Hi everyone!
Feeling a bit down at the moment - I'm on day 35 and am still drinking exactly the same as pre -nal. I don't get the "buzz" but still drinking til I can't remember much - 2-3 bottles of wine every evening.
Pre Nal - 2.5 bottles of wine per evening. Last night after a really stressful day I drank 3 bottles.
Please i need some encouragement that this will work for me!!
I am trying to think positive - how would I be feeling now if I hadn't found TSM and Nal? - Pretty awful and still struggling and hating myself for losing the battle!
One really good thing is I have not been violent or abusive to my partner (which i'm ashamed to say I was, often) since being on the Nal, despite still drinking the same amount. This is a REALLY GOOD thing!! Has anyone else noticed this happening to them!!

Good luck to everyone and I hope to hear from you!!
bpm

Day 1- 34 - 2.5 bottles wine
35 - 3!!!

Hang in there. I am on my 3rd order of NAL, been at it over 8 months. I am drinking about 1/3 less, and i am not going to give up. I've don't post as much, didn't feel that I had anything new to say, no "real" progress. However, i faithfully take my NAL 1 hour prior to drinking. I am hoping that one day i just decide i don't need to drink, I have to have faith that this will work, it has worked for so many.

Try not to get down on yourself. You have committed to TSM, so you are taking steps to address your unhealthy relationship with AL. The fact that you are no longer being abusive is a huge win. I am in week 25, and have seen numerous small positive changes as I am sure that you will. Unfortunately this is a long process, for me I can't break out of my cycle of heavy drinking heavy weekend, but the AF days during the week are becoming much easier.

Hang in there and stay the course, you can do this.

Hi BPM. I don't know how old you are or how long you have been drinking alcoholically, but as a 42 year old female who had been drinking heavily for ten years: I am finally seeing great progress in my eighth month. I was a falling-down-blacking-out-ravaged-mess. I was a binge AND daily drinker.

I will tell you also, I was a wine drinker and I easily polished off a 1.5 liter of Pinot Grigio every night and at times exceeded that intake. I did not see major shifts for months and months. It takes what it takes--and as long as it takes. Remember you are changing that "Super highway" of your neuropathways back to simple country roads. This takes time, my dear.

A couple of things helped me. One, I keep a calendar and record my unit intake and write AF in big letters when I don't drink. And two, I was advised long ago to switch from drinking my beloved wine to beer. I did just that and I drink strong beer so I can't chug it like I do wine. I no longer have a taste for wine. It's funny how that happens in time.

And lastly, relish every success you are experiencing-- big and small. Progress will happen and know with every sip you are that much closer.

Hang in there and please stop hurting your partner... your alcoholism is trecherous enough for her to handle. Plus, it can't feel good to see the damage you've done to her face or whatever after having been violent. I often wondered if a man feels guilty as he gazes at his partner's black eye given to her by the one who's supposed to love and protect her. For goodness sakes, I hope you break that cycle of violence.... there is never a reason for it.

So keep on keeping on and check out some of the threads created by those now on the cured list. You'll see that you are far from being alone in your impatience, hope and journey.

Peace,

Ketchikan1

Thankyou all for your kind words - so helpful - by the way I am female and was (but thankfully have stopped) abusing my male partner. Those of us with supportive partners are so lucky and I could spend ages writing about how he has put up with me and my horrible alcohol related behaviour .

I am 49 and have been drinking heavily since my early 20's, and even before that whenever I got the chance.
Fell "in love" with it when at about 8 years old given a small glass of sherry at Christmas and got that lovely buzz that made me silly and giggly and just wanted MORE. Have never been able to understand just having a glass of wine with a meal, or a couple of drinks on a night out. For me it's drink until I drop or it runs out! I hate it!

I am interested about the idea of changing the type of alcoholic drink eg wine to beer - has anyone else tried this?

I am so moved by how everyone is sticking at this method even though it can take time - your kind words make me determined also and I am so looking forward to seeing everyone on the CURED list!

Thankyou again for your replies - they mean so much to me -feeling so low at the moment it has been hard even to write this.
I wish everyone good luck and hope I can be of support to other people at some time!

bpm

Hey BPM: A number of people switched to some other (lighter) form of drink. Minneapolis Nick went to light beer. When I use that trick I drink less. Need to do that more often.

As others have said, this can be a long process. And it's hard not to look down at your feet, trudging along, when success is still over the horizon. Most of us feel down and discouraged at times.

But good for you for asking for support -- exactly the right thing to do. And also good for you for staying on the plan. That's the essential thing to do.

All best to you!

Just here to echo everyone else. The fact that you are no longer violent when drinking is Huge, don't underestimate that. However, day 35 is practically nothing in TSM - this is a LONG process! When you're at week 35, I'm sure you'll have seen bigger changes!

Welcome bpm
You are very early in the process, patience is key. The ride is a bumpy one and there will be many days you will question whether or not TSM is working. I am 51 and have been a heavy daily drinker for 30+ years. I have been taking Nal for 6 months and although I still have a ways to go, the changes are amazing, TSM works!

Changing your choice of poison will help, I switched from red wine to drinking all kinds of different things. carbonated beverages work best because they fill you up and you end up drinking less.

Keep at it and Nal-on

Hello bpm,

I think Nal could be marketed solely on the fact it takes the edge off of those horrible fights if not completely eliminates them. I used to cringe in terror at the the things I said to my wife from the night before. I hated to have to apologize the entire next day. But, what I hated even more is "I NEVER MEANT" any of the things I said in those fights! I honestly didn't even remember the argument. The argument " the booze made me do it" can only cut it for so long. In a MILLION YEARS I would NEVER call my wife the C-word ( BTW, what is it with this word? ) SOBER! No married man should be that stupid. Anyway, mentally beating yourself up only makes you feel worse.

It is kind of ironic now. If my wife overdoes it I "gently" remind her the next day she kind of got out of hand and to slow it down.

ketchikan1: I love your idea of switching to a strong beer from wine! Wine is so damn easy to "gulp" and it is so damn easy to drink two bottles. I need to get rid of my taste for it. My taste for liquor seems to be gone. I almost threw up this after only one shot of whiskey during a ball game this past summer. I hope in the next few months red wine has the same effect.