Mutiple ways to successfully quit or moderate alcohol consumption

By Irada Yunusova

     Cold turkey is often considered the only clear solution for reducing alcohol consumption. Alcoholics Anonymous, an organization which offers support and a single plan of abstinence, surrendering one's ego, and accepting one's "powerlessness" over alcohol, is often acclaimed as the most successful approach for alcoholics to improve their lives.  However, some individuals may find greater success with other approaches that require moderation and not elimination.

Research indicates that individuals who repeatedly drink more than they intend, sometimes having physical or psychological consequences from over-drinking, may benefit more from programs that encourage moderation instead of abstinence. Some individuals can successfully minimize alcohol consumption with brief interventions and practical advice about how to set better limits and change their drinking behavior by reducing consumption.

Some doctors treat alcohol-use disorders by prescribing drugs, including naltrexone, an opioid antagonist approved by the FDA in 1994. Although this drug has typically been prescribed to assist abstinence, some individuals have found greater success by taking the drug in conjunction with minimal levels of alcohol consumption. Psychologist John David Sinclair utilizes "pharmacological extinction," with which patients take naltrexone an hour before drinking. Naltrexone blocks the rewards produced by drinking, causing the individual to crave alcohol less and less, with a 78% success rate. Nalmefene, a drug similar to naltrexone, has been approved in Europe to aid heavy drinkers moderate their alcohol consumption.

Moderation Management has recently been identified as a very successful, free, nonprofit support group for nondependent problem drinkers who want to control their consumption, especially amongst women. M.M. implements techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy. Unlike A.A., M.M. encourages members to take "personal responsibly for choosing and maintaining their own path, whether moderation or abstinence." Members are provided guidelines for moderation where they are instructed to abstain for 30 days, reintroduce alcohol while evaluating the effects of drinking, and then stick within limits (for women, nine drinks a week and no more than three on any day). Another option for moderation is moderatedrinking.com, a website that helps drinkers set limits, self-monitor while they're drinking, get feedback on their progress and identify and manage triggers to overdrinking.

Certain approaches may be more successful that others depending on circumstances. Although abstinence is encouraged for severely dependent drinkers, moderation may be the ideal approach for some. It may be easier to prevent overdrinking through medication, meetings, and online websites. Treatment of alcohol dependency is difficult, but it is important to recognize different possible approaches, and to find the one that may work best in any situation.

Reference: Glaser, Garbrielle. "Cold Turkey Isn't the Only Route." The New York Times OP-ED. 2 Jan 2014.