Hello all. I am new to the forum and am very interested in the Sinclair Method.

I have been binge drinking on and off since college - I am 38 now.

I can go weeks, sometimes months w/o a drink but when I do, it's for lack of a better term, balls to the wall. I put myself into situations that I never would do in the right frame of mind - i.e. sketchy bars, driving, etc.

I know that I will not go the rest of my life w/o drinking due to work (I am in sales) and my social circle, and I flat out enjoy it if not for the negative consequences.

Is it selfish or acceptable to try and utilize the Sinclair Method so that I can be prepared for these challenges?

I'm coming up on about a month of not drinking and I can already feel myself rationalizing about how things will be different this time.

I assume my psychiatrist will prescribe the medication and I am worried he might see this as a green light to drinking w/o repercussion.

I did order Dr. Eskapa's book 'The Cure for Alcoholism' today and will probably have it completed by the weekend.

Thanks for all responses and advice.

welcome Escott

it sounds like you're doing a good thing by trying to take control of your drinking before it gets any worse

whilst you're waiting for your copy of the book, you can read/download it here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/60fs7gmvbyzs1kk/Cure%20for%20Alcoholism.pdf?dl=0

if you have issues getting prescribed Nal, it is easy enough to buy over the internet from several reliable sources. plenty of people on here buy direct & it keeps it off your medical record, which can be an issue for some

best of luck - look forward to hearing how you get on

-badger

Escott,

Welcome to the forum. I have to say that TSM has changed my life, for I will be forever taking that pill one hour before I drink until I die.

I do not know your situation to say if it is selfish or acceptable to try TMS; for me it was the only way out, so I had nothing to lose.

I think your psychiatrist will give you a prescription, but he/she may expect you to be abstinent. Naltrexone (nal.) is used in clinics and in therapy situations to decrease the desire of alcohol (al.). You might be one of the lucky ones who has found an open minded doctor. Just be cautious about how you bring up the subject. I would test the waters to see how open-minded this doctor will be to an alternative therapy to alcoholism, for most have AA ingrained into their brains that they cannot see beyond that. Most doctors that are not familiar with TSM will think it will give you a license to drink.

I think you are taking a risk trying TSM, for it may not work for you and/or it may take months to years to finally be in control or "cured"; however, if it came down to drinking with or without nal. I would take the nal hands down. Nal. will not stop you from getting drunk, or stop you from putting yourself into situations that you would not do sober. Nal will, with time, take away the desire you have for al. and you will need to take it and wait that full hour every time you plan on drinking for the rest of your life. This is not a quick fix, for there are folks here that have been doing this for over 9 months, and some finally feel "cured" after 2 years. I was one of the lucky one, for I feel in control (not cured) and I started May 8. The book is very simplistic about how this process is and how quick someone can have control; the book is not trying to deceive you, for there is proof in the science, it is just a that most people respond within 6-8 months.

You will need to understand what nal. does to your body and mind for a lot of people have a hard time with the side effects and not having that "ah" moment when they drink. If you still enjoy drinking for the buzz you may have a problem with doing this, for nal. takes away some of that enjoyment. It leaves you feeling flat. The feeling of that first drink (what I call that "ah" moment) will never happen again. The nal will make you tired, nauseated, possibly sick and some have very vivid dream. There are a list of side effects on web md, but these are the most common that I have heard about.

Read some of the progress pages, and cured pages to get a feel for what you may be in store for, but remember everyone is different and will respond differently.

I would also go to the "Options Saves Lives" forum, for I believe there are a few people that were in AA and have started TSM. Maybe you can get a better perspective of what you will be going through if you reach out to them.

Let us know what you decide for this is a very big decision,

Jaba

So I posed this new idea to my wife last night and it created quite a sh*t storm to say the least.

Needless to say, we slept in separate beds after the discussion (or shouting match on her end).

I know she is fed up w/ the consequences of my binging - driving while intoxicated, strip clubs, excessive credit card charges, etc.

She just can't understand why I can't stop drinking, even though I understand the results that come from a night out.

Dr. Eskapa's book arrives tomorrow and she has committed to reading it after I have finished.

1 hurdle that I picked up on last night is that if my psychiatrist doesn't buy into, then it must not work.

I will continue to try and work thru these challenges, however I foresee having to order w/o a doctor's approval.

Escott,

I have had that argument with a loved, and I am so sorry it happened with talking about a way out. There are other drugs out there if your doctor does not approve or if your wife considers TSM too much of a risk. I found this website of a rehab doctor and it lists out the drugs he uses. I am not trying to advertise for this doctor. I am merely trying to let you know that there are a lot of different drugs that can help with alcoholism.

While you waiting for the book, have her read the pdf file of the book. I believe it is the same. I have emailed that to several people, so I do know it is possible.

One thing that your wife needs to understand is that you cannot stop drinking, for it is the monster inside of you that needs to be fed. I think Ocean summed it up to a living parasite that has taken control of his body and freewill and is quiet and happy only when fed alcohol.

