I've been very interested in what I've read off these boards so far, and I'd like to introduce myself more formally at some point.

First, I wanted to ask a question and I was hoping someone that was in a similar situation has had some experience with using Sinclair Method could give me some feedback. Has anyone had success with Sinclair Method with a binge drinking pattern such as: all AF days but 1 night a week, binge drinking 15+ or so? I haven't seen too many people on the forums with a similar pattern, and I'm curious to know about any experiences successful or not Thank you guys for all the information.

They don't come around much anymore but both

potato
http://www.thesinclairmethod.net/community/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=62&sid=55c28b71def2c19bf9268450b3f3b7b2

and

SpringerRider
http://www.thesinclairmethod.net/community/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=56&sid=55c28b71def2c19bf9268450b3f3b7b2

were bingers. Both are now cured.

minneapolisnick
http://www.thesinclairmethod.net/community/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=593&sid=55c28b71def2c19bf9268450b3f3b7b2

is a more frequent binger and is seeing great results right now. He is our forum moderator and is around quite often.

Thanks Loop -

I started monitoring weekly progress but it doesn't seem like I get a very clear picture of what's going on, for example:

Week 1: 15 drinks
Week 2: 15 drinks
Week 3: 15 drinks

Week 1 and Week 3 were all these drinks in the same evening which is what I'm trying to avoid, Week 2 was actually 15 drinks split across 3 days.

If Week 4 I have 16 drinks split across every day of the week I'd consider that a success even though the trend would be upward. It's like there needs to be another statistic tracked in there or maybe progressively weighting each drink for the same drinking session higher after you get past a certain amount..

roxygirls tracks 'average per drinking session' in their weekly progress thread. I wrote a bit on how to track it in MS Excel.

My wife's avg. drinks per session seem to be trending up, but so do her AF days. she considers this a success and is hoping the binge pattern will subside.
It's interesting to note how people have different objectives in their treatment. For us, the AF days are miraculous and provide hope that TSM is working. It's difficult for me to see drinks per session improving at this point, because after a certain number of drinks, all hell breaks loose and there is no reasoning or self control. That said, it seems people have improved in this department too. While total abstinence is not her goal, it may prove to be the only solution to the binge problem down the road, if and when extinction occurs. A question is whether ANY binge days are tolerable, and the behavior of the drinker will seem to dictate the answer. For me, the spouse, the binges are somewhat tolerable in a controlled environment, but can become extremely dangerous and damaging very easily. As Lo0p suggested, I would track all variables that are of concern to you and look for indications of success over time. Also keep in mind that the pattern you describe will lend fewer opportunities to allow the Nal/Drinking protocol to do its work. It's possible that this could have an effect on the length of time needed to see progress. I might add the disclaimer that these are strictly my observations and hypotheses.

Best of luck.

Sideshow, I'm new to Sinclair but I honestly believe you might benefit even by only taking NAL on the one night you drink.

It may help you keep it under control, even on that one night.

Hi Sideshow,

I am, or was, a binge drinker. I started on July 29 of 09 and will consider myself cured. Cured to me is the point you get to where alcohol is no longer a detrimental force in your life allowing you to focus on those items that may have led you to drinking in the first place, on top of just bettering yourself in other areas.

Cured to me is a state of being, and constantly being worked on. By doing TSM, I have reached the point where AL is not an issue, but I have to continue to be aware of what could happen if I didnt have my Nal. That being said, as I continue to try and improve other areas of my life, the drinking appeal starts to go away and my interests take me elsewhere. Its seems to be a natural occurance if you just go through the simple steps. So naturally it could get to the point where I just become abstinent if I choose to be that way. But the main point is, now I choose when I want to drink, and actually have control over how much I drink, for the most part. (There is a point where you just dont drink beyond or lose control, but I think its like that wtih even normal people)

Anyway welcome to the forum and I look forward to reading your progress. If you have any questions for me, feel free to PM me or post openly.



Nemo, Im not too sure I understand what your saying here. TSM is exactly what your suggesting to sideshow above. Take your pill atleast an hour before you drink, and no time else or its not TSM. I havent read it anywhere, but your post seems to imply that sideshow may be taking Nal at other times when he/she is not drinking? Hopefully this is not the case. Your input however is very appreciated.

Sorry for the confusing response-- What I mean is yes, Sinclair is worth a try even if you only drink one night a week (like the original poster).

Hello, Sorry for the delayed response but I have had much success with this method for my binge drinking. It is a long process but if you read through my posts on "Potato could you summarize your experience" I think you will see how I have changed. There have been mistakes I have made along the way. Also several personal issues have come up but I have found that Naltrexone has totally helped me very much. I now drink generally on 2 or maybe 3 occasions a month. I am working towards and entire month alcohol free and that has happened before several times during my use of Nal. Negative consequences is where I really notice the difference. I just rarely have any if any at all. The medication is like a "godsend" to me and my life, though not at all perfect, has improved greatly. All I did was follow the rule to take it one hour before consuming alcohol. I wish you the very best.

I'm a binger too, been on naltrexone about a month.

For me, *immediately* the binges became less severe while they are in progress. I remember paying all of my tabs, didn't get obnoxious with anybody, remember the walk home, all that good stuff. See my progress thread for some discussion of how it appears (in my case) to keep The Beast asleep. On the other hand the hangovers are worse. But I'll take it, not having to be afraid of what I'll do is a *huge* plus. I've also recently started on baclofen, and this (even at a very low does) seems to calm me down quite a bit in some subtle ways... I missed my usual midweek binge this week.

-Ned