I am very upset. I had sent an extensive package of information to the head of the substance abuse program at the Univ of MN Fairview Clinics in hopes she'd refer me to a doctor that can prescribe me Naltreone using the Sinclair Method. I'm a patient at a University of MN Fairview Clinic near where I live. In the package I included:

1. Complete chapter for physicians from "A Cure for Alcoholism"
2. Complete research abstract of Sinclair Method
3. Detailed letter from me (2 pages) of my decision to use TSM.

I sent it on Sept 10 and did not hear back for a month so followed with a phone call and left a phone message about a week ago. The head called me back yesterday. First, she had a hard time figuring out what letter I was referring to. (This was a 1/2 inch envelope of info.) After I went into a detailed account and she said she vaguely remembered the correspondence. After of which she said she'd never heard of the TSM and that if it wasn't something they already utilized they wouldn't consider employing it as a viable treatment for alcohol addiction and she couldn't provide me with a referral. I asked if she'd at least review the material. The answer was "no." I said, okay, then I guess we're done here. Geez what a kick in the pants!

Can you believe it? This is from a University that in paid advertisements claims to be a center of discovery. Also, I wanted to get this outcome before approaching a local paper about covering TSM. I thought it would be helpful to give the editor the full extent of my experience with the professional medical community. Anyway, time to expose this crap. I hope the paper picks up on the story. All I can say is thank the Lord for the foreign pharmacy or we'd be up the creek without a paddle.

That is incredibly disappointing! I am so sorry. It seems we are pioneers in this treatment. Hopefully, as more and more of us come forward with our stories, we (and Drs. Sinclair and Eskapa) will be taken seriously. I appreciate that you tried. I will continue trying (see my "call to action" thread), especially after I can say for sure that I am cured.

I really do think that the dogma of AA, 12-steps and abstinence only is so ingrained, that it is hard for people to accept any other ideas. Plus, as others have noted, there is quite a profit to be made in that revolving door, and a cult mentality that keeps the sheeple in line where there is no money to be made (the rooms.)

I, too, feel bad that you had such a discouraging encounter. But let's be charitable - the woman you spoke to was probably buryed in paper and letters, and submisisons, and requests and phone calls. She was not very understanding of you - and for someone in the medical field she obviously has forgotten how hard it is for people to open up to others and request help....

but let's all move on here. We can get Naltrexone quite easily overseas, many of us use it with great success. Maybe it's not our job to get the medical community up to snuff on this - time will fix this. Let's keep talking to friends and family - it will spread!!

By the way, does anyone remember a poster called Sabrina? I think she was from DC. Seems to be she mentioned some really high profile doctor/researcher who was from a high profile organization/government agency...I remember feeling that if this guy is on side with The Sinclair Method we're going in the right direction. I'll try to search for her post when I have time later. In the meantime don't dwell on this slap in the face. Stay on here with us! We're listening!!!

I had to laugh at "Center for Discovery." More like "Center for Doing What We Always Do, and Hey Let's Be Rude While We Do It."

"Center for Doing What We Always Do, and Hey Let's Be Rude While We Do It." HA! Good one BGH!

"By the way, does anyone remember a poster called Sabrina? I think she was from DC. Seems to be she mentioned some really high profile doctor/researcher who was from a high profile organization/government agency...I remember feeling that if this guy is on side with The Sinclair Method we're going in the right direction."

I found the post you were referring to from Sabrina:

"So out of desperation, a few months ago I finally started seeing the remarkable Dr. Mark Willenbring, who until this month was Director of the Treatment and Recovery Research Division of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at NIH. Dr. Willenbring was the consultant to the HBO series on Addiction and is extensively quoted in the New York Times article this spring about the benefits of naltrexone. He also developed the enlightened website http://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
which has some great practical tools to help in controlling one’s drinking (and also is a good resource to take to a doctor if you want naltrexone prescribed). Dr. Willenbring started me on naltrexone, and the change in my drinking patterns was profound and instantaneous. I “pace and space”, I don’t pour a glass the minute it turns 6 p.m., I leave bottles unfinished, and I stop before I get forgetful or I fall asleep. I still have far to go – I will feel triumphant when I can accomplish even one alcohol free day, but I also know not to push it. I know about the honeymoon period, but I also am already so grateful for the difference it already has made for every night of the past two weeks.

