Hi. My general background is as follows:

Age - 48
Drinking since - 17

Why drink?
Euphoria
Habit
Conditioning (although no immediate family history of alcoholism)

As with many people, alcohol is / has been - a celebrant, a confidant, a stress reliever etc etc

I'm not a puritan and don't see alcohol as the demon drink but I do recognise it has become too prominent in my life and has led to depression and debt, and recently probable marital breakup.

Have gone months at a time alcohol-free but always relapsed to at least the same state as before.

Tried moderation. Didn't work.

Read about the Sinclair Method and decided that was the approach for me. Quickly realised NHS not geared up for this yet so made alternative enquiries. Eventually found Clinic 158 in Glasgow who were willing to prescribe Naltrexone for me after a telephone consultation and the return of a liver function urine test.

Clinic say I should take the tablets every day but that is the NICE guidelines rather than the Sinclair Method which says that the tablet should only be taken 1 hour before the first drink in a 24 hour period. I don't drink every day (usually between 4 and 5 days a week).

On more than one occasion, I've noticed a distinct 'brake' feeling - i.e. have got a few cans lined up but after drinking the first two have had a distinct sense of 'enough' which definitely wouldn't have been there before.

However, I now understand that this is a mere 'artifact' of the medication and not a genuine effect which will only appear over a few months.

So - still 'on board' with the method, but I have to admit a few doubts are creeping in: 'Am I one of the 20% for whom this method proves unsuccessful?'

Hey Dougie,

Welcome to the forum. I did not see when you started on your original post but it definitely sounds like you have doubts! Take a look at a lot of the posts here and go look in the cured section and see the doubts the cured members had when they first started. You will find a lot of people have doubts. But if you follow the rule of taking a pill an hour before you drink, each and every time you drink, you will find that over time your want for AL diminishes.

Give it some time and you will see. But you should really start tracking your drinks so that you can look back and see the progress you have made over time. Good luck and keep posting

Cheers. Yep - think a drinks diary is a priority.

No, you're not one of the 20%. The Nal worked on you. The "brake" is the whole idea.

Problem is, you haven't braked in 30 years. There is a part of you that wants to brake, but another part that very definitely does not want to brake. Those 2 sides are in conflict. It takes time for the drinking side to give up the game. If you toy with him, tease him occasionally, -he'll never give up. But if you deny him utterly, -he will eventually give up. That is why it takes time.

But only with complete compliance.

Also, no need to take the Nal if you know you are not going to drink. Won't do any good and just waste your money.

You'll be fine if you follow the Golden Rule.

And by the way: Welcome.

Thanks for the reassurance Clarion. It's what I felt myself but when you're 'going it alone' against official advice it can be quite scary. Depressing that here in the UK at least Naltrexone / Nalmefene still seen as an abstinence-supporting med even though results indicate daily use no better than placebo. In general I get along well with my doctor but when I went to him about a year ago and showed him the 'information for your GP' sheet from The Cure for Alcoholism he was dismissive and simply said 'yes, yes, there are several medications available but you need to attend the alcohol support group'.

I think the real truth about our Doctors is this: Until some great-big-ginourmous authority sanctions it, they're just simply not going to tell an alcoholic to drink. My Doc is wonderful (he gave me the script) but he winked and told me not to drink.

They do, after all, take their Hippocratic Oath pretty seriously...

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I suspect the reason doctors don't recommend the Sinclair method, is because of the abysmal record rehab and detox have in the hospital and medical setting.

It's generally a revolving door, and I think most physicians don't believe anything but abstinence makes any sense.

in the big picture, nobody in the medical community is promoting this, so it's going to be a slow change, but may happen over time.

Jaba makes a very important point about learning to understand the difference between habit and desire. That is taking some time for me. When I started I was hoping for a drug that would just take away the overwhelming desire to drink and keep drinking. 21 weeks into this I realize that the pill cannot do it alone. I need to acknowledge how much of my drinking is habit and make changes to develop different habits. Some moderation management is an important tool to go hand in hand with the nal.

I think everyone has some doubts as to whether nal will work for him/her. Just keep reading all the success stories, follow the golden rule, take a good look at your habits, and know that we are always here to support you. Good luck.

I agree with Deena, we all have doubts. I don't know what the "real" success rate is, but IF it is 80%, those are pretty good odds!! So why wouldn't you try it!!

Please track your drinks, take your pill one hour before your drink EVERY TIME, and KEEP POSTING!!

Oh,and welcome. Look forward to hearing about your progress.

Newlife