Hunh. What led you to TSM, then, since it doesn't sound like your drinking is out of control? Were you just interested because of your brother's problem?

Thanks, you are very observant! My father was a very heavy drinker, my younger brother was killed on his moterbike after a few drinks, only 26, and my older brother who would drink himself into hospital and died at 40. Later my father had liver problems and in the end died after a strock and brocken hip.

So yes it traumatised me and I got to thinking I was like that. Now I just watch how much I drink.

Wow, that's wretched. I'm really sorry to hear about your losses.

I'm glad you don't share their problem. Believe me, it's no more fun from the inside than it looks from the outside.

I wish they had found help . . . I'm sure you wish that, too.

Well, in part it's a reaction to a world in which abstinence is pounded into us as the ONLY solution to addiction, in which our attempts to bring up our successful experiences with pharmaceutical intervention are met with poorly informed skepticism or hostility. I already have to deal with my doctor refusing to prescribe nal because he doesn't understand how it's different from Antabuse; I don't have patience for more "it doesn't work!" stories in my spare time. If it didn't work for you (as it doesn't for a fair number of people), I'm sorry and I hope you find a solution that does. But I don't want you or anyone telling me it doesn't work, full stop. That's just nonsense.