Just wanted to give my experiences so far. Started TSM a little over a month ago, am a binge drinker and usualy averag 2-3 heavy drinking days weekly. Since starting TSM I have found that it's no a magic bullet. It is however easier for me to walk away after having 2 drinks if I'm at dinner or at a lounge with people who don't want to drink heavily and stay out late, however, I have found that even when I take the nal and am out with drinking buddies who are also binge drinkers I am prone to repeating the behavior. I may have 1-2 drinks less during a binge than I used to but still can have it in me. So I have found for myself that the pill can't do ALL he work for me, and that I have to put some effort into my end to avoid some people and places to put myself in the best light to succeed. Just wanted to share this in case there are those who are struggling. For me the nal is a tool but isn't a quick fix or miracle. Anyone else have similar thoughts? Since I am new to TSM would love to hear more thoughts and connect with everyone because we are all in this together. Anyhow, wishing you all the best!

Hi BlackDiamond and all....My 2 cents and probably not worth that. I think that its easy in the beginning to have some misconceptions about what to expect when one begins TSM protocol. Is it a magic bullet, a miracle pill? Am I a fast responder or a slow responder? Is it a cure all or only a tool that needs added effort to succeed. These are only some of the questions that may arise as one reflects and begins TSM protocol. I acknowledge we're all different and respond in our own unique ways. But standing back and trying to put it in context maybe helpful. TSM works by a process known as extinction. If your not familiar with the science of neural plasticity, this is what Dr. Sinclair was on to way before it got so much exposure. What happens is when the neural pathways are blocked and no longer reinforced, they wither away, they vanish over time. This is what Dr Sinclair calls extinction. The neural pathways that before carried the information of the euphoria, the buzz that addicted us. That created sub neural pathways of our behaviors associated with the addiction. Slowly and over time no longer exists as they are extinguished or vanish in lieu of new developing neural pathways. Besides our drinking, all our behaviors associated with drinking vanish. I liken it to a tree with branches. You kill the trunk of the tree, all the branches die too. So if I haven't lost you by now, what I'm trying to explain is that it takes time for this to happen. It's not a conscious mind thing of will power like you might expect. If you are still in a relationship with alcohol that you need to control. The neural pathways of your addiction are still present and active. The extinction process hasn't matured enough yet. When it has matured, the thought of alcohol as being important wouldn't cross your mind and your behaviors associated with drinking wouldn't manifest. Hope it makes sense. Please keep the course, I believe you can think or implement anything you want as long as you follow the Golden rule. In ending...Follow the protocol, share your results on a weekly basis and have faith in the science. You can do it. Peace

" For me the nal is a tool but isn't a quick fix or miracle. Anyone else have similar thoughts? Since I am new to TSM would love to hear more thoughts and connect with everyone because we are all in this together. Anyhow, wishing you all the best!"

BD. I completely agree, NAL is a tool, but not a fix. Understanding what alcohol does to you, your triggers for alcohol use, the benefits (or lack there of) of drinking, etc are important to address.

The best term I can think of is mindfulness. Most people on this forum are pretty smart, and learning to be smart about alcohol, goes a long way into solving the problem. Putting this much effort into solving something, without understanding it, and doing everything possible to fix it is counterproductive.

Simple moderation concepts, like not drinking alone, spacing drinks, drinking water, never drinking over a level of 0.06 are way helpful.

The naltrexone helps you get away from the over drinking, and when your head finally clears, you'll find that indifference to drinking occurs. The corollary is that at that stage, you've solved your drinking problem.

So, instead of avoiding situations, plan in advance, how you will handle the situation by not over drinking and giving into previous habits. A very effective way, especially with TSM, is to wait an hour or more after the drink, and see whether you feel like drinking anymore.

With naltrexone, with that waiting period, the desire for the second drink often just goes away.

Hi BD

A great post!

Just throw in my thoughts as it may prompt others to tell me I've got this all wrong.

Here we go.

Don't matter if you are a daily or binger, heavy or light drinker. Nal + 1 hour then drink as normal. The Nal and TSM work on our primitive or sub conscience brain.

Since TSM was given to us. We have been trying to speed up, alter or redefine the process. Of course who knows in the fullness of time, using some intervention to get AF days or reduce the number of drinks per session or any number of other things will prove to be an improvement to TSM. The thing is that here on this forum there's no way of knowing what works or what doesn't work through a scienctific approach. As a daily drinker it makes sense to me that getting AF days under my belt will be good but the more I read the more I see that this in fact doesn't matter. It's just my higher brain trying to do what only my subconscious brain can. Maybe???

Today I'm just happy that there is a hope to lose the cravings through such a simple thing as taking a little pill one hour before I drink. I await the day I'm cured.

Anyone please feel free to correct me or add/Change what BD or I have said.

You're absolutely right, just take the pill, drink normally, don't even think about alcohol free days or changing any behaviors whatsoever. No reason at all to gain any insight whatsoever as to why you drink.

You will eventually be cured, simple as that.

You have a good understanding of the protocol thistime. Future days await you where their are no craving for alcohol at all. Stay the course.

Not trying to blow smoke here, but for me Nal is absolutely a miracle pill. A miracle that is firmly based in volumes of research and clinical studies at that. The only variable to me is how fast and under what circumstances it will work for an individual. I think a lot of this has to do with the attitude and baggage an individual brings to this party, and partly the guidance one receives in the early stages. Some folks take the protocol very literally and force alcohol down their trap when their brain and body has lost or losing interest. That's cool, but it will probably take longer and be more frustrating. For me, I come in to this battle weary after 20+ years of self examinations, turning dials, working programs, studying, obsessing, guilt ridden, remorseful and depressed. I have bought in wholeheartedly to this method and have also taken a holistic approach to healing the brain and body by seeking medical advice and additiction counseling. I try to feel and study every nuance while drinking on Nal with the mind to give myself every opportunity not to drink like a maniac. That's just me though. As a result, I have followed a "typical" fast responder curve of steady and profound reduction. And I have have not forced it. If I really feel like drinking, I still will, but I just lose interest usually before I can get down the first drink. To me this is nothing short of phenomenon.

Cheers!

I agree completely triplab.

No forcing down went on for me. I took the pill, drank, when I didn't feel like drinking I didn't. The process worked beautifully - over time I learned to live without disappearing into alcohol, and I am still learning every day.

Yeah, I neither forced alcohol down nor forced abstinence. I just let it work.

There are a lot of things factoring into our fascination with AF days and desire to have more of them . . . but eventually they will happen by themselves, without effort, and that's the real goal. Always IMO, of course.