So I had been trying to quit and I had kept track of my drinking. I had about 7-9 days AF between binges in the past, but it was during a time when I was trying hard to be abstinent, then I'd go drink a beer or 20!

Now, my average time between drinking sessions is 4 days. Does anyone else notice that they drank more frequently, but less units per session? I'm thinking this could be because I'm no longer trying so hard to be abstinent and also that I feel 'safe' drinking with Nal.

Really, no complaints either way! My life is better already! But just wondering if anyone else noticed they drank more frequently, at least for a while, because they felt safe to drink on Nal like they had never felt before.

I can't share any experience, as I was a daily drinker, but it might be good to consider how many days apart your drinking would have been if you hadn't been trying to abstain (and getting the ADE).

Every time you drink now it's extinguishing rather reinforcing unwanted behavior, so I say do it as often as as you like. I'm totally abstinent for the time being, but it wasn't a conscious choice; I just prefer to drink non-alcoholic beverages at this point. In fact, I made a decision when I could tell that TSM was working that I would never force an AF day, and I intend to continue that from now on. Like you, my experience with trying to abstain has been tragic.

Any way you slice it, drinking moderately however frequently is safer and healthier than binging, no matter how infrequently.

Yeah, I guess I'm drinking about the same amount of times per week that I would have before I was trying to abstain. About 2 times per week. It's been so long since I started trying to quit that I forgot that!

I am a binge drinker as well and it is much better for your body to drink 3 drinks 3-4 times a week than 12 drinks in one day! My goal with TSM is moderation not to abstain and when I drink 2-3 drinks a few times a week vs. 8 drinks at once I feel much better Your body and liver can break down small amounts of alcohol daily but can't process large amounts at once. Hence the hangovers and vomiting the day after a binge drinking session. I'd like to get to a place where I enjoy 1 or 2 nice glasses of wine with dinner our out with a friend 3X a week or so. Like you I find when I fight to abstain for a while and finally break down and drink I go crazy.

Gosh, I'm not sure how to respond to this as sometimes the harder I try to abstain, the more difficult it is for me not to binge. Keeping this in mind, I'm trying to use a LITTLE will power (self-reflection) to abstain while at the same time trying to rely on the Nal when the cravings come. I'm not the best example of adherence to the TSM protocol, but did have better results when I tried an AF stint to jump start the process. I think what the others say is all important advice. It seems as though you are learning what works for you. Congrats on your reduction in units no matter how you come about them!!!! Wishing you much success, Keek

My observation from this board is that most TSM followers eventually end up drinking very little or perhaps not at all.

The beauty is that it is up to you.

I was planning to drink moderately all the time but discovered a loss of interest in Alcohol that leads to drinking anything at all just infrequently and never to excess.

Not what I expected. Certainly a good place to be though.

Hate to give up the occasional good wine or after dinner drink etc.

Forcing non-drinking days is like depriving yourself and likely won't work. What will work is extinction over time.