So I have read a lot about the honeymoon effect, but apparently not enough because I am still confused. It's my first week on Nal and I feel the effect of alcohol when I drink, but I am missing the "ahhh" and the "glow" and pretty much just feel physically impaired and tired. On day three I popped a pill, waited an hour and then left work early and went to pizza place by myself and ordered a pie and a beer. Actually I had a tall boy in the car on the way between work and the pizza place, but that is another story and a major defect of mine. Anyway, after the first beer I ordered another. Suddenly, I could not drink another drop and I had only had two sips. That's a $6 Stella too. That never happens. So .. is this the honeymoon effect? If so, wtf? I thought this is TSM in all it's glory. What happens now? Perhaps I have already answered my own question, because the next day and now today I am drinking about as much as usual, but I am sort of concentrating on it and very aware of every little feeling and urge. Still not feeling the glow, but the hollow leg seems to be empty again. I don't know.

Naltrexone will block the momentary rewards of alcohol, consequently over time, when you discover there's not much pleasure in drinking, you won't want to drink.

Like you, I missed the rush and the high and the glow, but after you get away from all the bad consequences of drinking, you realize that drinking isn't that important.

In other words, the good that results far outweighs any bad.

There was a post on here, entitled what was lost, worth reading.

I have yet to see someone on here who successfully used TSM, who wishes to go back to their previous behavior.

The reactions you're experiencing are pretty common for TSM responders--I don't know if I'd call any part of it a "honeymoon," but you're experiencing a loss of pleasure and occasional diminished desire to drink. That's how it's supposed to work. If you stick to it, over time you'll have more and more experiences where alcohol just doesn't seem appealing, as you begin to associate endorphin reinforcement with literally everything pleasurable but drinking. It would be nice if we could have the drinking high without the insatiable desire, but that's just part of the bargain.

Sounds like everything is quite normal. Put on your seatbelt and keep journaling. Everything is starting out quite good and you appear to be a good candidate for TSM protocol. Applause.

I read through your journey on the progress pages and wow. Talk about inspirational. Thanks to you and others for blazing a trail for folks like me to follow and for continuing to post your experience.

Your experience sounds a lot like mine, and I was a fast responder (went from 2 bottles of wine a night to teetotaler in five weeks).

Looks like I have also been a fortunate one, immediately I have seen a change, specifically with desire after the first.

Prior to this week, I was like a race horse out of the gate, once going, try to stop me! It took everything I could to pull back on the reins, and I mean EVERYTHING. Started early this week and instantly, I don't have to pull back on the reins as the horse doesn't care to run. As one of the characters in One Little Pill states (paraphrased) "Is this what normal people feel like?", is exactly how I feel.

I am extremely fortunate as of today, but I also realize that this is the start of a process, and not an immediate end to my over consumption.

What a great start for the New Year gamber. Keep the course.