Outpatient Controlled Drinking Treatment and Binge Drinking Management

At The OAD Clinic, we specialise in alcohol addiction treatment. Whether your goal is complete alcohol abstinence, reducing binge drinking, developing healthier drinking habits through controlled drinking programmes, or treating co-occurring substance misuse such as alcohol and cocaine addiction, we provide highly personalised care.

Michaela's Story about How occasional Binge Drinking was Controlled with Treatment

"I didn't want to stop drinking, I just wanted to be in control again. For most of my life, alcohol was simply part of normal social occasions. Like many people, I started drinking in my late teens, enjoying a glass of wine with friends, celebrating milestones, or relaxing after work. I never thought of myself as someone with a drinking problem, and for many years, alcohol never caused any significant issues.

Everything changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost overnight, my daily routine disappeared. Social interactions stopped, work and home life blurred together, and the structure that had always helped keep my drinking in balance vanished. Like so many others, I found myself reaching for a drink more often. At first, it was just an extra glass of wine in the evening, but gradually those occasional drinks developed into binge drinking episodes where, once I started, I found it incredibly difficult to stop.

I wasn't drinking every day, but when I did drink, I regularly lost control. I would become far more intoxicated than I intended, and afterwards I was often left feeling embarrassed, anxious and deeply disappointed in myself. It wasn't the person I wanted to be. The hardest part was that I didn't want to give up alcohol completely. I wasn't looking for lifelong abstinence. I simply wanted to enjoy a drink without feeling as though alcohol was making the decisions for me.

That made asking for help surprisingly difficult. I worried that if I reached out to an addiction clinic, I would immediately be labelled an alcoholic or told that the only solution was to stop drinking forever. That didn't feel right for me, and because of that fear, I delayed getting support far longer than I should have. But everything changed when my husband found The OAD Clinic.

This clinic operates like a boutique clinic. From my very first conversation with the clinical team, I realised this wasn't a one-size-fits-all approach to alcohol treatment. Instead of making assumptions about my drinking, they took the time to understand my goals, my lifestyle and what I hoped to achieve. The clinicians understood that there is a significant difference between physical alcohol dependence and losing control during binge drinking episodes. Rather than insisting on complete abstinence, they focused on helping me reduce my alcohol consumption safely and regain control in a realistic, sustainable way.

For the first time, I felt listened to instead of judged. Following a comprehensive medical assessment, including liver function tests, I received reassuring news that my liver health remained normal. That alone lifted a huge weight off my shoulders. I had quietly worried for some time about the long-term effects my drinking might have been having on my health, and having those concerns properly assessed gave me both reassurance and motivation to make positive changes. Based on my assessment and personal treatment goals, the clinician recommended Nalmefene, a medication used to help reduce alcohol consumption in people who experience episodes of heavy drinking. He explained exactly how it worked, why it was appropriate for me, and how taking it around one hour before my first alcoholic drink could help reduce the urge to continue drinking once I had started.

What impressed me most was how practical the treatment felt. I wasn't expected to completely transform my life overnight or avoid every social situation involving alcohol. Instead, I was given an evidence-based tool that allowed me to slow down, think more clearly and make better decisions in the moment. Throughout my treatment, I knew I could contact The OAD Clinic whenever I had questions or needed reassurance, which made me feel supported every step of the way.

The biggest turning point happened during what seemed like an ordinary social occasion. I had my first drink as planned after taking Nalmefene, and for the first time in years something felt different. The overwhelming urge to keep refilling my glass simply wasn't there. I enjoyed my drink, but I didn't feel compelled to have another, and then another after that. It was a subtle change, but an incredibly powerful one. I also noticed that I remained much more aware of myself throughout the evening. Instead of becoming heavily intoxicated, I stayed in control of my behaviour and my decisions. I felt like myself again: calm, present and able to enjoy spending time with other people without alcohol taking over. That was the moment I realised that recovery didn't have to mean giving something up completely. For me, it meant regaining the ability to choose.

