Clarion-
I see that you take a pill every day, even though you are cured? Can you tell me why that is necessary?
I think that may be the way to go for me as I sometimes think of drinking early on and don't want to wait the hour. Also, I never got any endorphin highs on the days I don't drink. I think I don't get them at all, as I know my husband will talk of a running high but I never had one from running or exercising. I feel better after exercising outside but never had any endorphin rush. Only endorphin rush I ever got was from alcohol!

I had lots of big changes happen, first one was realising that I didn't want to drink every day, so I put in AF days, that boosted me along. Then later I realised that drinking 3-4 days in a row combined with Nal was unpleasant, so I made a note to drink perhaps only 1-2 days a week.

When I finally quit it was because I really no longer liked any alcohol, the effect or the taste.

Hi Tish,

Thanks for the post and for just being here. I really appreciate the TSM community, the sharing of experiences, and all the great advice! Even though I have had a little set back the past week (holidays I think), I did have somewhat of a breakthrough just a few weeks ago. I'm now in week 15 of TSM. I did not really have a honeymoon period, but I have continued to follow the Golden Rule and keep at it, as everyone says it takes time. What I noticed for me was that, after about a few weeks into TSM the awful cravings for alcohol were down considerably, and after a couple of months they were down even more. As funny as it might sound though I continued to drink as normal. I really did not notice a reduction in my intake. Then after a very frustrating period I posted on the CThree site and got some very helpful responses. One of them (Joesixpack) in particular seemed to make sense to me - to try and push back a bit more and see what happened. I decided to go for an AF day and see how the cravings went. I made up my mind, planned the evening out and went for it. To my surprise it was very easy! I had almost zero craving, and especially after I got over the late afternoon "hump" (about 4-7 pm) it really didn't matter at all if I was drinking or not. I decided I'd like to see if I could do some more AF days, and I did 4 in a row. It had really been a long time since that has happened. I did not experience the cravings that used to drive me crazy, and I realized that much of my drinking was out of habit. I did drink after those 4 days, but the amount was down on the days I did drink. The next week I did 4 AF days again. It seems for me that doing an AF day is almost easier than reducing my intake, but I'm hopeful that over time that will change as well. I have some challenging days coming up, but I'm going to try to push for even more AF days per week in the future.

Like Joesixpack said, see if you can push back some. It really worked for me. I was quite surprised at the lack of craving and how "in control" I could be (versus what would happen pre-TSM, which was like I was up against a monster!).

To Forwardthinking's question about AF days, here is what helps me. Firstly I had to be at the point in TSM where the cravings were definitely reduced. Then to get an AF day it really helped me to make up my mind pretty early in the day about it and make a plan. For me the plan has to include anything that gets me out of a location or routine where I usually drink. For example, for me the worst craving times have always been late afternoon/early evening. I like to run, so I planned for a late afternoon run. I also planned an activity for later on - even if it was just to dig into a good book I've been reading. I realize you can read and drink at the same time, and I've certainly done my share of it, but for me it was a matter of mentally switching the focus to something else. I have found that the focus for me is almost always drinking, and every other activity is secondary. With the dramatically reduced cravings I found that I could truly switch the focus. One night after my run I planned on getting my kids to help me make dinner and then all sitting down to dinner at the table (instead of in front of the TV, where it's easy to watch and drink). After the meal I had no desire at all to drink. I also had finished off wine that was in the house, and made it so that I would have had to go buy more in order to drink that day. I have to say as well that the morning after benefits are fantastic!! I get great sleep, wake up refreshed, and feel good.

Again, try and make a plan that gets you away from your drinking location and/or routine. You may be surprised at how appealing non-drinking activities are - even simple ones - when the cravings are down.

Hope this is helpful -
Benji

my experience is very similar to Benji's. for a while I didn't have cravings, but still drank out of habit. I felt like I HAD to drink at certain times or occasions. I too, was helped by PLANNING other activities slightly different from my usual. really helped a lot. stay the course and you'll see results!

I totally agree with Benji and Zontar.

Thanks for the thread. I think the NAL is working (I don't feel the rush), but this is the time of year (dark) when my drinking is often at it's worst, and while I did pretty well this fall, I'm back to my typical pattern. It doesn't help that certain things in my life are not going great right now. I'm actually depressed, so I'm having a very hard time pushing back. I know I need to.

I've also screwed up more than once with my timing of the NAL (although I do take it every day), so I am afraid that I may have blown it. But I'll keep taking it and hope for the best. Hope for my mood and desire to not drink to improve enough that I start to push back.

BLou, sounds like you have seasonal affective disorder. I had been diagnosed years ago, but for no explainable reason would not take vitamin D3 with any regularity. Fast forward to this December, one week I was just bowled over by depression. I did a little research on D3 and started taking 4,000 IU daily. Instant transformation.

As for not adhering to the Golden Rule strictly - naltrexone one hour before any drink- I don't think you'll see much progress. Your brain will never relearn a relationship with alcohol if you allow those endorphins to be released. Non-compliance is the most prevalent fault to this treatment.

Good luck!

BLou, I just posted over in your thread...

UKBlonde: When I finally quit it was because I really no longer liked any alcohol, the effect or the taste.

thats how i feel i am beginning to feel. how long did you feel that way until you decided to change?