Every time you habitually take or crave a drink, that's a problem.

That self-destructive behavior is the reason we're all here.

People crave a drink, not to feel good, but to stop feeling bad. They don't have enough alcohol on board. In other words, to get back to baseline.

So you take naltrexone, in order to make drinking less pleasurable. That will not solve the craving issue, because drinking won't bring relief.

The craving remains, so you need to drink MORE !!.... And , you have now added a medication which destroys life's joy.

Reducing cravings and habits through being mindful and finding other activities besides drinking, leads to decreased drinking, and decreased naltrexone. Less depressants !

Instead of adding the depressant naltrexone to the depressant alcohol, you are now limiting both. When you satisfy your craving or urge with alcohol, you defeat yourself.

You can extinguish the temporary pleasure of drinking with naltrexone, but not by drinking mindlessly.

Moderation techniques, days without drinking, never drinking to intoxication, and not drinking mindlessly are key.

Imagine discovering you prefer a clear unpoisoned mind, and crave that instead of inebriation!

There is abundant talk on this forum that alcohol free days and responsible coherent drinking are impossible. Well, they are not. No more daily self poisoning with alcohol is reason enough.

The point of TSM is to get away from habitual destructive drinking. Success will come, if you do exactly that.

My observations are the same Guapo.

Most people have to actively find something else to do.

Taking naltrexone does not stop the hand putting a glass to the mouth, nor will it make you switch from wine to water. New habits have to be actively formed, and life enjoyed by removing the depressants alcohol + naltrexone.

Not having the alcohol to hand is something most people can do, stay in, don't go out, have an escape plan, go to bed, put that drink down. Soon it stops being part of your life.

good advice. last night I went to be early with a good book. fell asleep way early, had a nice rest, and didn't miss the AL. if I had stayed up I probably would have messed around the house and had a glass of wine...

This is a great thread.



That really hit me hard. I found that I drink while playing video games about 80% of the time. I have been successful in reducing the amount, but it still doesnt resolve the underlying issue: Why do I drink and play video games?

For me it is purely an escape, which is sad to say. Days that I don't drink, AL becomes just about secondary. I'll try to start with one or 2, but dinners ready and I am pretty hungry. I guess gaming really distracted me a lot.

Anyways, Great post. I need to continue to re-evaluate my habits and ask myself why I keep re-enforcing them.

Deciding to not drink anyhing on a given day, or sticking to a plan of no more than 2, or 3 drinks at an event helps. Perhaps only drinking on Friday and Sunday over the weekend, and skip Saturday. How about limiting drinking to two weeknights, whichever ones work out best.

You can still drink the other days for God sakes. maybe the drinking days aren't that great, so won't be desirable anymore.

Why would drinking more than two or three drinks in an evening make you happy or make the night any better?

What's fun about slurring your speech, making an sss of yourself, feeling like crap, being unable to drive, repeating yourself,blacking out, forgetting the evening, or just being generally annoying.

Anyways, you certainly don't have to be alcohol free every day, and never drink more than two or three drinks but it's an good habit to get into. It won't happen though, unless you plan ahead.

Sure makes TSM work a lot better.

I used to like drinking whilst online in chat rooms or phoning people to tell them something........trick is to do them without it, building a new experience. Or don't do the activity associated with drinking.

Are you having fun, or is it a distraction from life?

I totally get this, but for me it's more watching movies or TV shows online than playing games (but I can get into those on my tablet). The only answer I have been able to come up with: because when I drink, it makes these things a lot more interesting to do for hours at at time. Sober, I just get bored watching a screen for that long; drunk, it sort of sedates me into compliance.

So, I've been thinking a lot lately of: why would I want to basically check-out for long periods at a time? Why a need to basically sleep with my eyes open? Anyone else feel that?

Maybe it's become your default comfortable behavior. I spent many wasted (2 meanings there !) hours at the computer screen, chat rooms, etc. Unless I passed out !

It was scary to think that was the future

NAL will help wean away from that. Substituting other non-intoxicated activitires that you enjoy is good. They'll be more enjoyable without NAL. No NAL means no drinking.

You are now enjoying something in your right mind. Imagine that....

that's too funny! I suppose that's where the slang meaning came from!