Since beginning treatment at The OAD Clinic, my relationship with alcohol has changed completely. Today, I drink less frequently, drink more slowly and, most importantly, know when to stop. What once felt impossible has now become completely natural. I no longer wake up feeling anxious about what I may have said or done the night before. The guilt and embarrassment that used to follow drinking have disappeared, replaced by confidence and peace of mind. Social occasions are enjoyable again because I trust myself to make sensible decisions. Perhaps the biggest change is that alcohol is no longer the centre of my life. It has gone back to being what it always should have been, just a small part of social occasions rather than something that controls them.

For me, recovery isn't defined by never drinking again. Recovery means having a choice. It means enjoying alcohol responsibly without feeling compelled to keep drinking or worrying about losing control. It means living life on my own terms rather than letting alcohol dictate my behaviour.

If you've noticed that your drinking has gradually become more difficult to control but don't feel that complete abstinence is the right path for you, I want you to know that there are other options. You don't have to wait until your drinking reaches crisis point before seeking help, or that your partner threatens you with divorce or moving out. The personalised, evidence-based alcohol reduction treatment I received at The OAD Clinic helped me rebuild a healthy relationship with alcohol without judgement or unrealistic expectations. Reaching out early gave me something I never expected to find again: confidence that I was back in control of my own life."

Michaela Poole, Patient

This account is published with the patient's consent; identifying details have been changed.

How The OAD Clinic Treats Controlled Drinking and Binge Drinking

The approach to treatment at The OAD Clinic is built on evidence-based programmes for moderate to severe alcohol use disorders. Our clinical team provides specialist outpatient assessment and treatment for patients who have developed occasional dependence on alcohol and other drugs (polysubstance abuse), or simply wish to control their drinking,

Some of our treatment options include:

Controlled Drinking Programme - designed for patients who are concerned about their drinking without having developed a physical dependence on alcohol. The programme offers psychological treatment and medical interventions to reduce cravings and inclinations towards alcohol-related behaviours. First line of medicated treatment involves Difulfiram/Antabuse, and Nalmefene, and/or therapy.
Alcohol Detox Programme - aimed at safe and controlled alcohol intake reduction for stabilisation
Alcohol Home Detox Programme - safe and controlled alcohol intake reduction at your preferred location
Bespoke - carved out treatment path for other specific types of alcohol use disorders
Sober Life Programme - aimed at relapse prevention, with real-time online monitoring of sobriety wherever you go

All treatment is delivered on an outpatient basis, allowing most patients to continue working and maintaining their normal routine throughout. Our regular clinical reviews form an integral part of all treatment paths to facilitate ongoing monitoring and prompt adjustment of treatment throughout recovery.

Flexible Online and Face-to-Face Appointments

We understand that not every patient can attend the clinic in person. We offer secure online addiction treatment appointments, making ongoing care accessible for patients with disabilities, mobility difficulties, demanding careers or those living elsewhere in the UK or internationally.

Controlled Drinking and Treatment for Binge Drinking: Frequently Asked Questions Answered by Michaela

I don't drink every day, but I can't stop once I start. Do I have a drinking problem?

That was exactly my situation. I wasn't drinking every day, and I never considered myself physically dependent on alcohol. The problem was that once I started drinking, I found it incredibly difficult to stop. One glass would quickly become several, and I'd often wake up feeling embarrassed, anxious and disappointed in myself. At The OAD Clinic, I learnt there's an important difference between alcohol dependence and binge drinking, and that both deserve professional support.

Can you get help for binge drinking without being told to stop drinking completely?

Yes, and that was one of the biggest reasons I chose The OAD Clinic. I didn't want lifelong abstinence, I just wanted to regain control over my drinking. From my very first appointment, the team listened to my goals instead of making assumptions. They explained that treatment could focus on reducing alcohol consumption safely rather than insisting I never drink again. That completely changed the way I viewed getting out of this vicious cycle.

Is there medication that helps you drink less rather than stop completely?

There is, and it changed my life. Following my assessment, I was prescribed Nalmefene, which I took around an hour before I planned to have my first drink. Instead of making alcohol impossible to drink, it reduced the urge to keep drinking once I'd started. This meant I could enjoy a glass of wine without feeling compelled to refill it over and over again.

Does Nalmefene actually work?

For me, it absolutely did. The first time I used it during a social occasion, something felt different. I enjoyed my drink, but the overwhelming desire to keep drinking simply wasn't there. I still felt like myself, but I finally felt in control of my decisions instead of alcohol making them for me.