I think al. causes you to have reckless behavior, so I can understand how hesitant your wife is about you drinking even with naltrexone.
You do need to remember that the nal. will not stop you from making bad choices when you drink. Are you planning to only drink at home until you have your drinking under control? If so, maybe she might warm up to TSM.

If your psychiatrist is an alcohol-addiction doctor and isn't cramming AA and abstinence down your throat, you have a chance. But, there are more than one way to treat addiction, and more than one doctor, so if your psychiatrist isn't open to TSM and possibly start shopping for another doctor.


http://www.stuartklodamd.com/alcohol-addiction/

Good luck with all,

Jaba

Escott, welcome to the forum. Once your wife reads the science in the book, she will probably be in your corner with this. She can even come here and read how TSM has changed lives. I believe that there is even a thread for spouses. We have all been brainwashed to think that AA is the only way. That bogles my mind given the extremely low success rate of AA.

Good Luck. Keep us posted!

All of this information is very good and it is encouraging to communicate w/ people that can empathize w/ my situation.

I have a very math / science oriented brain w/ a background in electrical engineering.

This is the 1st treatment method I have encountered that seems to give you an a+b=c approach.

Take your prescribed dosage before drinking, be consistent, and eventually you will experience the "extinction principle".

Again, thank you all for your responses as I look forward to practicing the Sinclair Method.

That is the general idea, but not that simple.

The NAL will reduce or eliminate the "high" or "pleasant buzz" of Alcohol, which leads to extinction as the reward isn't there.

A common misconception is to "drink as always" and a cure will ensue, as if by magic !! It won't.

Better to view NAL as a tool and effect some behavioral changes

Plan your Drinking (Stop at 2, delay starting, space drinks with water etc)

Follow some rules: No alone drinking, etc

Be aware (mindful) of what you're doing. If you know you lose control after 2 or 3 drinks, don't get to where that will happen (see above).

What you may discover is that allowing the NAL to block the pleasure of drinking, is a lack of desire to keep pounding alcohol down mindlessly. That means waiting, and using your head, which means PLANNING.

It is very easy to "drink past" NAL's effect and render taking it moot (Read the bulk of these forum posts), drinking mindlessly.

As you get away from destructive drinking, it becomes clear that getting drunk serves NO purpose. This new perception of alcohol will occur, but it may take some time. It requires patience, but it will happen.

Read up here, track your drinks, involve your spouse, read books like Alan Carr or Stanton Peele that let you see the reality of Alcohol and change your view.

Good luck

Hi there

I would guess that your spouse is terrified, and that is where I think showing attempts at behavioural change will help - it helps you, it helps TSM and it helps others around you see that you are serious.

Many people notice that destructive behaviour does cease with TSM, however I noticed it returning over 2 years in, which gave me the shove I needed to go totally AF.

Yes you do have to drink on TSM but you don't have to be a slave to it, TSM can give you the relief to make your own choices.

I would recommend taking the Nal IF you have to drink but do not use it as licence to do whatever you want!

Welcome EScott,

I hardly feel qualified to welcome you here as I just started posting last week. I can sympathize with your situation... I, too, am an out-of-control binge drinker, and (to be completely honest) a daily drinker who has recently started drinking more than I am comfortable with (1-2/day). In addition to also putting myself in extremely dangerous situations while on a full-out binge, I have these rages that I fly into towards my husband. Like your wife, he just wants those episodes to STOP... as do I! I hate it because my bingeing is unpredictable (why do I only do this every so often? What triggers it?) and my rages are also unpredictable (why do I get so angry sometimes when I binge and not others? What is the difference... or is there even one???). So, after careful research and a desire to keep ALL of my drinking under control, I have decided to go the TSM route. I have an appointment in 2.5 weeks with a psychiatrist that practices scientific, results-based alcohol treatment. I also ordered Nal from River a week and a half ago with the intention of starting immediately. All of that said, I am thinking of canceling my psych appt because I desperately DO NOT want ANY record of my alcohol abuse in my medical record. Still trying to decide... So, all in all, you and I are in the same boat. Everyone here, despite the fact that I haven't even started taking Nal, has been really warm and welcoming, and (best) NON-JUDGMENTAL!

One thing I wanted to mention to you is that my husband, like your wife, thinks I should just be able to STOP drinking. (I believe he, too, has an issue with alcohol, but this time around it's about ME....) He told me I'm weak and spineless... "where is the strong woman I met and married?" Horrible words to hear coming from your spouse, lover, life-mate, best friend... I downloaded a copy of The Cure (check out my introduction post.... there is a link to it buried in there...) and read it in one sitting. I then forwarded it to my husband who was traveling, unsure if he would read it. He never mentioned reading it, but made a comment a couple of days ago about someone in our lives who is a raging, falling down, not a sober minute of the day alcoholic that THEY might be helped by this medication. BINGO... he HAD read it. Obviously the fact that he was endorsing it for someone else means he is supportive of my effort (without actually saying it, which is typical of him...) I'll keep my fingers crossed that your wife reads it and comes around, too. Best of luck with your decision and if you decide to go the TSM route, we'll be starting around the same time!

MinneMom