• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FHE Health - Addiction & Mental Health Care Homepage

Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment

MENUMENU
  • About
        • About FHE Rehab
          • About FHE Health
          • Our Staff
          • Locations We Serve
          • Testimonials
        • Our Campus
          • Gallery
          • Our Videos
          • Our Wellness Center
        • Our Locations
          • Alcohol Rehab
          • Detox Center
          • Drug Rehab
          • Mental Health Center
          • Outpatient Rehab
        • Careers at FHE Health
          • Employment Opportunities
        • Our Expertise
          • Accreditations
          • Educational Affiliates
          • Education Scholarship
  • Addiction
        • Treatment Programs
          • Treatment Program Overview
          • Alcohol Addiction
          • Drug Addiction Treatment
          • Behavioral Addiction
        • Levels of Care
          • Continuum of Care
          • Addiction Detox
          • Inpatient Addiction Treatment
          • Outpatient Addiction Treatment
        • What We Treat
          • Alcoholism
          • Amphetamines
          • Benzodiazepines
          • Cocaine
          • Heroin
          • Opioids
          • Sedative
  • Mental Health
        • Mental Health Rehab
          • Mental Health Care
          • Onsite Psychiatric Care
          • Dual Diagnosis
        • Levels of Care
          • Residential Mental Health Care
          • Outpatient Mental Health Care
        • What We Treat
          • ADD & ADHD
          • Anxiety Disorders
          • Bipolar Disorder
          • Depression
          • Eating Disorders
          • Personality Disorders
          • PTSD
          • Schizophrenia
          • Substance Use Disorder
          • Trauma
  • Programs
        • FHE Programs
          • Specialty Program Overview
          • Restore (Mental Health)
          • Empower! (Women's Program)
          • Shatterproof (First Responders)
          • Thrive (Behavioral Health)
          • Compass (Working Professionals)
        • Support Programs
          • Alumni
        • Therapies
          • Acupuncture
          • Breathwork Therapy
          • CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
          • DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
          • EMDR Therapy
          • Expressive Arts Therapy
          • Individual Therapy
          • Group Therapy
          • Gambling Therapy
          • Music Therapy
          • Massage
          • Yoga
        • Medical Care
          • Medical Integration
          • Ketamine Infusion
          • IV Vitamin
          • Fitness & Nutrition
          • Medication-Assisted Treatment
          • Medication Management
        • NeuroRehab Services
          • Neuro Rehabilitation
          • NeuroFeedback Training
          • Neurostimulation Therapy
          • EEG Brain Mapping
          • Insomnia Treatment for PTSD
  • Resources
        • FHE Guides
          • Understanding Drug Abuse
          • Signs of Addiction
          • The Disease of Addiction
          • Confronting Addiction
          • Staging an Intervention
          • Rehab Success Rate – Does It Really Work?
          • Withdrawal Timelines
          • Life After Rehab
          • LGBTQ+ Community Resources
          • Senior Resources
          • Union Member Resources
          • Veteran Resources
          • Remote Resources Toolkit
        • Learning Center
          • Help for You
          • Help For Loved Ones
          • Help For Alcoholism
          • Help With Substance Abuse
          • Behavioral & Mental Health
          • Life in Recovery
          • Rehab Explained
          • Addiction Statistics
          • View All Articles
        • The Experience Blog
          • Addiction News
          • Alumni
          • Community Events
          • Expert Opinions
          • FHE Commentary
          • FHE News
          • Treatment Legislation
          • View All Articles
  • Admissions
        • Insurance
          • Blue Cross Insurance
          • Beacon Health / Value Options Insurance
          • Cigna Insurance
          • Humana Insurance
          • TRICARE Insurance
        • Admissions
          • Steps to Addiction Help
          • Will Insurance Cover Behavioral Treatment?
          • Self-Pay Rehab
        • FAQ
          • Keeping Your Job in Rehab
          • Example Day in Rehab
        • Contact Admissions
          • Contact Us
          • Secure Payment Form
  • Contact

Call for Immediate Help: (844) 299-0618

Home > Experience Blog > Addiction News > Is Complete Abstinence the Only Option in Addiction Recovery?

October 24, 2016 By Meghan

Is Complete Abstinence the Only Option in Addiction Recovery?

Addiction Recovery

Is Complete Abstinence the Only Option in Addiction Recovery?

When a person is in addiction recovery, most people think that complete abstinence from any kind of substance is the only option. This is certainly a nonnegotiable fact for people who are early in recovery. For them, even the slightest hint of a mind-altering substance will send them right back into the darkest depths of addiction.

