Alcohol use disorder has a variable course th at is characterized by periods of remission
and relapse. A decision to stop drinking, often in response to a crisis, is likely to be followed
by a period of weeks or more of abstinence , which is often followed by limited periods of
controlled or nonproblematic drinking. However,  once alcohol intake resumes, it is highly
likely that consumption will rapidly escalate and that severe problems will once again
develop.
Alcohol use disorder is often erroneously pe rceived as an intractable condition, per-
haps based on the fact that individuals who present for treatment typically have a history
of many years of severe alco hol-related problems. However, these most severe cases rep-