About the Book
Interested in cutting down on your drinking without giving it up altogether? This encouraging, science-based book can help make that goal a reality. Distinguished clinician-researchers William R. Miller and Ricardo F. Muñoz have spent more than 40 years studying whether moderation works, who it works (and doesn't work) for, and how to achieve it. They give you tools to evaluate your alcohol consumption, decide what changes you want to make, and create a doable plan of action. Learn new ways to enjoy social events, defuse tension and stress, and cope with difficult emotions--with or without a glass in hand. The updated second edition incorporates the latest scientific data and features a new chapter on mindfulness. Helpful forms and worksheets can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2 x 11 size.
Table of Contents:
I. Introduction
1. Thinking about Drinking
2. Why Change?
3. Is Moderation for You?
II. When You Drink
4. Getting Started
5. Keeping Track
6. Taking Charge
7. Slowing Down
8. Refusing Drinks
9. Affirming Your Progress
10. Moving Along
III. Before You Drink
11. Discovering your Triggers
12. Places
13. People
14. Days and Times
15. Feelings
16. Other Triggers
17. Summary: Before You Drink
IV. Instead of Drinking
18. Relaxing
19. Self-Talk
20. Pleasant Activities without Alcohol
21. Coping with Negative Moods and Depression
22. Self-Concept
23. Sleeping Well
24. Mindfulness
25. Managing Anxiety and Fear
26. Being Assertive
27. Relating to Others
28. Living "As If"
V. How Are You Doing?
29. If Moderation Isn't Working for You
30. Sources of Help
Appendix A. The Wrath of Grapes: Reasons for Concern
Appendix B: An Inventory of Alcohol-Related Problems
Appendix C: Tables for Estimating Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Going Further: Recommended Resources
About the Author :
William R. Miller, PhD, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico. He has published over 400 scientific articles and chapters and more than 40 books, including the groundbreaking work for professionals Motivational Interviewing. Fundamentally interested in the psychology of change, Dr. Miller has focused particularly on developing and testing more effective treatments for people with alcohol and drug problems. The Institute for Scientific Information lists him as one of the world's most cited scientists.
Ricardo F. Muñoz, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University and Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of California, San Francisco. His major areas of expertise include addictive behavior, the prevention and treatment of depression, and how depression affects substance use. He has published over 100 scientific articles and chapters and several books, including Control Your Depression and The Prevention of Depression.
Review :
"Drs. Miller and Muñoz provide an easy-to-follow approach for people who are worried they may be drinking too much. The tools presented here for achieving moderate drinking are supported by a wealth of evidence; examples sprinkled throughout the book illustrate how to accomplish each goal of the program. Anyone who has struggled with the need to cut down will benefit from reading this book and following its simple, honest advice."--Katie Witkiewitz, PhD, Regents' Professor, Department of Psychology and Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico
"Now in its second edition, this book has only gotten better. By helping readers overcome alcohol problems on their own, this book fills an enormous need, and is consistent with the scientific evidence that self-change is a common pathway to recovery. A welcome alternative in a field where those with concerns about their alcohol use are given few options."--Linda Carter Sobell, PhD, ABPP, and Mark B. Sobell, PhD, ABPP, Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University
"In a nonjudgmental way, this book helps you scope out your issues with alcohol and decide what to do, putting the ball in your court instead of being prescriptive. It is filled with useful and practical strategies that you can pick and choose from to meet your own needs."--Anne M. Fletcher, MS, RDN, author of Inside Rehab and Sober for Good -_x000D_The text is populated with succinct individual case vignettes and the tone of the book is one of helping the reader literally help themselves. So no preaching, no shock horror warnings, just the subtle and sensitive handling of the idea that problem drinkers can work out for themselves what is best. The book also includes an array of strategies for managing the psychological issues that usually accompany excessive drinking….Will such a book help problem drinkers control their drinking? Well, as has been shown by Miller himself, bibliotherapy works. Reading a book may not be as good as seeing a skilled therapist, but it certainly beats seeing a bad one or doing nothing at all. So, instead of going home with a good red, go home with this good read.--Drug and Alcohol Review, 5/1/2014ƒƒ_x000D_“This book claims center-stage on my desk. Any patient who walks into my office, expressing concerns about a drinking problem, and yearning to change those patterns, is shown this book and encouraged to read it. What better endorsement can there be, except to say that I also strongly recommend this book to treaters. Drs. Miller and Munoz deliver exactly what they promise, and more….I strongly recommend this book to both health care practitioners and potential patients alike. For busy PCPs who want to give their patients a head start at heading off drinking problems (especially if medical consequences are apparent), this is a way to go. For mental health or addiction specialists who learned to think in absolutes, this flexible model is refreshing. Prescribers who provide medications to persons with alcohol problems will welcome this companion.”--Metapsychology Online Reviews, 5/6/2014ƒƒThe authors…are both professors of psychology and experts in the area of substance abuse. Together they bring several decades of experience in research and treatment to bear on the topic….The book has a straightforward tone and is peppered with brief examples of individual cases that help readers imagine applying these principles to their own lives. It is clearly organized to walk people who want to moderate their drinking through the process, from making the decision to change to maintaining the changes….This book is a valuable addition to the self-help literature.--PsycCRITIQUES, 12/30/2013ƒƒ_x000D_The authors provide excellent advice and suggestions....Throughout are numerous practical tools and techniques that anyone can grasp....Highly recommended.(on the prior edition)--Library Journal, 1/15/2005ƒƒ_x000D_Clear, concise, nonjudgmental and practical, it lays out the facts that are often obscured in the heated debate over alcohol treatments....Offers tools for successful moderation...as well as tactics for dealing with common challenges. (on the prior edition)--Publishers Weekly, 1/17/2005
