We also differ in our severity of drug or alcohol problems, and in our potential to achieve different goals. The bottom line is that you should focus on setting your own goals and not try to impose what you think the right goals are on others. It is not appropriate to tell someone else that abstinence is the only way, or that everyone can become a social drinker or user. Tolerance of differences between you and others is essential if you are to give or receive support from others in any setting. You know you best, and if you believe that this is the only way for you, you are most likely right.
Some people first try a moderate drinking or use goal and fail.
People with severe drinking or drug use problems over a long period of time are less likely to succeed at a moderate drinking or use goal and are encouraged to abstain. You may be one of those people who chooses an abstinence goal because you want to improve your health or want to eliminate problems in your life due to alcohol or drug use. In this section you can discover how to set an abstinence goal for yourself. For the rest of you, it is important to define what moderate drinking is and what it is not. Moderate drinking is not just getting drunk on the weekend.