Hi Everyone,
I'm living strictly by the "Golden Rule" and I've been at this for 4 months now. My weekly units, after initially dropping into the 20's, are now consistently in the 45 to 60 range. I firmly believe that if I tried harder I would achieve better results. It seems that I hear what I want to hear, that is to not worry about the units and just let the NAL work over time. As a 40 year binge drinker, I'm told it may take a year. Lately I have been feeling guilty, because I feel I can drop my units and have consistent AF days etc. Anybody else feel like this and achieved a better result by trying a little harder?
All the Best,
Retread

There isn't really any way to "try" to condition or decondition ourselves. It's the built-in human behavior system.

Four months isn't that long, especially since you have to recover from intermittent reinforcement.

Still, some AF days might provide some encouragement. I for one see nothing wrong with forcing an AF day here and there; that's not sabotage in the way that breaking the Golden Rule is sabotage.

When you can look at yourself and think you can do better. Couldn't that be the working of the nal in it's infancy? You have nothing to loose if the desire to drink isn't there and you go af in my opinion.

Yeah, but I think he does desire to drink. That's my reading, anyway.

The modern metaphor of health problem as combat ("He's a fighter," "She lost her battle with cancer," etc.) may be leading us to think that we should, like, be doing something. There's really nothing to do, though. Usually the treatment works and sometimes it doesn't, and beyond following the protocol there's nothing we can do to influence the outcome or speed it up.

I am not sure if it matters, and as long as you always take your NAL it will work. Having said that though, I did set goals, because I always had.

I was a wine drinker and bought it by the 5L box. I used various carafes for serving/measuring. Long, long ago I started with a 500ml carafe and that was my limit. Then it became the carafe plus one glass, then plus two glasses. Eventually I moved up to a 750ml carafe, then a 1 liter carafe, then 1 liter plus a glass, -then two glasses. Then it was a shot before wine, then two shots.... -well, you know how it goes.

But I always had a goal/limit, -I just could never keep it! Once I got into NAL for awhile my first goal was no more shots. Then it was 1L plus a glass, the just the liter, then 750ml and so on until I got down to 2 glasses. I was stuck at either 1 or 2 glasses (never more) for the longest time. I was absolutely terrified of an alcohol free day after 35 years. I couldn't do it. But then I started to get tired of the pill and wondered what I would feel like if I wasn't taking it. So I screwed up my courage and took the AF plunge, and I survived!

I don't think you should put yourself in a position to worry about it, or stress over it. I rarely met my goals before NAL, but after NAL, the goals came easy, so it wasn't a big deal until I made the final, AF, plunge.

Hi Melissa and Clarion,
Yes I desire to drink, because if I didn't I wouldn't have a problem in the first place. I'm curious Melissa. Were you really cured in a 4 to 6 week period? And do you consider cured abstinence or control? My goal is to be able to enjoy a drink or two in a social setting without harming myself or placing others at risk. Yesterday I took a NAL and had 3 light beers and actually did not want any more. I was home, my son is home from the military on pre deployment leave, and normally I would have had at least 6 or 8. I know this is scant progress, but progress nonetheless. As an aside Melissa, I very much appreciate that you remember things from my earlier posts and that you often provide very constructive comments and advice. It is much appreciated!
Retread

I don't have my old journal any more, but I'm pretty sure it was more than 4 weeks. It was fast, for me -- maybe in the 6-8 week range.

I figure being cured can't mean abstinence, at least not as such, because the idea of "abstinence" implies that we're ignoring an appetite, resisting an urge, etc. If we have a noticeable urge to drink, it means the cure isn't yet complete. Cured people can teetotal, though, and many do. Others don't.

Are you asking because you've noticed that many cured people drink either never or seldom? There are cured people who still drink, either lightly or moderately. Sometimes they stop back for a quick visit. Your goal is definitely achievable.