Thank you (and congratulations) Springer-Rider.

You have given hope to me, as I am about to embark on this journey. I'm a (self-)confident guy by nature, but I know/knew this would be a difficult battle. It is great to hear of someone who came out the other end. I'm committed to joining you there in a few months time.

Thank you so much for your post. It is very encouraging. I am currently on week six and I am in the "hurry up and cure me" phase. I am doing much better though. I used to drink (vodka) until there was no more left in the house (no matter how much was there). Now, I have half of a half gallon sitting in the fridge since Saturday. I actually found myself pouring half of a drink out yesterday. Once again, thank you for your inspiration and for renewing my hope. Your post "recharged my batteries".

Congratulations on your success with TSM!

I just want to let you know what an inspiration your story has been to me. It is because of you that I found tsm. I saw your post on MWO about 8 weeks ago and went out immediately and bought the book and ordered nal. I am happy to report that I am experiencing a lot of success with tsm. My cravings have dramatically reduced and my drinking has really tapered off. I feel hopeful for the first time since I realized I had this insidious desease that I will be cured. I am a single mom raising two kids alone and I shutter at the thought of where my life would be in a few years if I hadn't found tsm. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for having the courage to share your journey on MWO and on this website. If I hadn't stumbled upon your post eight weeks ago who knows where I would be today. I certainly wouldn't be 7 weeks into the cure for this horrible disease.

Allie

Congratulations Allie! You sound like you are doing fantastic!

Christy

Thanks SR,

I can go along on faith for quite a while, even when it seems like my progress is so damned lacking, but it's nice to have a "burning bush" every once in a while. Your post is a great pick me up, just when I was starting to get down on the whole thing.

Onward and downward!

FireB

Hey SR -- Just want to give my buddy a public shout-out and to say thanks for posting.

crying

Hi all.
Thanks for such endearing replies. There are too many to try and answer in one post so I will be more gerneral.

I am very glad to see so many new names to this board. I just got an e mail from Dr. Roy congratulating my success and also that he is in England and travelling. The question I posed was about how much effort should a participant exhibit to control his/her drinking. I have mixed feelings on the subject but do know that I have used some discipline to limit myself. But not to any great degree. I think doing so brings other triggers to the surface.

I have read that a lot of participants are having doubts. Let me stress that this is not a straight road. Somewhere, mid-way through the process, I was exchanging e-mails with another member. We were both questioning if we had been caught up in a scam, another "quick fix" book, snake oil, ect. I was just about to post a big, "this is pure bullshit" thread and then I started getting the hint that something might be changing. I stayed to the commitment that I would go the six months and shy of going insane, I would take the Naltrexone and drink. And many know, I consider myself there. And you know what is even better? (that other member dropped out, strangely enough) Since I can drink if I want, I don’t have that sanctimonious feeling that I used to have when I had been abstinent for six months attending AA. I am not special. I am addiction free.

My typical week consist of either non-drinking days until the weekend. We go dancing on Friday or Saturday so I take my Naltrexone and go to the club. Since we have always road the Harley, I keep my drinking to two or three over many hours. It is funny in that my wife drinks a little more than I do. I suspect I will eventually drift into “natural” abstinence. All the pain and suffering that alcohol that caused in my life is still there and does act as an aversion. Since it no longer has the addictive forces to counter, I think the adverse memories are winning out. I have too often found myself with a beer in my hand thinking, I don’t really want this. But there is satisfaction in that I can go into a bar and not have to just order a soda.

Don’t mean to go on. But this has worked for me. I simply followed the “golden rule”. I was not taking any other meds and have never been non-compliant. I was mostly a binge drinker, in that when I started drinking, I always drank until I was drunk enough to go to bed. I think this is the ideal pattern for this protocol. I am not sure if the method would work as well for the “Mediterranean drunk”; one that wakes up and sips booze all day long. The person I referenced above drank more along those lines.

Stay the course, give it six months of strict compliance. If at all possible, do not contaminate the process with other drugs. And an occasional prayer never hurt.

Hi SR,

It's wonderful to hear from you - thanks for taking the time to get everyone "fired up" again! Although I'm not sure I will ever call myself "cured", I don't really care. I just look at the change in my life since starting TSM, and it's impossible to deny the drastic improvement, and you helped me get there with your encouraging posts and undying support. Abstinence has never been my goal, so I'm thrilled to be able to drink like a "normal" person again. That's all I ever really wanted, and wish I could have found TSM years ago. It would have saved me and all the people I love SO much pain.

You've realized your goals without focusing on tracking your weekly consumption too closely. I also feel looking at the number of units is often pointless, as it will vary with the situations I encounter. I think my pre-TSM numbers were MUCH higher than I thought - pretty scary. The overall changes in carving levels are my measure of success. Last weekend, for the first time in my life, I actually FORGOT about my beer several times! I was busy doing something productive instead of sitting on my depressed, drunk ass, and my beer became the last on my list of priorities! That's a miracle for me, and it never would have happened 4 months ago.

Am I "cured" or done with TSM? Hell no! I'll follow it forever, because it's given me my life and family back. I'm sure the decrease in cravings will continue over time, but I'm not concerned with how long it takes to reach some "magic" number. I'm ALREADY where I hoped I could have been the last 10 years or so. I no longer doubt the truth and power of TSM, even though I've spent a lot of time doing that throughout this journey. All of you who are unsure, look to SpringerRider for hope of what is to come, and if it doesn't happen as quickly for you as it did for him - DON'T give up! Some of us are late bloomers. I'm only a month behind SR, snd my results might not appear as obvious to all of you. But to me - "I'm already there" - isn't that a chorus of a popular song?

All I can say is 'Thank You' to God, Dr. Sinclair, Dr. Eskapa, SpringerRider, and everyone here - I never would have made it this far without you. Hey RV and lena - a special thanks to you for keeping this board alive...PLEASE keep it going. Just think how many lives you have changed. I've never felt so grateful, and not this happy to be alive in a long time. God Bless all of you!

this is going on week five for me. i still drink about 8-10 drinkd/night, but SINCE starting naltrexone, i have hardly any desire, more than a mere passing thought, to drink in the morning or during the day. i am still quite unsatisisfied, not to mention worried, over the amount i consume daily, but the cravings are waaayyy down. for sure. i feel as though it is just habit now. i dream of the day i can have af or 1 to 5 drinks without trying...i just hope!