Unfortunately for me, Dr. Willenbring is going back to Minnesota to start a “science based treatment model” institution to train organizations and help change the old-fashioned and outdated models for alcohol rehabilitation. With his departure I guess I’m turning to this forum to help me keep on the naltrexone path. I know it works, but I also know I'm going to need the kind of positive reinforcement this site offers. I'm also slightly worried about naltrexone's long-term potential for me -- there are several conflicting studies out there that show that it possibly works better for men than women.

P.S. FYI, The last time I saw Dr. Willenbring he told me that one of the newest and most exciting tools NIH has seen recently in helping to change drinking patterns is applying the behavioral concept of “Mental Contrasting and Implementation Intention”, which might be a helpful adjunct to naltrexone. I’m still trying to figure out exactly what that means and how to make it work, but I pass it on for what it’s worth.

What a Sweetie for digging up that post - it should make us all feel better - that there are intelligent people out there who UNDERSTAND what the heck's going on in our brains, and who are willing to think out of the box.

Just this morning when I tried to log on to the Atkins low-carb forum I was BANNED!!! I could not believe my eyes. I have e-mailed to find out why and have heard nothing yet, but I suspect it is because I posted to a thread already started talking about drinking, giving up drinking, alcohol and the low-carb lifestyle, whether one should quit so as not to be adding so much sugar yada yada yada - well I chimed in and said that there was something out there - Nal of course, I was very very very clear that I was not a doc or an addiction specialist, that anyone interested in TSM should pm me privately - that I was not recommended anyone stop/start drinking etc. But NOT GOOD ENOUGH. And I'm almost positive I remember AA being mentioned, or at least abstaining as a treatment.

The thread had lots of posts from people who obviously struggle with alcohol and who realize it just does not mix with a low carb way of eating. But let anyone merely hint at anything 'out of the box' and you're gone!! OH well, lesson learned. I guess I did inadvertently break the rules and I regret that but geeeeeesssssshhhhhh!!!!!!!

Hey maybe the woman at the Center for Discovery works for the Atkins forum in her spare time!!!!

BGH, sounds to me like CAROL ID from soberrecovery has a part time gig on the atkins site. She's a friggin nazi who will ban your ass for talking about TSM

so MLPS CC you got your answer!!!!

so after reading BGH and illuminae's posts, We find that this Dr. Willenbring happens to have moved to your town recently! He works at Allina Mental Health. here you go:

http://www.healthgrades.com/directory_s ... d-297408c6

call him up and let us know how it goes

Oh my gosh! Thank you! Thank you! My insurance ALLOWS me to switch from the Fairview clinics to Allina so this thing is meant to be. I know I shouldn't let it bother me about the other doctor's response but I'm on this crusade. I mentioned this in another thread--we discovered my 47 year old brother dead in his home last June with an empty gallon of vodka close by. He had been dead for 3 days. He struggled with alcohol addiction for 20 plus years. I'm SO mad at the medical community and mad at myself for not finding TSM in time. Yes, I'm now getting my nal from a foreign pharmacy but what about others that don't have the mindset to search for alternative treatment. And what about those that don't have the resources to afford the cost of overseas prescriptions? I agree. We need to get the word out by sharing our own experience with TSM. Thank you everyone. You've been so helpful.

All,

Found Dr. Willenbring and successfully transitioned my network from Fairview to Allina which Dr. Willenbring is part of. Scheduled an appt and will let you know what happens. Looking forward to meeting him. Will give you all the details. Stay tuned...

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