Alcohol Abuse and Harm Reduction

In countries other than the United States Harm Reduction what is frequently used to reduce  excessive use, addiction and dependence on alcohol.  The idea of this is quite simple: reducing a problem to any degree is positive. Incrementally reducing this problem will eventually get rid of the problem or least get it under control.  Harm Reduction is a very easy concept to grasp and it works.

Using NESARC, Dawson and colleagues examined data on people who experienced the onset of alcohol dependence at some point before the year prior to the survey. In this sample, 25.0 percent were still alcohol dependent, 27.3 percent were in partial remission, 11.8 percent were in full remission but drinking at levels or patterns that put them at high risk for relapse, 17.7 percent were low-risk drinkers, and 18.2 percent were abstainers during the year prior to the survey.

The NESARC data has shown that only 25.5 percent of these respondents reported ever receiving treatment. Of this 25.5 percent, 3.1 percent participated in 12–Step programs, 5.4 percent received formal treatment only, and the remaining 17.0 percent participated in both 12–Step and formal treatment programs.  This work shows that there is a wide range of recovery from alcohol dependence in the general population, from partial remission to full abstinence. It also shows that the track of this disease is not clear-cut—some people appear to recover from alcoholism without formal treatment. Others may cycle into and out of dependence throughout their lifetime despite repeated attempts to achieve sobriety.

Most people know friends or family that had a drinking problem sometime in their life who either started cutting down or abstaining to better their lives.  A substantial number of people recover from alcohol dependence in spite of its chronic characteristics.  When you know that you have a problem with anything the ideal time to deal with it is early.  If you wait the problem will only linger and get much worse.  This is definitely the case with alcohol abuse.  You can try to cut down by yourself but if that does help then you must find outside help.  But you should only find alcohol treatment which treats you like an individual.  The research is clear that people who are not ready to abstain from alcohol do not do well in abstinence based treatment and tend to do better in harm reduction programs that work within a moderation management paradigm.

Because our treatment center relies on evidence based practices, our Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program shares many common methods with other successful rehab programs.  The foundations of our treatment program for substance abuse also rely on the principles of harm reduction, motivational interviewing, stages of change and cognitive behavioral therapy to promote recovery from alcohol abuse and drug treatment.  In fact, our Intensive Outpatient Program in Memphis, TN that has been proven to be effective in the treatment of alcohol abuse and drug treatment in peer reviewed treatment outcome studies.   Our treatment center  provides services to those who need more treatment than one hour a week, but less than 24 hour care, by providing three hours of treatment per day, three to five days per week, in an intensive outpatient setting.  If you or a loved one is showing signs of alcohol abuse or needs drug treatment rehab, they should be assessed by a trained mental health professional who can help design a treatment plan that can result in recovery.  Treatment for substance abuse can be highly successful.  Call us at 901-682-6136 to schedule an appointment.