I'm at about the three-month mark and I'm still drinking daily to intoxication and feeling bad the next morning, not fully functional. I am so disappointed. My drinking has dropped maybe 20% but that's just because I'm so damn nauseated all the time. I want to cry. I want to be free of this addition so badly.

Damy - I am sorry that you are feeling so poorly but you just need to hang in there - please make sure that you follow the Golden rule and take your nal at least an hour before drinking EVERY time. At least your drinking has gone down a bit - for whatever reasons. This will work, but does take time - hang in there,

hugs, maggie

Thanks so much Maggie. I'm feeling grieved over this today. My poor daughter sees me sloppy in the evenings. I'm damaging my brain, which I need in top working order for my profession. I'm just so SAD today that I can't seem to kick this.

I know exactly how you are feeling - it took me 11 months to finally get where I am - but it truly IS worth it - just have faith and patience - there is no alternative (to me there wasn't anyway which is why I persevered).

HUGS, Maggie

Damy, you're only three months into this. Be kind to yourself and cultivate some patience. Are you drinking slowly, mindfully and recognizing you are not getting that reward? Are you listening to your body and mind telling you to stop? Joanna at the other board offers free counciling via Skype. It seems everyone who has been where you are and reached out to her feels a renewed sense of hope.

Joanna@cthreeeurope.com

Thank you so much for these words, Maggie. Totally crying with gratitude. Feeling very weepy today as I had a whole day to myself to get work done and I'm too hung over to use it. For me there is no alternative either. I've tried everything else multiple times. I was so so happy and felt so good physically and emotionally when I managed two alcohol-free weeks this fall. I thought I would never go back, I felt so wonderful. Then I fell off the wagon again, the same as always. That's when I found the Sinclair Method.

The other day I happened to notice I distinctly did feel the reward (strongly) on the very first sip. It was a cocktail and I usually drink wine so it was probably higher alcohol content. Yes, I had taken nal earlier in the day with my lunch. Maybe I will try the counselor. I was unaware of her, so thank you!

Damy -

Bardo nailed it! The book mentions a 3 month timeframe, but many take longer than that. Do indeed talk to Joanna, she offers free Skype sessions for TSM'ers and she's a certified Alcohol Abuse counselor. C3 Europe started this as some in the UK need to have counseling in place before they can get a Rx for Selincro (the UK analog of Naltrexone). Some questions for you:

1. What kind of drinker are you? Tell us a bit more about when you started and what your drinking style is.

2. How long do you wait to drink after you take the Nal? Optimal is 60-90 minutes. BTW, if you don't feel the craving, don't take the Nal and don't drink. What we're trying to do here is wait until the beast shows up (the craving) THEN we strike by taking the Nal and waiting an hour. If you wait the hour and you don't really want that drink, don't drink.

3. Are you taking any other medications, especially like anti-anxiety or antidepressants?

4. Has your daughter watched One Little Pill yet? It would be good to have her on board with this and I think it would be something of an emotional load off you.

5. Are you keeping a drinks diary? This is an important part of TSM.

6. How soon does the first drink disappear? See if you can start stretching it out. Also, try having a glass of water in between drinks. You only need to have one drink to make the extinction process work, so stop and ask yourself if you really want that next drink. What that does is to introduce some mindfulness into the process, which gives you a chance to develop free choice about your drinking, which is the point of TSM; restoring your choice in the matter.

Again, you're relatively early into the process so don't get discouraged. From what I can see, the Nal is working, so don't worry, you're going to get there!

LOVE Joe's posts - he is SO thorough!!

Hugs, Maggie

Yes, very thorough! Thank you for taking the time, Joe!

1. I've been drinking a bottle of wine a night for about 8 years. I'm able to keep to that limit almost always but have not been successful in reducing that amount despite multiple tries. Sometimes since naltrexone I'm able to drink a little less, but I don't seem to love it any less, I'm just so sick at my stomach all the time. From my first drink at 18 I was never really normal. Drank too much, too focused on it. Did seem to have one period of normal/light drinking in my late twenties/early thirties for about five years. It was accidental and I don't know how I did it. Believe me, I've spent hours trying to analyze it so I could recreate it. I prefer to drink alone, but my husband loves to drink with me. Even though he's watched the video, is a physician himself, and knows I am very unhappy with my drinking, he adores drinking with me and isn't too worried about it. He can easily stop at one drink or not have a drink at all, and he just doesn't get it. He doesn't know about my secret stashes. If I told him, I would just find other hiding spots. Even though I've tried to explain the intense physical craving to him and I showed him the video, he still made a comment the other day, when I asked him how a mutual friend had gone from problem drinker to one-beer drinker, he answered, "will power." He didn't mean it as an insult. He just truly does not understand. He was relieved when I ended my abstinence last fall. Sigh. Not blaming him at all--I was drinking like this long before he came on the scene.

2. At first I did the one-hour rule, but that was often leading to vomiting for me. Still, I wanted to drink. I think I would want to drink WHILE vomiting. To avoid the vomiting, I have started taking it with a large meal at breakfast or lunch, which is several hours before my first drink. I am unable to put off my larger meal of the day until dinner due to hypoglycemia. I drink in the evenings only, unless on vacation or Christmas or something rare. I have been taking nal every day because I still want to drink every day. I've forgotten the pill maybe 3 times in 3 months. One of those was Christmas Day and I was cooking for ten people and very busy. I don't think it was an unconscious desire not to take it-- I actually forgot. Then one day during a bad week of vomiting I just could not bring myself to swallow it. I was so nauseated. I do make every attempt to be compliant, though.

3. No other meds.

4. I'm not ready to talk to my daughter about this. She's only ten. Once (if) I can get it under control, I plan to talk to her, apologize (deeply) to her, and talk to her about her own genetic predisposition. It's on both sides of her family, heavy duty. My dad is a high-functioning but unquestionable alcoholic. My sister has abstained for ten years after four years of very heavy drinking. My daughter's father and his father both have problems with it too.

5. No diary other than a journal. I haven't known how to record my drinks since I'm always trying to hide what I'm drinking from my family, and what I do drink out in the open I'm sharing with husband. I may have to tell him I'm going to be measuring from now on and he can't drink out of my glass or pour me another splash. God, I hate this. We're still somewhat newlyweds (3 years) and I feel so embarrassed.

6. I'm not sure on the first drink. I'll try to pay more attention. Sometimes on Wednesdays I sleep in a different room from husband due to schedules. I relish the thought of getting to that room where I can drink alone. Happened just last night. I don't think my cravings have abated much if any at all.