For all those that failed TSM first time round, can you please share why it is you think you failed the first time and what you learnt that reinforced the success the second time or even the third and so forth?? Any advice is appreciated....
"without loss there is no gain"

For me it was simply impatience, 8 months and I felt my drinking was the same, so my share is this...the pill gave me back the choice some what, something I hadn't had in a long time, sadly I chose to drink...but I realised (after the fact) it was more habit and less addiction..

now you??

In my case, it was less habit and more desire. I desired less consciousness, which I achieved. Obviously that produces immediate benefits that compromise anything of substance longterm. Drinking for many is a response rather than a cause.

You know, I'm starting to wonder about the people who still drink out of seeming habit and do so at addiction levels. Does anybody really drink 8+ drinks out of pure habit? I think maybe the dopamine system isn't reprogramming itself once the opioid reward is gone, so we continue seeking alcohol even though there's no longer any reward.

I don't know what to do about this, though. A dopamine blocker? That should be tested on rats and then on medically supervised volunteers. Or maybe deliberately introduce some rewarding activity on a no-nal day, to speed reorientation of the dopamine system?

Dont underestimate habit. I was pounding a lot of diet soda because of habit. Over half the things i do every day are pure habit, things I do without even really thinking.

Yeah, but did you want to quit the diet soda?

Habit is powerful, but we can usually change them when we decide to do so.

Hmm. I'd say partly habit, partly desire. I did fine until I was in a situation that I highly associated with alcohol; in my case, that was summertime, vacation, and later, the holidays. I did fine last Spring 2013 because I don't really associate winter and early Spring with drinking (partly due to weather, partly because of Lent). That's why I'm determined to bust through this summer without a repeat of last summer.

But, again, the distinction among habit, addiction, and desire "feels" very subtle subjectively.

P.S. Also a long-time diet soda "addict." From Tab to Diet Coke to Diet Dr. Pepper. Spanning across 4 decades!

Maybe. For some decades, I haven't associated alcohol with anything but getting drunk. Even when I saw images of other people "enjoying alcohol responsibly" (as the ads say), it had nothing to do with me. That world was not my world.

Did i want to quit the diet soda? I was only drinking it so i would have something in my hand that wasnt a beer. So, no, I didnt want to, but I felt the compulsion to go through the motions even though it wasnt with alcohol.

If that makes sense.

I only tried it for 3 months and felt like my drinking didn't get any better. Now I'm trying it again and won't give up this time. I just hope I am one of the 80% that get cured.

Thanks guys your responses are helpful, some interesting thoughts on habit verses addiction.
All I can say is this time I'm going to be robotic towards the program regardless of how I feel my drinking is progressing, I'm going to take that pill every time I drink, personally I think we all deserve a pat on the back, its hard knowing that your putting a stop to the fun before it begins, we think we possess no will power and that's what put us into this mess but its just not true, it takes tremendous gusto to keep going with this program... you really have to want to be determined to quit.

For those that have endured Id just like to say wherever your at "your awesome and don't you forget it".

Cheers

Wintyr.