Can binge drinking start during stressful life events like COVID-19?

That's exactly what happened to me. Before the pandemic, alcohol had never caused me significant problems. When lockdowns began, my routine disappeared almost overnight. Working from home, isolation and the loss of normal structure gradually changed my relationship with alcohol. What started as an extra glass of wine became episodes where I found it almost impossible to stop drinking once I'd started.

Can you reduce your drinking without going to rehab?

That was exactly what I wanted. I didn't feel I needed residential rehabilitation, but I knew I needed help. The OAD Clinic offered a personalised outpatient alcohol treatment programme that fitted around my work. I was able to continue living normally while receiving specialist medical support.

How do I know if my drinking is becoming a problem?

For me, it was about what happened when I did. I regularly drank far more than I intended, woke up feeling ashamed, and worried about how I had behaved the night before. I also found myself thinking about alcohol far more than I used to. Those changes were enough to tell me something wasn't right, even though I wasn't drinking every day.

Will an addiction clinic judge me if I'm not an alcoholic?

That was one of my biggest fears. I delayed asking for help because I thought I'd immediately be labelled an alcoholic and told to stop drinking forever. My experience at The OAD Clinic was completely different. The clinicians listened without judgement, understood my goals and created a treatment plan that suited my situation rather than forcing me into a one-size-fits-all approach.

Can alcohol reduction treatment improve your confidence?

It certainly improved mine. Before treatment, I constantly worried about what I might have said or done after drinking. Social occasions became stressful because I didn't trust myself anymore. Now, I enjoy spending time with friends because I know I can drink responsibly, stop when I've had enough and wake up without regret.

Do I need liver tests before starting treatment for alcohol?

I found the medical assessment incredibly reassuring. As part of my treatment, I had liver function tests, and thankfully everything was normal. I'd been quietly worrying about the effect alcohol might have been having on my health, so having a proper assessment gave me peace of mind and encouraged me to make positive changes before serious health problems developed.

Can you still enjoy alcohol after treatment?

For me, definitely yes. Recovery hasn't meant never drinking again. It means having a choice. I drink less often, I drink more slowly, and I know when to stop. Alcohol has gone back to being a small part of social occasions instead of becoming the focus of the evening.

Is alcohol reduction better than complete abstinence?

I don't think there's one answer that suits everyone. For me, complete abstinence wasn't the right goal. My treatment focused on helping me regain control over my drinking, and that's exactly what I achieved. The important thing was having an honest conversation with experienced clinicians who understood my circumstances and recommended the most appropriate evidence-based treatment, and this clinic did it for me.

Can outpatient alcohol treatment fit around work and family life?

Yes, and that was one of the reasons I chose The OAD Clinic. The appointments were flexible, the treatment fitted around me, and I never felt as though my life had to stop while I worked on improving my relationship with alcohol. It felt practical, discreet and realistic.

How do you know when your relationship with alcohol has changed?

The biggest sign for me was that alcohol stopped being the centre of my life. I no longer worried about when I'd have my next drink or whether I'd lose control. I could enjoy one or two drinks and genuinely stop because I wanted to. That sense of choice was something I'd been missing for years.

What advice would you give someone who's worried about binge drinking?

Don't wait until things become a crisis. I wish I'd asked for help much sooner instead of convincing myself my drinking wasn't bad enough. If you or your loved one notices you're regularly drinking more than you should, or you're waking up with guilt, anxiety or embarrassment after drinking, it's worth speaking to a specialist. Getting help allowed me to regain control before alcohol caused even greater damage to my health, my marriage and my confidence.

Can you save your marriage by getting help for binge drinking?

In my case, asking for help came at exactly the right time. My husband had become increasingly worried about my drinking, and our relationship was beginning to suffer because of my loss of control during binge drinking episodes. Treatment improved my relationship with alcohol as well as my relationship with my husband. I became more present, more reliable and, most importantly, I trusted myself again. Looking back, looking for professional help may well have saved my marriage.

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Clinically reviewed by Dr Oscar D'Agnone MD, MRCPsych | Medical Director - Last reviewed: 25 July 2026