Hi

I posted this also on the weekly progress board:

Really need encouragement. So far TSM is not working (started mid Jan, but in the first week scept tree days as of bad symptoms, so started counting units from Jan 21-st); my units are not going down and last week was a disaster!
Last week was home 4 of the 5 working days with snow and my daughter ill. Each of them had drinnks in the day. Also Sat and Su (which i ususally do anyway). This is what i want to stop as a first goal; i mean drinking throughout the day when not at work. But don't seem to be able to! Usually wake up feeling really down and want to feel better and here we go!

Anyway, here is a table with my units both in UK and USA standard

Week Units (UK) Units (USA)

21.1.13-27.1.13 81.75 46
28.1.13-3.2.13 91.95 51.8

Alice,
You sound desperate to quit and frustrated. As St. Paul once said, "I do the things that I hate, so I hate what I do." Isn't alcohol funny like that -- we do it because we love it, yet we hate it! As I said in a previous post, I find it interesting that 100% of rats are cured within about five doses of Naltrexone, but humans aren't because we can use our higher brain power to override the effects of Naltrexone -- depression, rebelliousness, self-defeating thoughts, and hundreds of excuses! I think some people also don't WANT to get better because it means either they have to deal with what they're hiding from, or because they'll have more pressure to succeed in life and to become a more stellar person.

But, still, as far as the Sinclair Method goes, you are definitely not right to be despairing so early. As long as you stick to the golden rule of Naltrexone+An Hour+Drinking= Cure, you should be positive about success. Even if you're first drink is an hour after waking up and you're doing all sorts of twisted sh*t while drinking. . .Even if you hate yourself while drinking. . .Even if you have no hope that you'll ever quit... For a good % of people it will work. I've been lucky enough to feel what "the cure" is like (though I'm not declaring myself cured quite yet). Trust me...it's easy. Picture this... You don't wake up each morning wondering if you're going to shoot heroin each day (I hope), nor think about heroin throughout the day, nor wonder how you will ever live without heroin. If you stick with the Sinclair Method, you're likely to one day feel the same about alcohol. It slowly loses its grip on your mind and you will wonder how you ever were so obsessed with it in the first place.

A tip: Naltrexone is not magic and is just a tool. Along with your will and your inner strength, it will make quitting your dysfunctional drinking habits SOOOOOOO much easier and less painful. But, you still have to do something. What I found helpful was to put a 30 minute distance between my first and second drink. It really isn't that hard. In the past, I would down four shots of vodka within 5 minutes which quickly raises your blood alcohol level and, with Naltrexone, can make the knucklehead part of our brains (which gets you into trouble), have too much power over Naltrexone (yes, you aren't getting an endorphin rush, but you're drunk enough that judgment is greatly diminished; perhaps you suffer from depression and the alcohol just make you more depressed, which makes you loathe yourself, which triggers MORE drinking and more depression, on and on, until you pass out!).

Keep us updated!

Thanks Barry,

I actualy haven't quite stuck to th golden rule all days (i realised after looking at my diery where i record drinks, when takein Nal, events etc.). Some days I had drinks before taking the Nal (this will be when i have a drink in the day). I also scept some days as Nal makes me really tired and also tired next day (although this is getting better now) and i simply could not afford being tired on those days.
But as thius tirednessside effect seems to be going I will now take it each day.
Are you saying on weekends I should take my pill in the morning? I am only prescribed one a day. I live in the UK and managed to get it prescribed, but am diven dated prescriptions for 14 pill each.

Yes, I am depressed and this together with personal problems (bad relationship, hisband leaving etc) is what's caused me to start drinking too much anyway.

Well, i just have to keep going and like you say try to put some will and inner strength in it too. If i could just stop myself from drinking day time it will be great. But what happens i wake up and feel really down. My kids want breakfast, playing with them etc, basically they want to have a normal happy mum. And then i reach for the wine. Or the other scenario is i get very worried abt something or irritated by ex and again reach for the glass. I have been doing this for a few years now and will be a hard habbit to btreak

Also i am eaten up by the fact i spend a lot on alcohol and at the same time now being a single mum am finding it hard financially