Hallo Guys
This post is not is simply a need to connect to others on my journey.
Just want to say this is day 7 on Nal, and this is what I experienced:
1. JUST THE FACT THAT I HAD TO PAUSE BEFORE DRINKING, AND KNOW I HAVE TO FIRST TAKE THE PILL AND WAIT FOR AN HOUR, ALREADY GAVE ME HOPE FOR CONTROL! THAT LITTLE HOUR! HOW LONG IT FEELS, BUT HOW POWERFUL TO BE IN CONTROL FOR THAT HOUR!
2. no real change in the amounts so far... luckily I am well prepared for this journey through reading and my chats with dr eskala, so I know the change will only come much later... I just observe myself now.
3. I DO KEEP A DIARY OF AMOUNT OF DRINKS. I DO EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO THE BEST PRACTICE NOW BECAUSE I AM DESPERATE TO MAKE THIS CHANGE IN MY LIFE.
4. I decided to do this one little thing from will power, and that is not to drink during the day, and wait until after work. To me that is a huge accomplishment. This comes from the Moderation Movement sentiments, where I am trying to - even though I wait for the meds to work - also try to make small changes from sheer will power. This is mine. I dont drink for now in the mornings/afternoons on work days.

Thank you for listening!
Sue

That's wonderful news Sue, and thanks so much for getting back to us!

Tell us a bit more about your background with alcohol and your drinking style, it will help us help you and will certainly help those that come along after you.

You might also like to have a chat with joanna@CThreeEurope.com, she offers free informal Skype sessions for TSM'ers and is a certified counselor. I think she'd love to hear from you!

You're off to a great start! I really like that you get mileage out of waiting the hour. It is different when you have a clear notion of a way out, a road ahead that doesn't just go in circles.

One thing you can try adding in is mindfulness techniques. For instance, try stretching out the first drink. If you smoke, don't take the drink with you. Put it back in the refrigerator or leave it somewhere else for even so much as 10 minutes, don't "neck" it. After taking the Nal and waiting an hour, you only need one drink to move the extinction forward a notch, so stop and ask yourself if you really want the 2nd, 3rd, etc. If you don't, then maybe you're done for the evening. This is where you can check to see if the Nal is beginning to give you control over the upper end of consumption. I think your Moderation Management will serve you well in this regard.

You are doing a great job and you've come through under very trying circumstances. You will do well!

thanks Joe, it almost feels unreal that people respond knowing exactly what they're talking about. in my culture, and family, Im almost an alien with my drinking habits! thanks for the non-judgmental approach!

the mindfulness helps a lot. in fact I already experienced that! but didnt respond to it. so after the first drink I dint want to have more and in fact I was afraid that the effect of the medication wont be sufficient from only one drink. so you do say it IS. thanks!

my background with drinking:
my father was an alcoholic, and went the AA route all his life. up and down of course. I never drank until age 34. than started to drink and simply couldnt stop, it built up and up until it became a huge problem. now Im 38 and realized Im biologically out of control. its then that my searches brought me across these types of therapy and Im thankful for the HOPE I feel.

Excellent, Sue. You were sure quick on the uptake, kudos for being so aware! I haven't been on this board for a long time, but I've yet to see anyone start, realize their situation and head straight for a solution in so short a time as you. Whether Nal does the trick for you or not, you "get it" and that's the best place you could possibly start from.

Like JSP says Sue, seems like you're off to a good start.

Keep you're head high and follow the golden rule and you'll be fine.

Keep posting and know that we're all here to support you!!

Sue - happy to have you here. Great start by cutting out those morning and afternoon drinking sessions. Keep posting and let us know how you are doing.

BTW folks, Joanna dropped a little hint my way that initial contact via email would be best, as she can often answer questions that way. I think TSM is starting to grow and the Skype sessions are getting a bit crowded. She's doing this all as a volunteer and has a business to run as well! Whadda gal!

Sue, I always like think that the 'rhythm' of TSM is part of the control. That is to say that, TSM is all about taking back control. Taking the pill and waiting one hour only reinforces the fact that YOU are the one calling the shots not the other way around.

It's amazing that you didn't start drinking till you were 34 and then it totally took you over. It just goes to show you how much genetics has to do with it. Congrats on being one of the super learners! What a great ability we all have huh? To be able to learn how to be an alcoholic so quickly is a sick little twisted gift... from Satan

My nonscientific intuitive belief based on my own experience is that those of us with this predisposition and particularly the binge drinkers are the ones who respond faster to TSM initially. There are lots of reasons why people drink but if the main one is biological, physical addiction, that you have those super receptors that just love that endorphin so much, then TSM acts on that fast. Naltrexone cuts that out almost immediately and then you are left with the habit. That then becomes the hard part. The irony for me of course is that I thought the physical addiction was the hard part, it was not. The Naltrexone completely cut that out of the equation.

I've been doing TSM for 7 months now and only now am I starting to have more alcohol free days per week then days with drinks. Granted on the days that I do drink I only have 4 drinks instead of 16 but still it's only now that I am starting to break the old habits. Those old nagging excuses to drink like, it's Friday after work, just got done mowing the lawn, friends over for dinner, and so on. Those nagging urges to have that one drink that would always end up in a night of drunkenness and a day of hangovers only to start it all off again. I still get those urges but they are waning.

Good luck on your journey.

hi ocean thanks VERY much for your lengthy reply!!! interesting that the doctor also told me I will respond much faster due to the genetic factor. he also couldn't give a scientific reason but say that in the tests the rats who had the genetically predisposition responded the quickest. so hey, thats a lot of hope ahead for me! yeah!

yesterday I had this experience which confirms what you say about the habit! Im literally SO NOT THERE where I feel content with a drink. but when I was at the restaurant, working - one of my bad habits since I love sitting to work at pubs and restaurants while sipping on alcohol - I ordered my usual white wine, and after the second glass I literally felt ENOUGH (a strange feeling, but I thought it was placebo from the meds) yet I couldn't get myself to stop ordering. Ordered another glass of wine, as well as two more beers. at that point I just couldn't get myself to drink more! so 8 units measured for me yesterday, which is MORE than what I want but there was some kind of relief knowing I forced myself to drink them. its a terrible insecurity I feel when NOT drinking more!

actually I tried to not drink during the day, and yesterday since I didn't have to teach I decided to go work in the restaurant again, knowing beforehand what it will lead to.

for now, I just rest myself in the fact that Im really trying and will have more will power over the habit issue once the biological cravings shut more and more down.

ocean, Im impressed by your decrease to 4 drinks per day and more days without alcohol. wow. I see that you're also not pushing yourself for drinking less while you're still in the process. keep that patience and mindfulness with yourself!

thanks very much for all the kind words!

Sue -

I think another point of advantage for you is that you haven't been "programming" your brain with alcohol all that long a time, not like many of us that have been at it for decades.

"its a terrible insecurity I feel when NOT drinking more!"

Your brain is losing it's favorite toy, so it's going to bring out the heavy guns to convince you. Well, yours is bigger, so have no fear.

Along the way it will find that some of the old toys it used to have fun with will make it perfectly happy, and hey - there are some new ones out there too!