William R. Miller & Ricardo F. Muñoz 
Controlling Your Drinking 
Tools to Make Moderation Work for You

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 Content

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, Ph D, is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico. He introduced motivational interviewing in a 1983 article and in the first edition of
Motivational Interviewing (1991), coauthored with Stephen Rollnick. Dr. Miller’s research has focused particularly on the treatment and prevention of addictions and more broadly on the psychology of change. He is a recipient of two career achievement awards from the American Psychological Association, the international Jellinek Memorial Award, and an Innovators Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among many other honors. His publications include 65 books and over 400 articles and chapters. His website is
https://williamrmiller.net.

Ricardo F. Muñoz, Ph D, 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.