Which Is Better: Alcohol Moderation or Abstinence?

You’ve noticed that you’re drinking more and more often, or maybe you’ve experienced some unwanted consequences from your alcohol use. You need a change, but you cannot decide what your goal should be. Should you just try to tone down the drinking, or should you fully stop all alcohol use and aim for abstinence? Neither choice is right for all people, but based on your situations, symptoms, and supports, one option could be healthier.

Keep reading to learn more about drinking in moderation, abstinence, and how to decide which is better for you.

What does it mean to drink alcohol in moderation?

Generally speaking, drinking in moderation means that you have some alcohol at times, but you never drink too much or too frequently. More specifically, the standard to measure drinking in moderation comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

According to these groups, drinking in moderation depends on your sex. They say:

• Men can drink 2 or less drinks each day and as many as 14 drinks per week for moderate drinking.

• Women can consume only one drink each day and only seven drinks per week for moderate drinking.

Of course, in these calculations, the serving sizes matter. For example, one drink is 12 oz of beer with 5% alcohol by volume (ABV), so if you go out and get a 23 oz beer or a craft beer with a much higher ABV, it does not count as only one drink.

Moderate drinking may be more acceptable than other levels of alcohol consumption like:

• Heavy use is anything more than 14 drinks per week or more than 4 drinks in 1 day for men. For women, it’s seven drinks in a week or three in 1 day.

• Binge drinking is five or more drinks in 2 hours for men, and four or more in 2 hours for women.

These levels of drinking are much different from abstinence. When you abstain from alcohol, you never drink it.

What are the health risks and benefits of alcohol abstinence and moderation?

You may experience some benefits from having a drink or two of alcohol on occasion. Some level of alcohol use can be associated with positive outcomes like:

• The relaxed and buzzed feeling

• Feeling connected to others

• Feeling more comfortable in social situations

• Enhanced thinking abilities, including memory and recall

Previous thinking indicated that there was some benefit to moderate levels of drinking like reducing heart disease, but this effect may not be accurate. Current evidence points in another direction. Experts now believe that even moderate drinking can lead to problems that increase the risk of early death from cancer and heart problems.

Heavier use results in the increased risk of harm from injuries like falls. Additionally, drinking more will reduce any of the social or cognitive benefits that may come from moderate use.

With abstinence, there are no obvious risks. The benefits would be that you avoid the physical and mental health harms that could emerge from alcohol use.

Which is a better goal: Alcohol abstinence or moderation?

Deciding between abstinence and moderation is an extremely personal decision, since no one option is best for everyone. You have to take an honest look at your life, health, and patterns to make an informed choice that is realistic and healthy for you.

When is moderation a better strategy for alcohol consumption?

Moderation may work for you as someone who has not experienced addiction or any other issues from drinking. If your drinking does not result in any negative impact on your social, mental, or physical health, moderation may be a good option.

You may consider harm-reduction strategies when you are interested in cutting back your drinking without stopping completely. This approach focuses on reducing use to low levels and drinking in a way that is safe and reduces the likelihood of harm.

When is it better to focus on alcohol abstinence?

Although the decision to pursue abstinence is difficult, it could be your best bet. Abstinence may be the answer if moderation and harm-reduction approaches are not sustainable.

You should seriously consider abstinence if you:

• Binge drink or drink heavily

• Encounter legal or financial problems from drinking

• Cannot perform at home, work, or school because of your drinking

• Spend a lot of time drinking or being hung over

• Cannot effectively cut down your drinking

• Keep hurting loved ones or yourself

Abstinence has plenty of benefits, even if it is not permanent. It can result in fewer health-related risks that are normally associated with alcohol.

Abstinence can also reset your tolerance. As you drink more, your tolerance increases, so it takes more drinks to feel intoxicated. With a higher tolerance, finding moderation can be a struggle. By abstaining for a period of time, you can reset your tolerance, which may make it easier to drink in moderation.

Is abstinence too difficult a goal if you have a substance use disorder?

Abstinence is absolutely a challenging goal to aim for, but that does not mean that you should not try. In fact, if you have an alcohol use disorder, it may be impossible for you to drink in moderation.

Many people with an alcohol use disorder end up drinking more than they intend and struggle to return to moderate levels. With this being true, moderation is not a realistic option. When moderation is not possible, you have to choose abstinence.

What tools can help you maintain alcohol abstinence or only drink in moderation?

The tools you use should match your goals, as explained below. 

Tools for moderation

If you are focused on still drinking, you can use tools to help with moderation:

• Add more awareness to your drinking: Pay attention to how many drinks you have, the serving size, and the ABV.

• Be intentional and set limits: Come into the situation with a plan of how much you’d like to drink and learn how to say “no” to yourself and others.

• Drink in safe situations: If going to a house party or a bar after work always ends in heavy or binge drinking, stop going there. Choose situations where you are more likely to succeed.

• Use therapy when needed: Even if you are not an alcoholic or a person with an alcohol use disorder, mental health professionals can always help meet your needs and achieve your goals. 

Tools for abstinence

Abstinence may require a different approach. Tools to help with abstinence are:

• Professional therapy: Individual, group, or family therapy with an experienced therapist can help you understand your issues, identify underlying factors, and plan ways to avoid future relapse. Depending on your needs, you may need intensive therapy from an inpatient or residential facility. 

• Medications: Several medications for alcohol addictions are available. They can help to reduce cravings, manage withdrawal symptoms, and discourage future use.

• Support groups: Mutual-support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) can offer assistance while you stop drinking.

• Involvement from loved ones: Your family, friends, coworkers, and other loved ones can play an important role in achieving and maintaining sobriety. Make them part of your treatment team.

• Persistence: Abstinence is an ongoing process, so you have to remain persistent, even when there are setbacks. If a relapse occurs, regroup, reorganize, and restart your plan.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Eric Patterson, LPC

Eric Patterson, LPC, has been a professional counselor in school and outpatient settings — working with clients of all ages to achieve happiness, good mental health, and better lives — for over 15 years. Since 2010, he has provided clinical supervision to other therapists hoping to refine their skills and become licensed professionals.

Reviewed by:

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD

Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified perinatal mental health professional with over 10 years of clinical experience.

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