This page was written by Dr. Ed Wilson and originally appeared on non12step.com. We feel Dr. Wilson’s thoughts surrounding alcohol moderation would benefit some of our readers, so we have created this page to include his reflections. Where necessary, we have adjusted the language to maintain consistency throughout the Practical Recovery website.

Are you drinking too much but don’t want to quit entirely? You may be able to moderate your drinking.

As you probably know, and despite mainstream messaging, some people are capable of learning to moderate their alcohol use and some are not. Many of the people who are successful at moderating do so through good planning, professional support, and the use of Naltrexone. It’s a process that follows the models used successfully in Europe and Canada and in a very few exceptionally good U. S. programs.

Successful Moderation Is Possible

You may have heard that successful moderation is impossible, but don’t confuse 12-Step marketing hype with actual research. A recent National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism study of 43,000 U.S. adult alcoholics, for example, found that more than one-third had successfully moderated their drinking over the previous year. (The actual study and additional research is available at SUNY-Pottsdam)

You won’t be surprised to learn that “disease model” adherents argue that these successful moderators weren’t really alcoholics. Yet these same people would cheerfully affix life-long labels to anyone with the slightest symptoms of alcohol abuse – and accuse them of being “in denial” if they objected.  Can you imagine volunteering for a program where services and outcomes are predetermined regardless of your actual condition? But that’s the common U.S. model these days and it has no time for differences in either people or outcomes.

Alcohol Moderation Success Is About Awareness

Wouldn’t you really like to know if you’re one of the people who can return to non-problematic drinking levels? If so, success is largely about awareness, knowing your drinking triggers, planning, and practicing.

It can be harder than it sounds and that’s where our support comes into play. We believe in helping you achieve your goals…  and we’re dedicated to really understanding you, your drinking patterns, urges and triggers, and where things are going wrong. We want you to be successful!

Medication Helps

You may find short term use of Naltrexone to be a helpful aid whether you’re interested in moderation or abstinence. You can get more info about Naltrexone at www.samhsa.gov.

Of course, the success of moderation attempts is unpredictable. Some clients succeed while others decide abstinence works better for them. We support you in whatever decision you arrive at and assist you in achieving your goals.