Overview
This is a book for anyone who's worried about needing a third glass of wine to fall asleep; anyone who loves TGIF celebrations but hates missing his or her child's Saturday-morning ball game; and anyone who knows he or she won't lose weight unless martinis are given up along with the fettuccine Alfredo. Studies indicate that 10% of Americans--nearly 30 million of us--drink more than we should. Based on 30 years of research, William Miller and Ricardo Muñoz argue that for many people abstinence isn't the only healthy alternative. Controlling Your Drinking shows readers how to become moderate drinkers by making small changes in everyday behavior. After reviewing the research supporting their treatment approach, Miller and Muñoz outline a simple, pragmatic, and adaptable plan for achieving the results you want. Balancing a compassionate, hopeful tone with dry wit, Controlling Your Drinking is an easy-to-follow, science-based approach to moderation that avoids labels and moralizing.Synopsis
How many glasses of wine can you have with dinner before blowing your diet, your cool, or your budget? When it comes to alcohol use, many of us find it difficult to draw the line between problem-free enjoyment and harmful overindulgence. Studies show that 10 percent of Americans--nearly 30 million of us--drink more than we should. If you suspect it’s time to cut back but aren’t sure you want to abstain, Controlling Your Drinking provides an alternative opportunity to reflect on your habits and adjust unhealthy behaviors. Drawing on 30 years of research and nearly three dozen clinical trials, recognized experts William R. Miller and Ricardo F. Muñoz supply hard facts and current data you can use to evaluate your alcohol consumption and judge its impact on your physical and emotional health. Armed with a fresh perspective on your drinking and its consequences, you decide whether moderation fits your needs. Without resorting to labels or moralizing, Miller and Muñoz help you establish a simple, pragmatic, and adaptable plan for meeting your goals and achieving the results you want. Set apart by its science-based approach and straightforward advice, this book is the thinking person’s guide to sensible alcohol use.
Library Journal
In this update of How To Control Your Drinking (1975), Miller (Distinguished Professor of Psychology & Psychiatry, Univ. of New Mexico) and Munoz (psychology, Univ. of California, San Francisco) address alcohol drinkers-not necessarily alcoholics or problem drinkers-who want to consume more moderately. Their expert advice is supported by 30 years of research and professional implementation of behavioral self-control training, a technique further cited in the extensive clinical references. Following an introduction that explains overdrinking, its harmful effects, and the moderation approach, the authors provide excellent advice and suggestions to follow when drinking, alternatives to consider before drinking, and ideas for replacing alcohol with other healthful activities. Throughout are numerous practical tools and techniques that anyone can grasp. Eschewing the traditional, faith-based 12-step approach to total abstinence-which many people find intimidating-the authors have written a standout title in the growing field of alcoholism treatment. Highly recommended for all public libraries and university libraries supporting the helping professions.-Dale Farris, Groves, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"Some people with alcohol problems can learn to moderate their drinking, while others cannot drink at all without serious consequences. For people in the first category, this book provides a uniquely practical way of addressing their drinking problems. It is written with clarity and with illuminating clinical examples that will be valuable to both drinkers and their families."--Marc Galanter, MD, Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, NYU School of Medicine"If you want to build a healthier relationship with alcohol, this highly readable book is a gold mine of practical information based on the latest scientific studies. Filled with wonderfully detailed examples, tips, and tools, this is destined to become the guide for people seeking to make the best personal decisions about the role of alcohol in their lives. The discussions of overdrinking, "dumb drinking," harmful drinking, and dependent drinking are by themselves worth the price of the book. Finally, a book that eschews labels and just provides commonsense advice on how to drink smarter and how to figure out if you shouldn’t be drinking at all. The authors are to be commended for injecting a breath of reason into a long, acrimonious debate that has generated more heat than light."--William L. White, author of Slaying the Dragon
"This book is a gem for drinkers who want to cut down. Drs. Miller and Muñoz have taken a complex topic and distilled it to its essence. Unlike many self-help books that tout how easy it is to change your behavior, Controlling Your Drinking takes an honest, balanced approach. While not everyone who overdrinks can learn how to moderate their drinking, this guide tells you what you need to know and do if you are to be successful. I wholeheartedly recommend this book."--Reid K. Hester, PhD, Behavior Therapy Associates, Albuquerque, New Mexico
"Controlling Your Drinking provides something few of us are ever given: practical, nonjudgmental guidance on how to drink responsibly. The book respectfully empowers the reader with skills to take charge of problem drinking. The renowned authors offer straightforward, research-based strategies for knowing if and when controlled drinking might work, how to go about it, and what to do if the approach is not for you. This book offers a potpourri of tactics not only for managing your drinking, but also for managing your life."--Anne M. Fletcher, MS, RD, author of Sober for Good