Preventing Alcohol Abuse
A return to controlled social drinking has a greater chance of
success if the person has only a few symptoms of alcohol abuse.
Only four men who had six or more problems were able to return
to social drinking . Most of these multi-problem people who did not
resume alcohol abuse eventually became abstinent.
Many achieved successful results only if they became abstinent...
These findings suggest that there may be two
groups of alcohol abusers. Some can successfully resume
drinking on a controlled basis. Others must abstain entirely
if they are to cope with their alcohol problem.
Both studies show that level of abuse before treatment
plays an important role in the success of various treatment
strategies. However, most researchers in this area
would agree that the success rates of treatment procedures
are not high enough. Further research on such issues as the value
of abstinence versus controlled drinking needs to be sufficiently
complex to take account, not only of the subjects
drinking histories, but also of motivations and expectations
about what would constitute success in coping
with their drinking problems.
For example, how much does abstinence
change the life of an alcoholic? Alcoholics in the first
few years of abstinence have been compared with returning
prisoners of war. Their world is unfamiliar, because
they have been living in an environment created
by alcohol. Feelings that have been blunted or suppressed
come back to trouble them. They have lost a
great deal of time and must start where they left off.
Being sober, like being free after imprisonment, entails
new responsibilities. Thus alcoholics in the early stages
of abstinence often suffer from anxiety and depression
The resolution of these problems comes when
they establish new personal relationships, rebuild old
ones, and begin to develop confidence in their power to
control their lives.
Preventing Alcohol Abuse
Although there has been much research related to the
treatment of alcoholism, differences of opinion exist
among experts as to which treatments are particularly
effective~ (difficulty in interpreting the available
evidence is that many people perhaps over 50 percent)
who enter alcohol treatment programs drop out
of them, and no one knows what happens to the dropouts...
Studies comparing inpatient and outpatient programs
have produced conflicting results (Miller and
Hester, 2006). It is becoming clear that much treatment
research ha~ failed to find differential effectiveness because
different types of patients have been lumped together
in study populations. Despite conflicting findings
concerning treatment programs, a picture of which alcohol
abusers are likely to do well, regardless of the
treatment , is emerging: people with jobs, stable relationships,
minimal psychopathology, no history of past
treatment failures, and minimal involvement with other
drugs.
Research on treatment for alcoholism is improving
and should yield practically applicable results. Preventing
alcohol abuse, however, would obviously be better
than having to treat it. Unfortunately, less is known
about prevention than about treatment.
Some studies indicate that taxes that raise the price of
alcohol and therefore reduce a society 's total consumption
have a more than proportionate effect on serious
alcohol abuse. Here are usually fewer alcohol problems
in countries where the price of alcohol is high relative
to the average income (is less clear whether merely
alcohol advertising is effective).
Sometimes authorities believe that alcohol abuse
would become rare if people were taught how to drink
from an early age. Preventive behavioral approach
emphasizes alcohol only with food, only at certain
times of day.
Binge drinking and drunkenness should be subject
to strong social disapproval. It should be made very
clear when drinking is appropriate and what the informal
penalties are for inappropriate drinking;
weak, vague, and ambiguous rules and sanctions promote
uncontrolled alcohol use. This kind of customary restraint
is historically well-established in some cultures and ethnic
groups, but difficult to impose through public policy.
People tend to resist any official demand for more
restraint than their entrenched attitudes already endorse.
For Treatment:
www.theliberatormethod.com/Welcome.html
success if the person has only a few symptoms of alcohol abuse.
Only four men who had six or more problems were able to return
to social drinking . Most of these multi-problem people who did not
resume alcohol abuse eventually became abstinent.
Many achieved successful results only if they became abstinent...
These findings suggest that there may be two
groups of alcohol abusers. Some can successfully resume
drinking on a controlled basis. Others must abstain entirely
if they are to cope with their alcohol problem.
Both studies show that level of abuse before treatment
plays an important role in the success of various treatment
strategies. However, most researchers in this area
would agree that the success rates of treatment procedures
are not high enough. Further research on such issues as the value
of abstinence versus controlled drinking needs to be sufficiently
complex to take account, not only of the subjects
drinking histories, but also of motivations and expectations
about what would constitute success in coping
with their drinking problems.
For example, how much does abstinence
change the life of an alcoholic? Alcoholics in the first
few years of abstinence have been compared with returning
prisoners of war. Their world is unfamiliar, because
they have been living in an environment created
by alcohol. Feelings that have been blunted or suppressed
come back to trouble them. They have lost a
great deal of time and must start where they left off.
Being sober, like being free after imprisonment, entails
new responsibilities. Thus alcoholics in the early stages
of abstinence often suffer from anxiety and depression
The resolution of these problems comes when
they establish new personal relationships, rebuild old
ones, and begin to develop confidence in their power to
control their lives.
Preventing Alcohol Abuse
Although there has been much research related to the
treatment of alcoholism, differences of opinion exist
among experts as to which treatments are particularly
effective~ (difficulty in interpreting the available
evidence is that many people perhaps over 50 percent)
who enter alcohol treatment programs drop out
of them, and no one knows what happens to the dropouts...
Studies comparing inpatient and outpatient programs
have produced conflicting results (Miller and
Hester, 2006). It is becoming clear that much treatment
research ha~ failed to find differential effectiveness because
different types of patients have been lumped together
in study populations. Despite conflicting findings
concerning treatment programs, a picture of which alcohol
abusers are likely to do well, regardless of the
treatment , is emerging: people with jobs, stable relationships,
minimal psychopathology, no history of past
treatment failures, and minimal involvement with other
drugs.
Research on treatment for alcoholism is improving
and should yield practically applicable results. Preventing
alcohol abuse, however, would obviously be better
than having to treat it. Unfortunately, less is known
about prevention than about treatment.
Some studies indicate that taxes that raise the price of
alcohol and therefore reduce a society 's total consumption
have a more than proportionate effect on serious
alcohol abuse. Here are usually fewer alcohol problems
in countries where the price of alcohol is high relative
to the average income (is less clear whether merely
alcohol advertising is effective).
Sometimes authorities believe that alcohol abuse
would become rare if people were taught how to drink
from an early age. Preventive behavioral approach
emphasizes alcohol only with food, only at certain
times of day.
Binge drinking and drunkenness should be subject
to strong social disapproval. It should be made very
clear when drinking is appropriate and what the informal
penalties are for inappropriate drinking;
weak, vague, and ambiguous rules and sanctions promote
uncontrolled alcohol use. This kind of customary restraint
is historically well-established in some cultures and ethnic
groups, but difficult to impose through public policy.
People tend to resist any official demand for more
restraint than their entrenched attitudes already endorse.
For Treatment:
www.theliberatormethod.com/Welcome.html