Hi all,

I'm 52 years old and have drank solidly since I was 18 except for an approximately 2 year span ending about 4 month ago, and a another span from about 2000-2006 time frame.

Prior to 2000 I drank mostly beer - partying situations which I seemed to find myself in most every night. From about 2007 forward, I've drank almost exclusively vodka in an attempt to hide my drinking from my wife and family.

I am new to TSM and shocked when I first heard about it this past weekend. I immediately rented the movie "One Little Pill" and then bought the book "The Cure for Alcoholism".

I don't know what else you'd all be interested in, so just ask - I'm an open book. I just want help and for this to all end... I'm beginning to feel hopeful that TSM may help me get some control back into my life.

Glitch

Welcome Glitch- good luck on your TM journey!

Have you got some NAL lined up?

Hi, Glitch! Welcome to the community!

You might want to have a look at this page and read the suggestions on how to start out with Naltrexone and TSM:

http://optionssavelives.freeforums.net/ ... hints-tips

Hey Glitch-
Im a few hours West of you and about 10 years behind you in your alcoholic career. I have been pounding about 8-12 beers a night for the last 2 years or so, but have really been at it for at least 10 years. I started with Naltrexone generic from an online pharmacy two nights ago.

So far it feels as if this **** is the real deal. I'm typing and can see my screen at 10pm, so something is working. I would typically be 10 deep and watching some dumb show I would forget in the morning. After 5 beers I don't want any more, so far as I can tell, that is a success....

Cool, La Cabra! Glad to hear you're having such a positive reaction to the Nal. That can drift up and down, so don't let it throw you if your numbers start to go back up again, that's what happens most of the time. It rolls off from there over the weeks and months.

welcome Glitch! I'm the same age as you and about a year and a half into TSM. I can tell you this afternoon I'll probably have TWO beers watching my college football team and will go out to a friend's band tonight dancing with my wife and not drink at all. I can't tell you how unreal this would have seemed to me two years ago. Nal works for a lot of people and certainly has changed my life. good luck!

You are right Joe- I ratcheted it back up over the holiday. Definitely discouraging, but I will stick with the process and hope for the best.
I feel like I'm in the twilight zone right now and am hoping my head gets back to a new normal...

Yeah, usually a spike is followed by a new low within 1-3 weeks, so when you feel the urge to run it up, use mindful drinking techniques to clip those peaks and get some practice at being aware of when you're getting ambivalent about the next drink. That's a good time to switch to something else and leave the alch alone for the rest of the evening. I got some fair progress by delaying my start time, just a little at first. You may be surprised to find an hour has gone by and you didn't notice it. I just started with a 15 minute delay and made myself busy with something so I wasn't watching the clock. Another trick was to open the beer, take a sip, then put it back in the fridge and knock out some little task for 5 or 10 minutes. Another sip, another task, etc. Make it make you go get the beer again and see what shows up that drives you to it. Keep your enemies closer... ya know? Or come up with your own tricks and let us know how it went.

I was solidly at the 12-beer per night level and sometimes crept above that. It took me 5+ months at TSM, drinking every day, before I started getting back to back dry days. So be patient and keep that One Hour Rule. You're on your way without a doubt.

Hi JSP - sorry for taking over someone else's thread... but wanted to ask a question about your delay tactic. Do you take the NAL (say at 4 pm for a 5 pm start) and then try to not start at 5 pm but delay that starting time ? Or do you try to delay taking the NAL ?

Just to be sure... I am probably being pedantic about it but rather that than screw up.

Thanks!
..kay

I've done it both ways KayJay. I think perhaps taking the Nal a bit later removes the temptation. I think the key is getting into the habit of finding something else to focus on, so you're not watching the clock, which can well end up in delaying even further without even intending to.