Concept Behind Moderation Management

History

In 1994 Moderation Management (MM) was founded by Audrey Kishline, to offer an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other 12-step programs that only offered a lifetime of abstinence as the solution to anyone who was a problem drinker. Kishline found that using cognitive behavioral therapy, she and others with a drinking problem that were not considered serious could learn how to live a satisfying and fulfilling life by control their drinking through moderation.

Methodology

MM helps members achieve moderation by first offering a mutual self-help environment where moderation is encouraged in those that are concerned with their drinking habits, before their drinking becomes a serious problem. Through a 9 step cognitive behavioral change program members are given the information on alcohol, guidelines and limits to moderation, how to set goals, and self-management, skill. All of these are found useful in other areas of life where moderation or balance is needed.
They operate under the premise that behaviors can be changed. And that drinking problems are a learned behavior, a habit, that can be changed, and not an illness or disease. With this theory there are varying degrees of alcohol related problems. And if caught soon enough when problems are mild to moderate, the problem drinker can learn to drink under moderation before the problem becomes severe.

Values

• It is up to the individual to accept personal responsibility in their own recovery.
• The organization gets it strength from people helping other people.
• When helping someone else in the recovery process, you also help yourself.
• Believing in yourself through self-esteem, and increased self-management are a must in recovery.
• Respect and dignity of other members is a must.

Assumptions

• Those with problems drinking should be allowed to choose what their goals are concerning behavioral change
• To avoid severe problems with alcohol, harmful habits need to be dealt with at very early stage.
• Through education and shared experience in self-help groups, problem drinkers are able to make informed decisions on whether their goal fits moderation or abstinence.
• Harm reduction is always encouraged, with the knowledge that total removal of harm is not realistic thinking
• People cannot be forced to make changes that they do not want to make.

Limits

• Must follow all local laws involving drinking and driving.
• Must not endanger themselves or anyone else through their drinking.
• Must not drink every day, MM recommendation of abstaining 3-4 days in a week
• Harmful levels for women are more than 3 drinks/day or 9 drinks/week
• Harmful levels for men are more than 4 drinks/day or 14 drinks/week

Guidelines

• Finds fulfillment from the occasional, small but enjoyable drink.
• Alcohol does not control the other interests, hobbies, and relaxation styles of the individual
• Has friends that don’t drink, or drink very little
• Will eat prior to drinking or shortly there after
• Rarely drinks for longer than an hour or two on any individual event
• Rarely has more than one drink per half hour
• Rarely goes over what is considered a moderate drinkers BAC (0.55%)
• Does not hide their drinking, or spend time planning on drinking, and feels comfortable with their use.

Moderation Management Steps to Change

Nine Steps for Moderation and Making Positive Lifestyle Changes

1. Start of by attending a meetings either face-to-face or online to learn more about what MM offers.
2. Stop drinking completely for 30 days, during this time go through steps 3-6.
3. Look at how your life has been affected by drinking.
4. Think about what your life priorities are and write them down.
5. Examine your drinking habits, how much do you drink, how often, and are specific circumstances that cause you to drink.
6. Become familiar with the guidelines and limits for moderate drinking.
7. Set goals for moderate drinking, starting with limits, the first week, and work slowly towards moderation and balance you want to see in other areas of your life.
8. Notice how your progress is going, and reassess your goals as needed.
9. Continue taking steps forward towards positive changes in your life, and keep up with meetings if you need support, or want to offer yours.

The first step in getting started with MM is to attend a meeting to learn what the program is about, and get support from others in the same situation. It is here where members get to meet others that they can identify with, and advice on what did or didn’t work for others.

Charting

Charting or journaling is an invaluable tool. When you’re first starting record how much many drink you had, how long were you drinking, what was the circumstances involved when you drank, and any negative or positive feelings drinking brought on. This gives you a visualization of what your drinking habits have been, and to what extent your problem is. It not only shows if you are drinking more or less than you thought but also offers as a baseline to change, and later a confirmation that change is working.

Step by Step Approach

1. Start by keeping a journal of your drinking, this allows you to see how your problems with drinking happen.
2. Look over what the limits. Practices, and assumptions of Moderate drinking entail, make sure you have clear cut idea of what moderation management really is.
3. Once you have a clear understanding, decide which is truly best for your situation. Moderation or do you need abstinence. Use the evaluation tools available to see how severe your problem is.
4. Make a list that entails all the problems that drinking has caused in your life, be detailed, and then what improvements you expect to see by using moderation. This helps encourage motivation.
5. Make the commitment to stop drinking for 30 days, during this time you can learn the tools you need, and purposeful notice the positive effects you experience from not drinking.

See Also

Moderation Management
Guide to Moderation Management Steps of Change
Your Drinking Diary
Tracking Cards

References

• Moderation Management http://www.moderation.org/
• Finfgeld, D., Resolving alcohol problems using an online self-help approach: moderation management. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79, 215-224.
• Humphreys, K., Klaw, E. Can Targeting Nondependent Problem Drinkers and Providing Internet-Based Services Expand Access to Assistance for Alcohol Problems? A Study of the Moderation Management Self-Help/Mutual Aid Organization. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Volume 62, 2001 > Issue 4: July 2001.
• Saladin, M., Santa Ana J. Controlled Drinking: More Than Just a Controversy. Retrieved on February 13, 2014 from: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/473554_1