-on/ offering interventions with various treatment goals and that clients choosing CD as part of their sustained recovery would benefit from support in this process, both from peers and from professionals. Most people struggling with addiction cannot successfully moderate their substance use without full abstinence. Additionally, many addictive substances like drugs and alcohol lower inhibition.

Our primary purpose is to foster long-term sobriety through the cultivation of accountability, camaraderie, & character development. The ability to surrender opens the door to other possibilities in life. This way, you can make better choices and enjoy life to the fullest. The process of recovery is a lifelong endeavor and requires commitment and vigilance.