Hi all,

I haven't really participated in this site very much at all. In the early stages, I did a lot of reading of other peoples' posts, but really don't visit very much. Anyway, my last drink of alcohol was 2 June 2012, and I'm going to call "cured", although I don't think three months is really long enough to know.

I have some thoughts on the whole process that I want to share with you. I am a skeptic by nature, and approached The Sinclair Method with this mindset. Not that it would not work, but rather, having reservations, and trying to keep an open mind, all the while desperately hoping it (TSM) would be be miracle I sought.

Background: Approached my GP early 2011 seeking help for alcohol dependency - I was consuming more than two bottles of wine a day. My GP referred me to counselling, where I learnt about The Sinclair Method, which I started July 2011. Had virtually no days alcohol free for the rest of 2011, and did not see a drop in alcohol units consumed. Did notice, however, at the four month mark, that a rare AF day took very little effort. Stopped drinking early Jan 2012, but relapsed March (after attempting "moderation"), and drinking returned to pre-TSM levels. Stopped drinking altogether on 2 June 2012.

Thought 1: Although the Sinclair Method claims to be a cure where participants can gradually return to "normal" levels of drinking, there have been a number of people on this board who have described it as "Slowing the train enough so they can jump off." That's exactly how it feels for me. Even though it currently takes virtually no effort to remain alcohol free, I don't believe I am cured "enough" to drink moderately. I don't know if continuing TSM would help me to get to that point, but I see no need to try. I am quite happy to be completely abstinent - I feel much better, look much better (lost 16kg since June - what's that, about 35 pounds?), and don't miss the drinking at all.

Thought 2: At my initial visit to my GP regarding my alcohol addicition, I asked him for "something that would make the little voice inside my head go away, the one that tells me to seek out and consume alcohol. " Well, it's gone. If not 100%, then certainly 95%. But I am certain there is more to alcoholism than just that. Which is why, at least for me, the goal needs to be to jump off the train once it's slow enough. I honestly don't think the goal of moderation would have ever worked for me.

Thought 3: Just because people claim to be cured doesn't mean they are. I had thought earlier that I was cured, told a number for acquaintences this, and eventually attempted to drink in moderation. Didn't work. One of the things I don't understand is that if TSM has such great success rates, why is it not better known in the mainstream? It has been around long enough, and we know that scientists and health professionals talk to each other, all across the world. It is this concern that was the basis for my initial skepticism when I started. I did search for scientific rebuttals to TSM (as opposed to anecdotal rebuttals, or just uninformed opinions), but did not actually find any. If anyone knows of any, please post details / links, etc.

So there you go. Now that alcohol plays virtually no part in my life, I find the motivation to come back here is less and less. I know that in the early stages, you crawl through the messages, looking for people who describe how wonderfully TSM has worked for them. The problem is that by the time they really can claim to be cured (six months, a year, two years alcohol free), alcohol really isn't on their mind, so coming here is unlikely.

I'm going to put a note in my diary to come back at the six month, nine month and one year anniversaries of my being alcohol free. If I'm still alcohol free then, I'll post a message. Hopefully that will be a little bit of encouragement for those that have just started.

You can do it. Just don't be afraid to jump off the train when the time is right. Life is so much better if/when you do ….


Callum

One of the things I don't understand is that if TSM has such great success rates, why is it not better known in the mainstream.


i asked the same question and a member on this forum named dabs replied back with ths information.


No worries, Larry, TSM IS real. It hasn't become well known for a variety of factors. Let's address that first.

One, despite the cost of the pills ($5 each here in Canada), the drug is no longer owned and patented by one single pharmaceutical company; no monopoly = no massive profit incentive to promote it, so they simply don't care because they can't make billions of dollars from Nal like they can with other newer drugs. The sales reps are not encouraged, then, to promote it to the doctors.

Two, there is a fair bit of background knowledge and information that the doctors themselves have to learn in order to understand how Nal works (the Extinction process etc.) Believe it or not most Family physicians depend on the Pharmaceutical sales reps to educate them about the new drugs they are promoting. Since Naltrexone is not promoted as I described above, the sales reps have little incentive to push Nal, especially given the limited time they have in front of the doctor, which is 5 to 10 minutes tops. They need to push the newer patented profitable drugs in order to keep their jobs---and to make the big bucks for themselves and their companies.