Addiction Recovery Takes a Lot of Work

When a person is in addiction recovery, it requires complete focus and persistence. This goes for any kind of addiction, to any kind of drug or alcohol. Addiction is defined as “a strong and harmful need to regularly have something (such as a drug) or do something (such as gamble).” As much as an addict may deny it, once they have even just a few days in recovery, they should be able to recognize that they have an addiction problem. The choice is theirs whether they decide to do something about it or stay in their ways.

If a person has ever been addicted, they know they have a hard time regulating their drug of choice. Therefore, what makes it ok to try it again in the future? Addiction recovery is so fragile and elusive, but at the same time, it is possible. The only thing that needs to happen is that the desire to be sober and healthy has to be stronger than the desire to use or drink.

If recovering were easy, more people would succeed. More people would be able to toss back a few beers without it leading to shots and alcohol poisoning, or to shooting heroin and overdosing. So, what is the point of playing with fire by indulging here and there if it could end up being your death sentence?

Abstinence is Ultimately the Addict’s Choice

It goes without saying that someone who is addicted to illegal drugs should never pick them up again under any circumstances. But, is it ok for that same person to indulge in a few drinks? There isn’t a clear answer to this question, but it is a very gray area that can be fine for some and terrible for others.

Treatment centers and people who partake in twelve-step programs will tell you that no, it is by no means ok to pick up anything. Others think that strict moderation is ok down the line, once a person has enough sense of self-control. At that point, user needs to decide when things are getting out of control, and to get help. Getting help isn’t easy to do, especially after a decent amount of sober time.

Addiction, Guilt, and the Lack of Ability to Say No

The danger of slipping up with alcohol or another substance like marijuana is that it carries a sense of guilt. This guilt manifests into thinking that since you are already under the influence, you may as well “go big or go home”. This can easily lead to a person picking up a heavier drug, or drinking a dangerous amount.

Alternatively, some people get so triggered by any mind-altering substances that they immediately begin to crave more. The pleasure receptors of the brain start firing off, and the desire to use can become completely overwhelming.

Just being under the influence of alcohol can make a person weaker. For some, this leads to something less harmful, like eating a bucket of french fries you normally wouldn’t have. To others, it can lead to hard drugs or huge amounts of alcohol. The self-control and determination you fought so hard for in treatment are immediately out the window.

Addiction Recovery is a Personal Journey

While there is no clear and definite answer to the debate between complete abstinence and moderation, it seems like to choose abstinence is to choose the path with more promise. There are people who have beers on the weekend and are fine. Others spiral into a deadly relapse as soon as they start drinking. They end up back in rehab, or worse, in jail or dead.

In the end, only the person in recovery can determine what is right for them. It’s a big decision and one that they definitely should not act impulsively on. They should discuss ideas with their sober network, and weigh the impacts of potentially bad decisions.

It is also important for the person to think deeply about why they want to pick up a drink. Answering this requires honesty and truly thinking about their motives and needs. Is it because everyone around them is drinking? If this is the case, it is a good idea to get a new group of friends or move away from their current situation. If there is a healthier, better reason they can give, maybe a beer is worth considering.

However, with the potential consequences and everything they have been through, is it worth it?

Filed Under: Addiction News

More Questions about Treatment?

More Questions about Treatment?

We offer 100% confidential and individualized treatment

Contact Us

About Meghan

Meghan Blackford is a Social Media Consultant with over ten years of advertising and digital marketing experience, who helps curate... read more

Primary Sidebar

The Experience Blog

  • Addiction News
  • Alumni
  • Community Events
  • Expert Columns
  • FHE Commentary
  • FHE News
  • Treatment Legislation
  • All Articles

Sign up for the Blog

Our Facilities

Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.

View Our Gallery

Learning Center

  • Help for You
  • Help For Loved Ones
  • Help For Alcoholism
  • Help With Substance Abuse
  • Behavioral & Mental Health
  • Life in Recovery
  • Rehab Explained
  • All Articles

FHE Health Is Open With Enhanced Safety Protocols... Read more

Footer

FHE Health

© 2022 FHE Health

505 Federal Hwy #2,
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441
1-844-299-0618
youtube facebook instagram
  • Contact
  • Careers at FHE Health
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
A+ BBB and Top Places to Work - Sun Sentinel

The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at marketing@fhehealth.com.

Request a Call

  • We guarantee 100% privacy. Your information will not be shared.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

844-299-0618

Call/Text Me