Three alcohol free days is fabulous! I went back to look at your first post to see where you started to where you are now and I am really impressed. Congratulations.

I sometimes get really sleepy, too, after a couple of drinks and other times not at all. Previously, I almost never got too tired to have another drink (and could not understand it when people said that they did). I wish I got that sleepy feeling each time because I know that would cut down my drinking.

Good deal, badger!.

Dee, Moyra from the options save lives thread defined Mindful drinking well.

"One thing that is particularly important when you start out on TSM and which a lot of people find really helps reduce their consumption is what we call mindful drinking, or not drinking through the Naltrexone. What this means is that once you've taken your tablet and waited the hour (and that's absolutely vital too, no matter how much you're craving that first drink - you *must* wait at least an hour. Not 45 or 50 minutes. One hour.) is that when you take that first drink or two, that rather than necking them, you try and sip them slowly. Try and listen to the feedback that you're getting from your brain and your body. If you listen, you will start to find that they're telling you that maybe you don't actually want that next drink, and the next one, and the next one... At which point you listen to your body and stop drinking for that day. Naltrexone *will* work. It *will* block the opioid receptors in your brain, but you have to work with it. It's not a magic wand that you can wave and stop drinking. If you don't listen to your brain's feedback and keep drinking (drink through the Nal), the Nal will still be doing its job and blocking the receptors, but you won't be getting the full benefits of the treatment. And you'll end up drunk. Nal won't stop that happening."

To me, that is The most effective way to get control of the drinking. Plan drinking, space drinks, drink slowly, etc. etc. etc. erc etc. etc. etc.

That's all

Thanks for that, Guapo.
Steve.

What Guapo posted makes sense, for I did not start having control until I started force my intake down. I had the fear of another nal over for forcing my intake down, but in doing that I was able to really listen to my brain/body. Sure there where times when I wanted to keep on drinking, but that fear of a nal. over made me stop. With in about a month or two of keeping my in take down my desire dropped. I think there could be a connection behind mindful drinking and making this work...but what do I know, and everyone is different.

Jaba

And Steve I have missed your input...I thought maybe you got caught in a black hole

Yeah, JABA, it's that reduced desire that really makes TSM work. That is true extinction

My guess is that struggles will continue, until that desire to drink goes. YMMV

Guapo, thank you. "If you listen, you will start to find that they're telling you that maybe you don't actually want that next drink, and the next one, and the next one...". I wrote the phrase "if you listen" at the top of several pages of my journal. I will work on that. Your message is appreciated.

Busy. But Hi. Quick lurk occasionally.