Sounds great!

Oh, and one more thing-- I agree with you guys on the subject of taking nal ONLY on drinking days. I've read the book myself, and while he might have another vision of it, I'm going to go with my gut. I'm going to keep seeing him, however, as he is hugely supportive of Nal, and has successfully helped patients moderate their drinking with it before.

Great progress so far pixiedoll! And I'll agree with Susie - I developed a panic disorder in my early twenties, which I then medicated with alcohol....but alcohol really only made things worse. And now, the ONLY times I have panic attacks are when I am hungover. So it's a vicious cycle. But I hope we can both break out of it!
And congrats on switching to beer so easily...I am mostly a bourbon and vodka drinker and I just can.not. switch to beer or wine for any substantial amount of time.
EL

Sounds like exactly my situation, Electra!! My panic attacks only seem to flare up after a night of drinking in excess, or even if I drink moderate-ishly, I'll still feel skittish and anxious through the day. Now, my panic disorder appeared before alcohol re-entered the picture, so I can't entirely blame it, but I know that it is doing a LOT to worsen it. Let's both cross our friends and let Nal do its thing!

Hi pixeldoll

I suffered from panic attacks both times I was pregnant. It was pre-natal depression & at the time I felt like I was the only person who'd ever suffered from it. I've been on & off anti-depressants (Loxamine) for years. Last time I tried to wean myself off I'd been sober for a while in AA but ended up drinking again and back on the meds.
I really hope you don't have to put up with them for too much longer. They are just awful.
Well done on your progress so far and good to hear you've made some friends at your group.

Cheers
Sticky

I have never had a panic attack that wasn't related to booze. I HAVE had hangovers/withdrawal days where I was incapacitated by anxiety and it SUCKED.

I forgot to mention this fact: my anxiety days almost always followed huge bingeing nights of spirits, especially vodka. When I switched to light beer and wine -- my dreaded hangovers where I was riddled with anxiety -- ended. So, not only will your numbers go way down on light beer, but I'm guessing your level of anxiety following the days you drink will also drop considerably. Alcohol is indeed insidious in that it temporarily relieves anxiety while you drink, but as soon as you stop, it makes anxiety considerably worse.

Hey guys-- wow, it's been a long time. I guess I just haven't felt the need to post in here, because guess what-- my units are down to something like 9-12 per week!! It's unbelievable!! The thought of hard liquor totally turns me off, I haven't blacked out, embarrassed myself or had a bad hangover since I started this treatment... I literally can't believe it. I can't believe what nal has done for my drinking, and for my life. Everyone tells me how healthy I look, and my parents are so damn proud of me.

Nal works. It REALLY, REALLY works. Sorry this is so short, but I'm on my way out the door, but-- have faith, the rest of you who are struggling. This pill is a miracle.

Love you all!

-- pixeldoll

great to hear pixiedoll! have you been keeping a graph or table of your consumption? I'd really appreciate being able to see it over time!

Unfortunately, not a very good one, as during a brief period, I ended up getting swine flu, and obviously didn't drink during that time. But I can tell you that, during the first few weeks, I still got bad cravings, especially when hungover (hair of the dog and all of that), but that went minimizing throughout the months I took nal, to the point where I can go for weeks without drinking, and generally only do it when I feel like I want to have a bit of a "party night" alone (where I work on projects and have like three beers), or when I socialize with others (and end up having like six or seven). It's amazing.

Hi there, guys!! It's been a long time, but I felt like I owed it to everyone to express how amazingly the Sinclair Method has worked out for me.

I don't know if I can say I'm "cured" yet. Some nights, I still drink more than I would like to, for sure. But then again, it's been less than a year, and I absolutely see the improvements.

A quick summary-- I used to wake up to my vodka bottle, and drink roughly two thirds of a bottle throughout the day. The morning after, I'd suffer from withdrawal-- the shakes, panic, anxiety, and immediately go for the "hair of the dog" treatment to attempt to fix it; which would end up lasting for the rest of the day. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Nowadays, the taste of vodka disgusts me. I switched to beer early on in my nal treatment, but as of a few months ago, even beer repelled me-- I have to mix it with Sprite to make it palatable. I'm somewhere between 15 - 25 units per week, with a few AF days thrown in, and every time I've been at any kind of event where I've felt I could drink "freely", I've still felt in complete control. Back in the day, I would pass out on pool tables, wake up next to strange men, end up drunk-dialling ex-boyfriends... Nothing even close to this has happened since I regained control thanks to the Sinclair Method. I always feel like myself, and I know when it's time to stop drinking.

I cannot believe my luck. I thought alcoholism was something I would never manage to conquer. I always thought it would either have to be all or nothing. But I found out that even I can drink in moderation. To me, it's an absolute miracle.

I wish everyone the absolute best of luck on their journeys. I'll keep stopping by to check up on the forums. I just wanted to share what I consider at least a partial success story. I still have a little while to go until I feel truly safe, but I trust that I'll get there.

I couldn't have done it without you guys.