Ocean - Great posts. It is amazing how the body gets angry at you for drinking to much and gets its revenge by giving you headaches, dry mouth, sore sides, diarrhea, shakes, and of course an angry wife! But then several hours later (or maybe as soon as you wake up) you repeat the alcohol intakein order to cure your pains from drinking the day before. I think that might just fit the definition of insanity! Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!

Thanks for the replies. YEs Reboot I think you are right it truely is the definition of insanity, or at least the definition of addiction .

Jackson I'm very much looking forward to the day I forget what the chase is all about. My fear there is that I will then think it's ok now to drink without Naltrexon. I'm smarter then that but you know what I mean. I want to forget but at the same time we need to never forget.

I guess that's why I have a problem with the idea that TSM leads to a cure. I'm way to skeptical about that. I understand it in this way, that it's a cure sort of like how taking medication for high blood pressure is a cure. You will always have to take your meds and if you do your blood pressure will be normal. What I am asking is what is the definition of a cure?

Anyway I'm sure I'm a long way away from knowing at this point. But this week was more or less just like the last two. It's my third week tomorrow and in that time I've not once gotten over .06BAC and the average is more around .04%.

The amazing thing about that is that thanks to TSM that didn't even require any hard work on my part at all.

I've read a few stories from people that say that Naltrexon makes the beer or wine or what ever drink taste bad. I've not noticed that and in fact really for the first time ever in my life I think I am actually enjoying the taste more. I always did like beer, I've even brewed it on several occasions, but I know why I really liked it, not so much for the flavor, sure that's nice and all, but give me that reward baby that's what I want! I loved in the last decade or so the trend of the strong beers. Those were my favorite because then I could tell myself I only had one beer but it packed the punch of two LOL.

Funny thing is now I actually don't buy the strong ones as I don't really like them as much for the flavor and since the reward is gone then whats the point.

Last night I had 3 beers over the course of about 6 hours. I was on my third one and it was half gone in my glass. I moved some things around on my desk and the glass fell over and spilled the rest of my beer. I was pissed (angry ) of course but after I cleaned it up I just kept doing what I was doing and later went to bed. Under 'normal' circumstances I probably would have immediately pounded one beer and grabbed another one to nurse just to teach it a lesson or some insane thing like that.

I'm still weary of this whole TSM thing. I alluded to the movie 'Awakenings' earlier. If you have seen that then you know what I mean, a miracle drug that cures but only for a short period of time. It's only been 3 weeks but I plan on continuing for as long as it takes. The results were immediate me, in fact overnight really but I think there is a lot of work to do.

Ocean, I am with you, I don't like the "cure" language either. Maybe it is that for some. But we are left with the "have to take a pill forever", which at first I struggled with. BUT: what is the alternative? That is what it comes down to for me. I haven't been able to get where I want to be on my own. AA is not an option. So here I am, willing to do this because I don't see much downside and I want to change my life.

Besides, things like "I am cured"........they are just words. If I can get where I want to be I don't care whether I am "cured" or not, frankly.

Nal on!! Hugs from Newlife

Hey newlife tell ya what. If we ever come to a point where we both conclude for ourselves that we are actually cured then lets have a drink to that

Ha ha ha............it's a deal. Newlife

Ocean: Me too on the beers. First taste on NAL of favorite Stone "Enjoy By", I gagged. Now I find myself sipping saisons and farm ales. Used to pound double IPAs.

I too don't feel "cured" but definitely "in control". I'm good.

Week number four and all seems to be about the same and going well. I don't have any more then 4 a night and this week some nights I just had two or three tops. No desire to chase the drinks and still only taking a quarter tab. The pill packs I bought come in sets of ten 50mg tabs and just one package has lasted me the four weeks.

I created a chart in MS Excel from the output of my Alcodroid App that tracks my number of drinks and I've been real good about keeping it accurate and up to date. Looks like a pretty standard extinction curve to me.

So far I'm absolutely amazed at how simple and easy this is to do. I'm still not holding my breath though. It's only been one month and I think there is lots more work to do. I've not had any AF days but I've also not been drunk once since I started nor had any of the hangovers as a result. My goal in this was not to stop drinking but to control it and so far that's been working just fine.

In the past I'd always have AF weeks or even months so that is not new to me. It would be a decision I'd finally come too after months of drinking, "I have to stop this ****!" so I would. I would call the first night, the night of suffereing, and just get over it. Honestly it was never too bad especially if I tapered it off the previous night. But then there would be days of what felt like self deprivation, or like self punishment, and questions of why can't I just relax with one drink, why should I deprive myself of this and so on. I'd start to feel better pretty much about everything after a few days and then for some reason start the process destroying it again, house of cards I guess. I may just try and go next week without it and see how it works.

Looking good, Ocean, looking good!! Nal on!! Newlife

Ocean,
Thanks for starting this thread and for everything you've posted. You've obviously had a quick and powerful response to Naltrexone and it's definitely inspiring. I like your statement that "What will happen is that you will no longer have the insane desire to chase the first drink into oblivion". I can completely relate to that. I've been at this for close to 4 months and although I still sometimes enjoy and look forward to a drink, I never feel a compulsive urge to keep drinking until I finish off my supply or pass out.

I can also completely relate to this gem, lol.

You've also inspired me to make a plot of my own consumption results. I'll post that in my next weekly update. Out of curiosity, what was the decay rate for your exponential fit? Do you know how it compares to the extinction curves in the published studies?

Cure ? I think if TSM has led to where drinking harmfully doesn't happen, that's good. I do not abuse alcohol anymore, and TSM has been a big part of that.

Ocean, I'm glad you're getting good results!

I guess if you believe abusing alcohol is a disease of some sort, then you could search for a cure. It works better for me to think of it as a behavioral problem, and I can accept that just fine, and feel great about changing it for the better.

90% of the answer for me is understanding alcohol is harmful and bad, and that limiting its intake is good. Naltrexone is great at taking away the illusory joy of drinking, and that's good too. That however is only about 10% of it. I guess I could mention mindful again, which is I think what it boils down to.

In other words, 90% mindfulness and behavior change, 10% help with naltrexone.

That's my take on things, your results may vary.