If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes: Why Are We Still Pushing Abstinence When It Fails 90% of the Time?
Albert Einstein is often credited with saying, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” When it comes to treating Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), this sentiment couldn’t be more relevant. For decades, traditional abstinence-based recovery has been held up as the gold standard — and yet, it fails around 90% of the time in the first year. So why are we still pushing it as the only way forward?