Heterogeneity in pathways to abstinence among women in treatment for alcohol use disorder

Women who were maintaining abstinence at treatment entry or had planned to stop using alcohol abruptly (i.e., “cold turkey”) after starting treatment had better overall drinking outcomes than those who chose to wind down. A plan to wind-down drinking appeared to be the most appealing option to women in the study and, among those who were able to successfully execute this winding down approach, was related to positive long-term drinking outcomes.