Elfern - good news! Have not kept up with everyone's posts this week - but very happy to read this one. A stop sign is a great sign...

I am not a daily drinker and I have been doing the SM for a long time. If it helps anyone I did not notice improvements til at least the 3rd month and then things didn't really get rolling til the 4th one. Still have sketchy days but all in all major improvements. Totally living a different life than before.

Please, please keep us informed on your progress in your significant ways. You have been on this longer than most and your post indicates a wonderful transition. PLEASE take the time to expound so we can continue to be encouraged by your success. It is so important to us all to look forward to a better future and you give us hope.

bb

well it isn't the type of change I find easy to describe. Once Springrider put it well when he said he just doesn't think about stopping at the liquor store as much as before. It is so subtle. Yet over time you notice you just don't do the things that used to get you into so much crap before. You still drink but you don't care to as often. You just don't care to and for me I just don't worry about it. It just doesn't rule your time or your life as much. I am for example now suddenly playing guitar like I did when I was younger. Stuff just starts coming back because all the attention is not on drinking. I still find that stress is a major factor and I read an article on addiction where they found that Naltrexone was very effective against cue induced craving but not effective against stress induced craving which would explain some of my mixed results. So there is huge improvements but one needs to keep things in perspective. Nal has proven to be extremely beneficial to me but I need to deal with my own reactions to stressful situations. all the best!