I'm def. a little more on the dysthymic side, though I'm not sure it is clinical dysthymia. Fortunately, no manic episodes here - just get the occasional blues. I started having depression after moving from sunny New Mexico to winter-bound Michigan, so there's def. a strong seasonal affective dimension to it. I'm a clin psych grad student, so having an alcohol issue is not a good thing. But it looks like TSM is going to work for me, I'm def. responding well.

Bonus! We get another doc that's hep to TSM out of the deal too!!

Awesome to have you on board, Orpheus!

Thanks so much Orpheus. Complex, but I think I get it. I'm hanging in there with it - it's only been 2 weeks - doing a bit better, but still at about a bottle. I feel something different is going on in my head though and it is getting easier to stop. Hmmm never heard of that anti- depressant - thanks for sharing. I may even try to wean off of Prozac if NAL starts to become effective. But like you said, I need to discuss with my psychiatrist!

thanks for the support y'all ...

Crockrock, 2 weeks is very early days yet. Most take 6 - 12 months, it took me about 6. Fluctuations in drinking levels are the rule rather than the exception with TSM and the biggest fluctuation usually hits within a month or so (the Honeymoon). It's why I tell people to log the days, tally the weeks and watch the months, as the improvement will be month by month. Usually, whenever you get a big reduction, the addicted part of the brain tries to yank you back into the drinking rut. It just takes time for those neurons to reconfigure, as we're talking about living brain tissue here.

Thanks Joe - that's comforting to know. I'm no neuroscientist, but I was a behaviorist, and know about the phenomenon called the "extinction burst". When you are used to reinforcement and it suddenly stops, behavior increases. Ha! That's why I always tell my friends to not give into a HUGE tantrum when they are trying to get their child to do something different that they've actually reinforced over the years. Or, when the relationship with a loved one ends and you want them even more and text and call and feel like a crazy person. Extinction burst! Let's hope my neurons get it too.