Many who struggle with drinking aren’t getting the help they need, largely because they think that the only way to gain control over alcohol is to abstain. Facing such a severe restriction, they may not try to change unless they hit a mythological “rock bottom.”

Nobody wants to view himself as an addict, and the fact of the matter is most problem drinkers aren’t. Many people are afraid even to discuss the topic with their doctors for fear of being labeled. But in fact, researchers have long shied away from using the term “alcoholic,” because it’s both negative and dated.

In the DSM-V, the new term to describe problematic drinking is alcohol-use disorder — a clunky but more expansive phrase that denotes a spectrum of risky drinking from mild to moderate to severe. Only about 10 percent of the estimated 16 million Americans who abuse alcohol fall into the severe category, according to Reid Hester, a clinical psychologist who has been studying addiction for more than 40 years. While those in the severe category might need to abstain from drinking, the vast majority of others don’t, he said.

Newer treatments embrace an array of techniques and are effective for those with mild and moderate problems. A great deal of research supports the use of anti-craving medications, such as naltrexone, and harm-reduction therapy, which Sheila Vakharia, an assistant professor of social work at Long Island University, says provides practical tools for solving behavioral problems.

Many of the new treatments help people track their drinking — and perhaps most important, understand why they’re imbibing in the first place. Dr. Tatarsky, for instance, teaches patients to learn how to “surf” their urges — taking 15 seconds to notice the emotion that might be causing them, and then substituting healthier behaviors such as breathing exercises. He also teaches strategies: “Before you go to a party, before you set out on your week, it’s useful to have a plan, just like athletes have game plans.”

Others offer web-based methods to curtail drinking, and in some initial research, they have shown promise.

Dr. Hester founded Checkup and Choices, a company that sells a web-based tool for reducing drinking. Since 2003, more than 60 percent of the 22,000 users of the app have been women.