10 TIPS FOR DRINK MODERATION

1. Why now? Write down your top 3-5 reasons for cutting back. Add to it as your awareness increases. Having your own personal reasons for wanting to drink moderately helps with motivation.
2. Plan: Before you drink the first drink, have a plan; write it down, track your progress. Learn from your mistakes. Recognize that drinking reinforces your desire to drink. This means that despite your best intentions, the first drink of the day can lead you into the same old drinking pattern you’re trying to avoid.
3. Pace yourself: Sip instead of gulping. Have one drink per hour. Put the glass down to avoid the automatic drinking that goes with holding a glass. Use spacers: Nonalcoholic beverages between drinks. Sparkling water, Balsamic vinegar-spritzers, Ice tea, Cocktails, etc.
4. Take breaks from alcohol: Pick 1-3 days each week when you will not drink at all. Next, try to stop drinking for one or two weeks.
5. Eat: For some drinkers, eating food reduces their craving for alcohol and is an alternative pleasure.
6. Trade habits /Stay active: Substitute other activities during those times when you usually drink. Take up a hobby, read, begin an exercise program, walk your dog, volunteer in your community, make new friends, or spend more time with your family. Try a number of new activities until you find few that you enjoy.
7. The power of No: Learn how to politely say ‘No’ and really mean it. Learn also to say No without explaining yourself. Say No quickly and firmly so that you don’t give yourself time to change your mind.
   •  Brains and muscles have a lot in common. In both cases, muscles and areas of the brain grow when they’re used, and atrophy when they’re not. If exercised unevenly, regions of both brain and muscle can get out of balance. The more you use either a brain region or a muscle, the stronger it becomes and the easier it is to continue the activity — unless you overwhelm and overwork it. What this means for addiction is that the more you repeat a habit, the easier it is to continue doing it and the harder it is to stop. Similarly, the more you say No and repeat not yielding to cravings, the weaker those cravings become. Keep this in mind when you have the urge to ignore your plan. You can build your moderation muscles each time you say no. Practice, Practice, Practice.
8. Get support: Cutting down on your drinking may be difficult at times. Ask your family and friends for support to help you reach your goals. Work with your doctor and a trained moderation or alcohol counselor. Spend time with people whose habits you respect or admire. Social imitation is the easiest form not only of flattery but also of self-improvement.
9. Avoid temptations: First, keep your plan/goals closer then your temptations. Keep no alcohol, or only a small amount, at home. Watch out for people, places, emotions or times that trigger your drinking. Stay away from heavy drinkers and bars. Plan ahead of time what you will do to avoid drinking when you are tempted.
10. Be OK with being human: You are not perfect. No one is. Do not give up. Most people do not cut down on their drinking all at once. It is not easy to change. If you don’t reach your goal the first time, try again. Get support from the people who care about you and want to help. If you are unable to reach your goal after repeated attempts, contact a therapist who has expertise in working with alcohol issues.

*What is Moderate Drinking?

Moderate drinking, first of all, means keeping drinking quantities under specific limits. Quantities are expressed in terms of customary standard-sized drinks. The standard drink is one 12 oz. bottle of regular (5% alcohol) beer, 5 oz. of table wine (12%), or 1.5 oz. of 80-proof liquor (40%). Variations in alcohol content and serving sizes need to be taken into account when estimating and tracking your drinking.

Drinking in moderation means consuming alcohol in way that do not interfere with your responsibilities at home, work, school, or your important relationships; and that minimizes the risk of serious illnesses and harm to yourself or others.

Drinking Limits:

Successful moderate drinkers typically abstain 3 days per week. This helps to break habitual drinking.

Men: Typically have no more than 14 drinks per week, and not more than 3 per occasion. Women: Typically have no more than 7 drinks per week, and not more than 2 per occasion. Both men and women avoid intoxication: That is they do not drink more then 1 drink per hour.

Research has shown that these limits are generally workable for persons who have learned to moderate after experiencing drinking problems. These limits are mostly the same as those set forth by the Canadian Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines and the US government’s National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

By: Karen Tyrrell, MFT

Full Spectrum Recovery and Counseling, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

805-966-5100, http://www.fullspectrumrecovery.com

For a Drink Moderation Assessment call Karen Tyrrell, MFT at 805-966-5100

For 10 additional Moderation Tips please email: Karentyrrell@gmail.com, put “Moderation Tips” in the subject line.

*The more you practice this skill, the easier it gets*