Drinking Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide to Overcoming Problem Drinking

Drinking recovery is a process of change that looks different for everyone, and understanding your options helps you find the path that works for you.

What You'll Discover:

• What drinking recovery actually means.

• Different approaches to recovery.

• What to expect during the recovery process.

• How medication supports recovery.

• Building a support system.

• Handling challenges and setbacks.

• Long-term recovery maintenance.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, recovery is a process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live self-directed lives, and strive to reach their full potential. Drinking recovery is possible, and multiple paths can lead there.

What Drinking Recovery Actually Means

The first thing to know is that recovery has different meanings depending on who you ask and what approach you're following.

Traditional definition: Complete abstinence from alcohol, often with ongoing participation in a recovery community like AA. Sobriety is maintained indefinitely.

Medical definition: The NIAAA defines remission as having no symptoms of alcohol use disorder for a period of time. Early remission begins at 3 months; sustained remission at 12 months.

Broader definition: Improvement in health and functioning, which may include complete abstinence or sustained moderation depending on the individual's situation and goals.

Something to consider is that the right definition for you depends on your circumstances. People with severe alcohol use disorder typically need abstinence. Those with milder problems may have more flexibility.

What unites all definitions is movement toward a healthier relationship with alcohol that doesn't interfere with your life.

Different Approaches to Recovery

Multiple paths lead to drinking recovery. Understanding your options helps you choose wisely.

Abstinence-based recovery:

• Complete cessation of alcohol

• Often involves 12-step programs like AA

• Focus on admitting powerlessness and working a program

• Lifetime commitment to sobriety

• Strong community support

Medication-assisted recovery:

• FDA-approved medications reduce cravings and drinking

• Can support either abstinence or moderation goals

• Addresses biological aspects of drinking

• Often combined with counseling or coaching

• Available via telehealth for convenience

Moderation-based recovery:

• Learning to drink at controlled, non-problematic levels

• Works for some people with milder problems

• Requires ongoing vigilance

• May transition to abstinence if moderation proves difficult

Therapy-focused recovery:

• Working with a therapist on underlying issues

• Addressing trauma, anxiety, depression, or other contributors

• Developing coping strategies beyond alcohol

• May include family or couples therapy

Self-directed recovery:

• Making changes independently

• May use resources like books, apps, or online communities

• Works for some people with milder problems

• Can be enhanced with medical support

For that reason, the best approach often combines elements from multiple paths. Medication handles the biological aspect while therapy addresses psychological factors and support provides accountability.

What to Expect During Recovery

Drinking recovery unfolds in stages. Knowing what's ahead helps you prepare.

Early recovery (days 1 to 30):

• Withdrawal symptoms if you've been drinking heavily

• Cravings, often strong initially

• Sleep disruption (usually improves within 2 weeks)

• Mood fluctuations

• Physical healing begins

• Establishing new routines

Stabilization (months 1 to 3):

• Withdrawal symptoms resolved

• Sleep typically normalized

• Cravings become less frequent and intense

• Physical improvements continue (energy, appearance, health markers)

• New habits forming

• Emotional regulation improving

Maintenance (months 3 to 12):

• NIAAA considers this "early remission"

• Cravings are manageable for most people

• New lifestyle patterns established

• Addressing underlying issues becomes focus

• Relapse risk still present but decreasing

Sustained recovery (beyond 12 months):

• NIAAA considers this "sustained remission"

• Recovery becomes integrated into identity

• Risk of relapse significantly reduced (but never zero)

• Ongoing attention needed but less intensive

If it seems like recovery takes time, that's because it does. The brain needs months to fully adjust, and new habits take time to become automatic.

For more on the timeline, see our article on how long alcohol withdrawal lasts.

How Medication Supports Recovery

Naltrexone is an FDA-approved medication that can significantly improve recovery outcomes.

How naltrexone works:

The medication blocks opioid receptors in the brain. When you drink with naltrexone in your system, alcohol doesn't produce the same pleasurable reward. Over time, cravings decrease as the brain unlearns the association between alcohol and pleasure.

Benefits for recovery:

• Reduces craving intensity from early recovery onward

• Makes abstinence easier by eliminating the reward from drinking

• Supports moderation goals by making it easier to stop after one drink

• Can be used throughout recovery for ongoing support

• Available via telehealth for privacy and convenience

What to expect:

Many people find that naltrexone significantly eases the recovery process. The mental battle with cravings becomes less intense. Alcohol becomes less interesting.

Research shows that people using naltrexone have better recovery outcomes compared to those not using medication.

Naltrexone is taken as a daily 50mg tablet. It works best when combined with some form of behavioral support.

Our article on how naltrexone helps you regain control explains the medication in more detail.

Building a Support System

Recovery is easier with support. Multiple options exist.

Professional support:

• Therapists specializing in alcohol issues

• Coaches who provide accountability and guidance

• Physicians who manage medication

• Telehealth programs that combine services

Peer support:

• AA and other 12-step groups

• SMART Recovery (science-based alternative)

• Online communities and forums

• Local support groups

Personal support:

• Friends and family who know about your recovery

• Accountability partners

• People who support your goals

Structured programs:

• Outpatient treatment

• Intensive outpatient programs

• Telehealth programs combining medication and coaching

Something to consider is that you don't need all of these. But having some form of support significantly improves outcomes. Isolation makes recovery harder.

All that said, the type of support matters less than having support you'll actually use. Find what fits your preferences and situation.

Handling Challenges and Setbacks

Recovery includes obstacles. Planning for them improves success.

Common challenges:

• Strong cravings in familiar situations

• Social pressure to drink

• Stress and emotional discomfort

• Boredom

• Relationship changes

• Finding new sources of pleasure and relaxation

Strategies:

• Identify your triggers and have specific plans for each

• Practice responses to social pressure

• Develop alternative coping strategies for stress

• Build new activities into your life

• Be patient as pleasure in non-alcohol activities returns

• Stay connected to support

Handling slips:

If you drink when you didn't intend to:

• Don't catastrophize. A slip isn't the same as relapse.

• Analyze what happened and what you can learn.

• Get back on track immediately.

• Reach out to support.

• Adjust your strategy if needed.

The difference between a slip and relapse is what happens next. Quick recovery from a slip prevents it from becoming full relapse.

Long-Term Recovery Maintenance

Recovery doesn't end when the acute phase is over. Long-term attention maintains gains.

Ongoing practices:

• Stay connected to support, even if less frequently

• Remain aware of warning signs

• Continue addressing underlying issues

• Maintain lifestyle changes that support recovery

• Have a plan for high-risk periods (holidays, stress, life changes)

Medication considerations:

Some people continue naltrexone long-term for added protection. Others taper off after establishing stable recovery. Discuss with your healthcare provider what makes sense for you.

Building a life worth protecting:

Recovery is more sustainable when you're building something you value. Investing in relationships, pursuing goals, and finding meaning beyond alcohol creates reasons to maintain your progress.

Accepting ongoing attention:

Recovery isn't something you complete and forget about. Like managing any chronic condition, it requires ongoing attention, though the intensity decreases over time.

Taking the Next Step

Drinking recovery is achievable through multiple paths. Understanding your options, engaging support, using medication when appropriate, and preparing for challenges all improve your chances of success. Recovery is a process that unfolds over time, and help is available at every stage.

If you want to explore how medication could support your recovery, take the online Alcohol Use Assessment to see if naltrexone might be right for you.