Third, many doctors cannot in good conscience prescribe Nal---and encourage---their patients to keep drinking! Imagine the guy who gets drunk while taking Nal and kills a few people in a car accident on his way home. The Insurance company representing the ones killed will be thrilled to know that the guys doctor told him to drink!!! See the complication/conflict for the prescribing doctor here?

Fourth, while Dr. Eskapa's book (The Cure for Alcoholism) states that the Sinclair Method has a 75 to 80% success rate, the fact is that in real life, out here away from the scientific controlled medical studies, the "real" success rate is closer to 30%. The main reason for that 50% difference is due to what the medical field calls, "Patient Compliance". Did you know that of all the people who are suffering from chronic diseases in developed countries like ours, that only about 50% actually do what the doctors tell them to do!? Only HALF the people take the medication as prescribed or do the other things the doctors tell them to do! This is one of the biggest problems that doctors are faced with....just getting the patient to do the things they say in order to get well. Naltrexone patients are no exception to this sad fact of human nature! But don't let that 30% statistic frighten you! If you take your Nal as prescribed and as described in Eskapa's book absolutely and without fail (like never forget to take the Nal at least an hour before you drink---never, ever, forever) then YOUR personal compliance to that puts your chance of success back up into the 75 to 80% range!!! That's how it works.

So there you go, Larry....that's why The Sinclair Method hasn't stormed the world---yet. I think that in time it will, as it slowly but surely becomes better known, through expanded physician education, and as the results are widely seen and demonstrated in people just like you and me. We may all need to do a little bit of our own shouting from the roof-tops as well!

I'll comment on the other questions and concerns you have a little later.

Take care and keep on keeping on (KOKO) your Naltrexone journey!

Thanks for taking the time to post, Larry. It's good to have other points of view.

Thank you for your post and congratulations! I too have more recently jumped off the train (2 weeks now) so you could say I'm only a block away from the station(!) Already I feel much better and think much more clearly. I haven't made my mind up about TSM; I do know that if/when I decide to drink again I'm going to do my best to take a Nal beforehand. This alcoholism business is a major hurdle and I'm happy for you that you've reached a good place.

Hi Callum,

I'm very happy for you that you have been sober for 3 months. Well done!

As you talk of your GP I'm presuming you are somewhere in the UK. I find it interesting that you were told about TSM in counseling, it's the first time I've heard someone say that here, usually it's the patient who informs the doctor/counselor about TSM. Could you post the councilor's name and address in the Doctor's list so that other people might be able to get TSM?

Thanks.

Curi

thanks for your post. its encouraging. im not one to think "i wish i could drink like normal people", i just want to stop. the best part of tsm for me is the fact that it might remove the obsession from my brain! thats the scariest part for me. my will has been hijacked, and i have very little control.

Hi CuriousOne, no I'm in New Zealand. The counsellor mentioned TSM almost as a curiosity before talking about the serious stuff. To get the Naltrexone, I had to be referred to counselling by my GP, then the counsellor gives some type of approval for the GP to prescribe it. GPs in NZ can not prescribe Naltrexone without this approval. Anyway, told the GP about the TSM concept, and he was entirely happy with the idea. Had no inkling that it existed.

Even if TSM wasn't the miracle cure we know/suspect it might be, it can't be any worse than a lot of other treatments.

That's exactly how I felt mr eagle. I believe that particular part of my alcoholism is gone. I am pretty sure there are other aspects to my alcoholism, but I'm confident I can tackle those myself.

Time will tell though, but the future is looking good ...

Six months sober tomorrow. I have no cravings at all. Really do feel like the brain-rewiring part has worked, and six months of abstinence is dealing to the other factors, like habit, etc.

Sometimes I wonder if maybe I could now drink a moderate amount of alcohol once a week or so, while taking NAL , of course.

Nah. Stupid idea ...



Best wishes to you all. Don't be afraid to jump off the train once it's slowed down enough.


c

Congrats, that's great! I'm only two months in, but TSM has worked wonders for me. Before I could never have imagined my life without at least some level of drinking, but now starting to see that maybe I can live without it. One day at a time.