MM’s Steps of Change

Build Confidence and Success with Small, Manageable Steps of Change

It is much easier to build on success than build back up from failure.

The MM Steps of Change break the change process down into a number of smaller, more manageable steps, in order to build confidence. The order in which you undertake these moderation drinking steps isn’t critical, but it’s a good idea to spend at least a little time working with each of them. Guide to Moderation Management™ Steps of Change provides comprehensive descriptions and advice for each step.

Guía para la gestión de la moderación- Pasos para el cambio. Español (.doc)
Guía para la gestión de la moderación. Pasos para el cambio. (.pdf)

MM Recommends:

Start keeping a diary of your drinking, to help learn how your problems with drinking occur. (Or use Tracking Cards.)

Look at the limits of drinking for moderate drinkers, and some of the practices and attitudes that go with moderate drinking, to get a clear picture of the moderation objective.

With that clear picture of what moderation looks like, consider whether moderation or abstinence seems the better objective for you. Also score your problem severity with a self-test, and consider other factors, to see whether moderation would be workable for you.

Make an extensive list of the problems drinking has caused you, and the benefits you expect from moderation, to strengthen your resolve.

Start on a period of abstinence of 30 days or more, to experience the positives of non-drinking. During this period away from alcohol you can work through some steps to help you achieve moderation.

Learn skills for avoiding drinking on occasions when you choose not to drink.
Learn skills to control drinking on occasions when you do drink.
Identify the key triggers that lead you to over-drink, and develop means to neutralize those triggers.
Develop your own personal rules that will keep your drinking moderate.
Identify and start new spare-time activities that will displace drinking in your life.

At the end of your period of abstinence, you can start drinking again cautiously, being mindful of your limits and personal rules for drinking. Maintain a high degree of attention to your drinking during this period, including keeping a diary.

If, and when, you have slips, do a post-mortem to see what went wrong, and change your personal drinking guidelines if necessary.

MM Steps of change orange sneakers climbing blue stairs

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