Hi TSM'ers,

My profile:

Male, Age 47, 180 pounds.
Typical Week:
Sun: AF
Mon: AF
Tues: 18 units (2 bottles of white wine)
Wed: AF (awful hangover)
Thurs: 18 units
Friday: 18 units
Saturday 18 units

The above habit is the result of a steady progression from moderate drinking in my 20's to this point, where weekends mean wine, lots of it, without question. The addition of Thursday drinks, and now Tuesdays, with the sudden appearance of several health problems (sudden weight gain, blood pressure rise, and feeling like I'm either always hungover or wondering when it is drinking time again), have me very concerned.

I have none of the physical addiction symptoms (anxiety, hiding booze, shakes, drinking in the morning, etc.), but definitely have fallen into a terrible habit of heavy drinking on weekends, and, recently, during the week. I'm knocking on the door of full-blown alcoholism and very worried.

My wife (DaBigEasy) and I are on Day 12 of TSM. I took the following steps to get here:

1. My concerned doctor prescribed baclofen in January 2013 to reduce AL consumption.
2. DaBigEasy and I found the mywayout.org site for support and information about baclofen and other solutions (if you are a member of that site, you've already read the profile I provided above; sorry).
3. My wife learned on mywayout.org about TSM, while both of us titrated up on baclofen.
4. About 4 months into baclofen regimen (early April 2013) and despite a drastic reduction in AL consumption, I just couldn't handle the baclofen side effects at 110mg/day, and decided I had to back off the program.
5. As I began to feel like myself again, having weaned back down 50mg/day baclofen, I was able to hear my wife's suggestions that we give TSM a try, and she placed the order for NAL. It arrived on May 8, 2013.

I bought and read Eskapa's book, and began the method on May 8, 2013.

I have felt no negative side-effects from the method thus far. I did not experience the "honeymoon period" where AL consumption initially drops. However, on the way home from work today, at my "witching hour" of 5:00 p.m. after an AL-free day, I noticed an extremely subtle difference. The urgency to drink wasn't there. I was driving home and, yes, I knew that tonight I'd drink wine. And, yes, I was still looking forward to it. But not quite as much as I normally do. My normal pattern would practically having me salivating like a Pavlov Puppy as got closer and closer to home, but it just didn't seem that extreme today. Perhaps it was my imagination -- wishful thinking? We shall see, but I hope the rewiring of Superbinger's brain has begun....

Good luck to you. I've often thought of the effects of TSM as "subtle." At first, like you, I kept waiting for the urge to return, thinking, "Is this real?" Although I suppose day to day it seems subtle (i.e. you don't FEEL it), it's still very powerful. Alcohol cravings are definitely not subtle, though. After 4.5 months, I've yet to have a single worthy craving like I used to have regularly.