I am writing this as a suggestion from my friend Tiller. Though I started this right after he made the suggestion, I felt it appropriate to wait until I had put myself on the regained control/cured list. I would like to recommend following ElectraLou, Tiller, Hesster, Sticky, Zippy and Ketchikan1’s threads. They have stuck through much harder times than I have, and they all are much better writers. Everything below is my opinion. Not Smilin' Bob's. Nor Pogo the Clown's. It's based on what I have experienced and read.

To start with, let’s look some myths about TSM:

1. “This is an excuse to drink.” Well, if you are here, you didn’t need an excuse before, so why one now? Further, most people find drinking is missing something on TSM. There is no such thing as a “TSM session.” One is either drinking or not. The aim of this whole exercise is to minimize the harm done. Most people in abstinence based programs “slip” or “relapse.” There is no such thing in TSM.
2. “You are just doing this to drink all you want.” The way TSM is supposed to work is take the pill, wait one hour, then drink normally. Simple. The drinking normally part doesn’t mean forcing down drinks. Nor does it mean drinking when you don’t feel like it for “extinction faster.” It means drink normally. Sort of like Han Solo telling Chewbacca to “fly casually,” it varies between individuals. Just be safe about it!
3. “I am drinking more than I did.” Unless one is tracking units accurately before TSM, it may be they are just drinking the same. Mentally, we all know drinking is bad for us, which leads to fudging to make ourselves look better.
4. “I am afraid the nal will hurt my liver.” What do you think drinking is doing to it? Also, the dosage at which damage happens is 300mg. The information from pharmacies confirms this threshold. As I write this, an older person I know just died of cirrhosis. That’s what drinking 18 beers a day for years does.
5. “TSM will work in 3-4 months.” Maybe, but most likely not. There seems to be a correlation between time length of alcoholic drinking, age, quantity consumed and the amount of time it will actually take. Also, each person reacts differently to the medicine. Some have been at it for years. As long as the drinking is reduced, that’s the goal of TSM – reduce drinking so as to reduce harm to you.
6. TSM is a cure. I think it's more about regaining control. If one chooses to quit after TSM, that's a cure. But as long as we choose to drink, we have regained control. Nothing more. Otherwise, we wouldn't need a pill.

Tricks to do TSM

1. It’s easier if you eat something before you take the nal. I used fruit and Atkins bars.
2. No matter what, you have to take the nal. Every time. No exceptions. It doesn’t work well without taking it an hour beforehand (endorphins make it through,) but take the pill anyway. Some help is better than no help.
3. Set an alarm to remind an hour before drinking time.
4. Try not to take the nal more than three hours before drinking. Something I think would have helped me: if drinking longer than six hours, take another half pill.
5. It takes however long it takes. Some have had success in the time frame outlined in the book, most take much longer. Don’t try to change the experiment.

Observations
1. TSM works best with moderation methods http://www.moderation.org/ (see ElectraLou's threads, too.)
2. TSM takes a while, longer than 3-4 months.
3. At some point, alcohol loses its place as the center of life (parties, friends, etc)
4. At some point, because of all these changes, one begins to make non drinking friends.
5. For many, starting somewhere in month 4-6, many people feel depressed and hit some kind of wall. This wall seems to be the period when the extinction bursts are the worst and it seems there just isn’t any progress. Many are tempted to quit. This is where tracking units provided me great comfort (I could see SOMETHING was happening!)
6. “I am afraid of nal” “I am jumping right in.” One takes 1/32 of a pill, increasing 1/32 per day, the other takes 1-5 50mg pills. There isn’t any evidence that either approach works.
7. Those who take pleasure in the little things and don’t fixate on not being done seem to do better.
8. Dogma isn’t fact. When applied to addiction, conventional wisdom is usually wrong.

Interesting Posts

Lynn’s husband spontaneously quit at eight months

viewtopic.php?p=36309&sid=22d49d33d37c21723473357038eabec8#p36309

UKBlonde
viewtopic.php?p=36150&sid=78b4f2ee4ce423b27c1412a95c7c90fb#p36150

I have looked at some of the other boards. Many people seem to be addicted to the process of quitting. They don’t seem to want to quit, as they would lose their support structure. They are always hopping from thing to another, it seems to give them purpose. Whatever the method, it’s necessary to pick one, diligently attempt to replicate the experiment and evaluate the results. We are using the Scientific Method when we do this. Unfortunately, at the time I write this, most doctor's are still infected with Bill Wilson's religious dogma, so many are on their own.

Anyway, the preceding is my opinion. The statements are not based on anything other than my observation and experiences.

Please add yours.

Did you mention that was it an excuse to drink whenever you wanted? Ah you did, good.



TSM reminds me of methadone programs in this respect; for those who want to keep a toned down version of the addiction while reducing harm.

Yes, I did. You aren't the first person to say, "you are doing this to drink as much as you want." You are incapable of realizing how ignorant I view your comment: I never needed an excuse before, so what makes now special?

Why don't you look at my signature? Or can you not read that? I have been successful. You were not, for whatever reason. Personally, I believe you weren't successful because you never tried TSM. I think you came on here spouting crap and are a troll.

Am I addicted at this point? Not by the clinical definition. Is my harm minimized? Yes. Can I be a social drinker, yes. Methadone group? Hardly. Methadone gets people high, naltrexone doesn't, which if you had tried TSM, you would know.

Here, we discuss things, both the good and bad. You refuse to have a reasonable discussion based on facts, it's you and your "TSM sessions" and other BS. You add nothing to any discussion on here. You twist things out of context. Make claims that aren't true.

You are quite the piece of work. You have your "nightly TSM sessions." And other crap not mentioned in the books or recommended here. You claim to have another ID, but won't say which one.

Why don't you move along? If this were an AA board, those zealots would ban you. You are spouting the "abstinence is the only way." Go find people who believe as you do. Live that life.

OK, I'll leave you alone. Live and let live as they say.

Spacious...just go.