Moderation Management
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Moderation Management (MM) is a self-change program and support group for persons concerned about their use of alcohol.
MM is a program that welcomes anyone concerned about their drinking regardless of level of consumption. The program emphasizes that individuals choosing their own goals will be most successful in attaining them. Such goals may include abstinence, moderation according to MM limits, or a simple reduction in present consumption. The MM program is thus proactive in approaching alcohol users "where they are at." Individuals accepting personal responsibility for their drinking may change lifetime habits through a program of alcohol self-treatment and support. MM's approach is consistent with broader approach to addressing issues surrounding alcohol and drug use known as "harm reduction."
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[edit] About the program
Moderation Management Network, Inc. (MM) is a registered non-profit organization in the United States that provides support for people who want to make healthy changes in drinking. MM was founded in 1994 and now supports both face to face groups, listservs and chatrooms worldwide. It focuses on helping each individual develop and implement a specific plan for attaining goals with respect to drinking and other activities that are acceptable and healthy for that individual.
[edit] The goals
One of the first things participants in MM are encouraged to do is chart their drinks so that they will know exactly where they are at, and so that they will be able to see progress as they reduce their levels of drinking. MM has sometimes been called "Weight Watchers" for alcohol.
Rather than putting forth unattainable goals and setting up people for failure, which leads to remorse, which leads to more drinking, MM encourages people to set doable goals and accomplish them. Sometimes it can be the first abstinence day a person has done in a decade. And one can lead to three can lead to a week as the person's confidence grows. Sometimes it can be a gradual reduction in the number drinks consumed per day by one drink per day. Other MMers jump right in and do a 30 day abstinence period right from the start.
At some point most MMers opt to do a 30-day abstinence period. This approach to moderation has three main goals: 1) reduce tolerance to the effects of alcohol so that people who drink for the effect ("buzz") will experience greater effect with less alcohol; 2) give the body a rest from the toxicity of alcohol; and 3) allow the individual to identify situations in which alcohol use has become a means of coping, and begin the process of developing alternative coping strategies for those situations. A 30 day abstinence period can be done at anytime, but many MMers opt to do one annually in January, starting the New Year over again fresh.
MMers are encouraged to adopt drinking goals that do not exceed scientifically defined limits that constitute a dividing line between potentially hazardous or harmful drinking and drinking that is a healthy, pleasant part of life. Although MM does not insist that MMers adhere to these limits, recent research has demonstrated that people whose personally chosen drinking limits fall within scientifically valid limits do better in the long run at moderating their drinking.
[edit] Careful planning
MMers are encouraged to plan their drinking sessions carefully. Driving with ANY blood alcohol content is an absolute taboo in MM. MMers are always encouraged to arrange any transportation ahead of time when not drinking in the home. Indeed, one of the most fundamental tenets of MM is to never put one's self or others at risk, and to always put safety first. In addition, MMers are encouraged to plan for how they will limit drinking should they find themselves in situations in which they have previously been prone to over drink. A variety of well-researched techniques are suggested to MMers in the MM "handbook" Responsible Drinking: A MODERATION MANAGEMENT Approach for Problem Drinkers (Rotgers, Kern & Hoeltzel, 2002).
[edit] Lifetime membership not required
MM does not require a lifetime membership. When one feels one has mastered the art of moderate drinking one is free to move on with life. Should anyone ever need a "tune up" a few years down the road, MM is there and ready to offer support again. And it seems that most people returning for a tune up realize the need early on, long before any significant problems begin to manifest themselves. MM wishes to see no one "hit bottom." MM is all about intervening BEFORE people hit bottom.
[edit] The suggested MM limits
The suggested MM limits are: for men no more than 14 drinks per week and no more than four on any given day; and for women no more than nine per week and no more than three on any given day, as these limits are consistent with the avoidance of health problems. However, anyone coming to MM who reduces their drinking and drinks more safely is considered a success. Some choose to drink once a week or even less frequently, although they will exceed the three drink limit on their drinking day. And some find the MM limits too high and choose to drink far less. However, as noted previously, research suggests that people who adopt personal drinking goals that are consistent with scientifically established limits are more likely to be successful at moderating their drinking.
There are also a number of MMers who choose to do permanent abstinence, but this does not mean that they need to leave MM for another program -- in fact, few actually leave for this reason. Most prefer to stick around MM, and there is even an online group devoted specifically to MMers doing long-term abstinence.
Much of the MM support is still online rather than face to face, although a few communities do have face to face meetings.
[edit] MM and other programs compared
Traditional abstinence based programs seem to have high attrition rates since participants in such programs may not view total abstinence as either a desirable or an attainable goal. MM on the other hand seeks to help participants find desirable and attainable goals.
Controlled research into controlled drinking programs has conclusively demonstrated that they are as effective as abstinence based programs, especially for drinkers whose problems are less severe. Despite criticism from abstinence-focused observers, moderation programs have been shown repeatedly to be effective in controlled clinical trials conducted over the past 4 decades. One author, writing in the prestigious Journal of Studies on Alcohol has called moderation programs the most studied approaches to the treatment of alcohol problems, with the greatest amount of research evidence for their effectiveness of any treatments for such problems (Heather, 2000).
In addition to being supported by voluminous research, MM's approach to helping problem drinkers is open and welcoming. Members are not required to follow any "one size fits all" program, but rather are encouraged to find the path to a healthier life that works best for them. Abstainers and moderators are both welcome at MM meetings and in MM support groups online. The focus of MM is on helping people decide for themselves what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, and in supporting their efforts to achieve that goal.
[edit] Controversy
In the late 1990s, MM founder Audrey Kishline was involved in a drunk-driving accident, killing two people. This has led to a controversy as to whether MM led to this behavior. Writers who have made such assertions have conveniently neglected the widely reported fact that Kishline was attending AA for months prior to the accident. [1][2] It is also important to note that all other support groups also have "failures". Many prominent members of abstinence-focused groups, as well as some not so prominent ones, have failed to achieve the goal espoused by those groups. Nonetheless, it appears that many people benefit from a variety of support groups. It is also clear that scientific research supports the basic program of MM as an effective one that can be the basis for either a professionaly delivered treatment or a self-help approach.
