Hi guys. This is a tricky one. I am one of those lucky ones for whom the Method worked in just about 90 days. This was a few years back. Great times followed. Amazing mornings. Since then, I have slipped twice. Once when I travelled for awhile without pills , and once when I was very sick without a car, and knocking the cold out with spiked tea seemed like a good plan. Lecture me if you must, but I already feel like an assface. Assface.........

Here is my question: On my third ( ) time around, only three weeks into it of taking the pill, already I am not wanting to drink, and when I drink wine after taking the pill, I feel more like I am taking medicine, like a kid feels, more than partaking of this lovely ritual. So here is the question--should I just start stringing together some AF days? I feel ready. Or do you folks think that is a bad idea.

Bear with me, but I am a writer, and though I ramble, I can get the question more specific than the above, although I wanted you to know all the particulars:

Is Nal psychological or pharmacological?

Of course I know it's both, but what I find myself wondering, now that I am back in the trenches, is this: has my shame of drinking and good experiences with Nal already kicked in, via some PAVLOVIAN mechanism, hence that's why I feel ready to go AF for some days? Or does it really, physically, take at least three months for those pesky receptors to get "re-blocked".
And, if it makes a difference in your answer, for years I have never been drunk during the day (I used to be a cocaine/vodka 24/7 freak, twenty years ago), and now, before Nal and when I slipped, I always "only" have 2-3 glasses of wine, late at night. If that impacts your answer.

Thanks, seriously, more than I can say, for the help in advance. This is the only forum on the internet where I feel safe. The worst thing I have ever seen on this forum is "tough love" postings. We know how horrific this disease is. I just thank God, Sinclair, and you folks that I already know I won't be falling down puking drunk for the holidays. -humanin3d

We actually had an ongoing argument here on this very topic. We used to warn people not to become re-addicted because it would be harder to extinguish it a second time, and somebody finally asked if there was any actual data on that. There isn't on humans, since TSM research is so shamefully neglected, but there is rat data. It's not harder. It's actually easier.

We all know that it's easier to re-learn a once-learned behavior. Rat data indicates that, provided the behavior was completely extinguished before later being relearned, it's actually easier to re-extinguish a once-extinguished behavior as well.

So, yeah, there's a very good chance that your re-cure will take less time than your initial cure.

You see, this is why I am so grateful for this forum. Already a reply. And happily, it is one that gives me hope (should I say "comfort and joy"), but had it been otherwise, I would have respected and taken it to heart and mind, as I will all other responses.

And Melissa, in return, I will frequent and support your blogpost, esp. since it covers this subject. Although I will have to wait to do it on my break, as my allotted time for internet is over till this afternoon. You see, I subscribe to the notion that addicts often need to/do replace their addictions, even with "dry" ones or societally accepted ones--be it shopping, scrapbooking, candy crush, etc. (I found it interesting that Lindsey Lohan, when locked up in one of those posh luxury rehabs, did eschew booze and pills, but shopped like a maniac, fancy clothing boxes delivered there by the dozens--I don't think they'd let you get away with that in a regular rehab.)

One ( ) of my new addictions is internet surfing. Oh well. At least I can't get jailed for that, or locked up on a 5150. Although their are people I know who would disagree with that. I am learning to control my internet addiction too.

Thanks again, to Melissa and all others in advance for their concern and knowledge.

Sounds to me like your slip was fairly trivial, and nothing to feel guilty about. If you just don't want to drink three weeks into your re-cure, then go AF to your hearts content. If you want to drink again sometime, then make sure to take Nal an hour before you do.

As to whether TSM is pharmacological or psychological...the answer is yes. It is definitely pharmacological, and there is a psychological component also. I lean towards believing that it works mostly on the subconscious level, but certainly each individual's beliefs and habits are going to effect how they respond to some degree.

But then, what do I know, I'm just someRandomScientist.

Good Lord H, The main thing is that you're doing it!.

As to the question, "Is it psychological or pharmological?", I'd say, "Nobody knows for sure, but it appears to be both." Always keep in mind that the method works great on rats (100% cure), so it's obviously pharmalogical to some extent. Rats don't know they're taking a drug to be cured, yet they are. Humans know what they're taking and why, so there's always going to be a psychological element on top of it.

As to the "Should I force a drink or go AF?", I've always sided on the AF side, whereas others feel strongly that you should make yourself drink to really achieve extinction. My argument is, What else is a "cure" other than an ability to not-drink while free of cravings? So, if you're craving and "white knuckling," by all means keep on the method. If not, don't. Personally, I feel like I was "mostly cured" after just a few doses. What I pictured as a huge wall called "addiction," was really just a small bit of shrubbery to walk over. Going long spans free of alcohol (and Naltrexone!) allows your brain and body to heal in a profound way not possible with long term Nal and Al usage.

I agree with Barry's post, except that I got to the point where I was completely turned off alcohol, to the point where I said "I no longer enjoy drinking alcohol, and I am not prepared to risk ever drinking alcoholically again, so I'll just not drink at all".

I also think Naltrexone deaddicted me from pubs too - used to love them, the atmosphere, warmth etc, but now I definitely do not want to go in one. To me most of them are smelly, cold, and very boring places. Ugghhh, rather stay at home.

There are some restaurants I no longer go to, because sober, thier food is crap. Go figure.