I tried this last night. I drank exactly the same amount I always do, but, instead of falling asleep in front of the TV for an hour or two after four drinks, then having another one or two before bed, I drank the first two or three much more slowly, paced the drinks fairly evenly through the evening, and most important, did not fall asleep! I'm definitely going to try this again tonight, thanks for the tip!

This is the first week that Im well below what is considered normal drinking. Friday night I had three glasses of wine and two bottles of beer over about 6 hours(this was at two different house parties, Saturday night I had less than a half glass of wine and tonignt Ive had just two glasses of wine. Hubby wants me to go for a pint with him but I just dont feel like it, this feels brilliant, just brilliant. I know Ive said Ive felt almost cured a few times but there is a definate difference in this week, I think Ive turned a corner somehow. I can finally see a future of enjoying alcohol on social occasions and maybe something special at home but for certain alcohol is no longer controlling my life. I may still continue to drink above the recomended levels for a while but its lessening and lessening in my old brain.

I almost forgot to mention the best thing. At the second house party on Friday night I was drinking bottles of beer as I had the three glasses of wine earlier, anyway they ran out of heinekin beer and offered red wine, whiskey vodka or some other apertiffe types stuff. Absolutly nothing appealed to me and I made tea and raided the chocolate press. I didnt even think of tsm or anything like that untill the next morning when I thought this is really another turning point

Great news that alcohol continues to fade into the background for you. Isn't it amazing that you are not jumping at every chance to go have a drink? Your drinking looks so much like what "normal" drinkers do.

Hey Mario

good to hear you're still making progress. That is really the key. The endpoint will come when it comes, but even if you had no further progress you're a world away from where you were in terms of your relationship with alcohol

Interesting idea about the 2 hours. I must admit I probably err in the other direction a bit too often. Maybe I should try and be stricter with myself and push myself across the line that bit more.

I seem to have plateaud personally - I'd probably be regarded as a fairly 'ordinary' drinker now in terms of my levels. A few drinks on a Friday after work. Meet friends for a few pints on Saturday. Family dinner and a few glasses of wine on a Sunday. Nothing in between Sunday and Friday. I pretty much have control now I guess - it doesn't feel any great sacrifice to not drink during the week - maybe once a month or so (maybe I'm turning female!! LOL) I get a mild craving (although craving is probably less accurate than 'desire' or 'inkling') to have a drink. I then think "You don't really need it" and that is that........certainly a far cry from say 2 years ago, where I'd be white knuckling. I'm much better at putting the 'lid on the bottle' when I do start drinking also.

Nonetheless the absolute amount of alcohol is still stubbornly above the 'safe' levels - I'm probably averaging something like 40 UK units (~28 UK units being the Irish guideline safe amount). I'm wondering at this stage how many people actually manage to drink less than this? I'd guess it must be the people who only very occasionally drink. Maybe that reflects the people I know! LOL

I'm guessing from your post you're at a fairly similar place to me - Friday-Sunday drinking, and fairly 'normal' (by the standards of our peers) drinking, albeit over the 'safe' limits.

Yep 1 4 the road, I do consider myself pretty much the same as any other drinker now. I even drink less than some of the people I used to wish i was like pre nal.

Thursday while shopping there was a promotion on carling, 24 cans for 20 euro so I got them to save for christmas. As I was buying them I was kind of fretting that I would want to drink them all in two nights. Old worries are hard to let go I guess. Anyway I plonked them in the utility room and I dont even see them and they are not calling out to me at all. Pre nal that just would not have been possible, even if I managed not to drink them it would be a constant battle. Sometimes I really cant believe that a simple tablet has done this for me.

I distinctly remember buying a bottle of brandy before Christmas one year and within days I had it opened and drank most of it in one night. The next day I was so, so sick but had to go to work. I didnt want hubby to know I had drank it so I went to the off licience at lunch and bought another bottle to replace it, went home and drank the end of the first bottle that night and went to bed thinking I was worthless as a person as a mother and as a wife. Knowing that those days are behind me is such a beautiful relief. I can look forward to a life without drunkeness and all that goes along with it.

Wow Mario. It is amazing that a tablet has changed all of that. Thanks for sharing. I know those stories are painful. Looking forward to feeling cured. SO far so good, except for the side effects.

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Hi mario
Great news about your progress- especially given the times we are living through! I will try your idea of waiting 2 hours. Sounds to me like you are on the verge of joining the 'cured'- in which case you will be the first irish on the list Shame some of the functioning alcoholics that got us in to this mess didnt start tsm a couple of years ago! I had been feeling a bit fed up about my lack of progress but reading yours and one 4's progress reports has made me re think. I still drink too much sometimes- especially the first night of the week i drink- usually thursday when i finish work. But whereas before id start on thursday night and drink friday, sat and sun i now often don't drink on a fri or sat and maybe only have a couple of glasses on a sunday with dinner. I am often not inclined to finish a glass of wine if i dont actually like the taste of it and sometimes if i know i am only going to be having one drink cos im driving i just decide it seems like a waste of nal! Hope you continue with your great progress and manage not to maim your husband

hey mario,

Thought I'd give you a Jerry update. So far as I can tell, he's pretty cured. basically, booze does not interest him much anymore. Sadly, I still suffer and have been trying to get my shrink to get me more NAL but I'll have to order from river.

Just so you know. Nice to see everyone doing well. I'm OK, not great but not completely horrible. Best, jim