I have been on the Sinclair Method since Jan. 13th, 2009. I consider myself free of the addiction to alcohol. I have made this proclamation here and at other places. Life is good. But there are still caveats.

When I reached the point that I could go for over a week without the slightest ideation of a drink, I rightfully declared victory. My wife, who rarely drinks, probably drinks more than I do. But that is not to say that I have the same internal constitution as she does. There is still something that is different between myself and those that have never been addicted. Whatever the proclivity to addiction that I harbored in the first place, it does make me different. And I will never forget what it was like living in the full throws of alcohol addiction.

For a time, I thought I had found a magic pill that was a "get-out-of-jail-for-free" card. I was going out and dancing and partying. I was indulging more than I should (though NEVER as before). I would not get staggering drunk but I was blatantly allowing myself to drink abusively, even though there was not a strong desire to do so. Then I woke up one morning and thought, "you must be out of your frikken mind!". I had just managed to pull my head in from hells back-door and now I am playing around the with very substance that nearly destroyed my life!

So I am essentially abstinent. I have two Nal in my wallet as I write. As they get crushed to powder, I replace them. But I seldom drink and when I do, it is ceremonial and not "to party". I will drink one or two beers in an evening on a special occasion.

Here is my unqualified take of it all. I started drinking abusively at a very young age. And abuse leads to addiction for many, whether it be cigarettes, cocaine or alcohol. But my wife has very little history of abusively drinking. She said she had gotten plastered a couple of times in college and decided she did not like the feeling. In other words, our history of learning to drink is distinctly different. The Sinclair Method has regressed me back to the drinker I was before addiction "kicked in". And before that, I was an abusive recreational drinker.

So, for the most part, I have become naturally abstinent. It is easy to do. I am not, at all, pre-occupied with drinking. But at the same time, I don't feel threatened by alcohol or "different" because I can't drink. I can drink but I just choose not to.

So for some of you who have reached the goal line, it might be a little different than you expected. Of course, your mileage may differ.


_sr

Excellent points SR!

I though once I reached the "finish line", I would be able to enjoy drinking like those who are "normal" (whatever normal means). However, I have found that although I can and still do drink occasionally, I really do not enjoy it any longer. When I do decide to drink, now usually on a whim, I look forward to that first drink. Unfortunately in the last few weeks that first drink is the hardest to get down. The taste of the alcohol is almost overpowering in something as dilute as beer. I can't fathom drinking liquor straight out of the bottle like I used to. I bet I would vomit if I did that now.

I am progressively traveling the road to abstinence myself. It has always been my goal, but I didn't know how easy it would eventually become. I am looking forward to the weeks ahead as the AF days accumulate to longer and longer stretches. What is wonderful about TSM is we no longer fear what the forced abstinence crowd (AA and others) fears the most: the first drink. If we do have a first drink now, it will not lead to endless drinking. It only reinforces the fact that there are better non-alcoholic drinks to be consumed and that the alcohol itself kinda ruins the taste of the beverage. It used to be drink number one would inevitably lead to days, weeks, or months of ever-increasing drinking. Now, drink number one leads to ever-increasing AF days; a complete reversal.

The only thing I do to "play around" with this new found freedom from addiction is to try different combinations of drinking patterns, just to see if they are all extinguished. For instance, I plan some week to have exactly one beer every night for 6 consecutive nights, then go AF for a while. I still want to do an AF week. I discovered last night that my maximum units in a day is now 4, which is exactly half of my pre-TSM limit of 8 units. Will it go lower? I don't know, but I am unconcerned if it does. I am experimenting right now in the interest of gathering data to share. Soon, I'll settle down to voluntary natural abstinence.

Yes, this cure is different than I expected. But the great thing is that it really is a cure.

Bob

SR,

Great post. Like both you and Bob, this cure isn't exactly what I expected either. My craving for AL is mostly gone, but one really doesn't forget the addiction or the addictive lifestyle.

In recent weeks, I've felt a real absence of something in my life. I get home some nights and sit around almost like a bored teenager. These are the times, I used to binge drink. I have no desire to drink, but I feel like I need to be doing something. Even when I think "would I like to drink," I have no real desire to do so. I watch my wife nurse her one glass of wine and the thought of joining her (I could if I wanted) just has no appeal to me.

I'm sure this feeling of something missing will fade with time.

I'm on AF day 7 now and was thinking last night that I'd try drinking tonight just to see what would happen/how I'd feel about it. At this point in the day though, I have absolutely no desire for it.

Like SR, I may be quickly headed to a point where my one Nal I carry around in my wallet turns to powder before I end up taking it.

Q

Pretty unbelievable! I'm sooooooooo happy for you!! Looking forward to such feelings in my case -

XO