LaBear

I'm sorry to hear you feel that TSM wasn't working for you. I'm curious though when I look at your signature - your drinking levels seem to be significantly down on what they were. Is that not progress? Maybe you just need more time?

I remember when I started TSM 9 months ago, I was thinking 3 months to a cure (as per the book) and was pretty down when after a honeymoon period, short spike and then downward trend, I started trending back up - consistently, over a 6 week period or so - this would have been around the 4 month mark - at which stage I'd been hoping to be cured

I stuck with it though, and started making short term, achievable goals - trying to utilise some willpower for positive reinforcement.

Now, 9 months or so into the method, I'm having 4 AF days per week, and I'm at 40% or so of what I used to drink, with the overall trend heading in the right direction. If the current (i.e. start to now) trends continue, I should be at the 15 units or less per week target level in maybe 3 months. That is one year on from averaging 15 units per NIGHT!

Its not all plain sailing, even know - often I'll have short term cravings to have a drink, but I increasingly find I can work through them without undue difficulty. That last aspect has been really helpful for me - I have a mental threshold that I recognise now, and I take a nal if I reach that. I know I can last the 1 hour from there if I have to, and more often than not I'm able to last longer - to the extent of not drinking that night at all. I keep a supply of activities/little jobs I can switch to, ready for me to busy myself with if I need distraction. I've found it a real help. It is using willpower, but not to the extent of white-knuckling - I know I have my 'out' if I really need it. I just work on trying to make sure that it really is mainly craving and not habit, and increasingly I'm finding that I can cope (i.e. it is becoming more about alternative habits).

Hi One, thanks so much for the positive post. I do believe that tsm has helped a lot of people either be cured or cut down but not me, unfortunately. All the low numbers were due to really forcing myself to abstain. I haven't been on nal. since before Christmas and those numbers are from way back then. I am doing much better than I was, and part of that was as you have said more habit than craving, I think, at times I have difficulty knowing what's what, lol. Recently I have really cut back to drinking only on weekends for the most part and much less than before mainly because I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I am still considering Baclofen, but also a bit afraid of it and know that it would be a lifetime medication. I do have a close friend who used to be on here who is planning on trying it very shortly. I trust her judgement and will wait to see how she feels on it since tsm and the other methods at MWO did not work for her either. All the luck in the world to you all. Bob, if you read this thanks for letting me steal your thread. I have followed your progress and am actually notified when you post on your progress, that's how interested I have been. You hold a special place here for many! Thanks again.

Thanks, Firebird. I needed that. I'm celebrating my one year TSM anniversary with an AF day, watching House MD, then I'll read something and go to sleep. What a party!

Bob

Awwww - yes, wish it were perfect for all of us. LaBear/1-4, you know you have my heart & I am with you both. Thx, Bob, for being the ever gracious person you are. We are a dear group here - and I hold out hope at some point we will all find relief in whatever way. We will celebrate here or hold a big convention...who knows...whatever. This site has been a huge source of comfort and strength for so many, for so long, and on so many levels.

Cheers - and thx again, Bob, for being the steady source of strength, humor and inspiration you have been for so many of us along the way.

Luv ya -

I was working on my TSM spreadsheet today and noticed this area of the spreadsheet that I found interesting. Generally, I show graphs, but look at the increasing percentage of AF days per Quarter:



Note that Quarter "0" is the period prior to beginning TSM when I used to drink daily every day of the week (no AF days).

Bob

EDIT: Corrected AF days for Quarter 1 (Months 1 through 3)

Well, it's been a long time since I posted one of my graphs. The weekly ones just have too much data on them, so I'll concentrate on monthly progress from here on out. I even have a quarterly graph that shows the extinction curve quite nicely. I'll save the quarterlies for the end of each quarter obviously.

My drinking is quite restricted now to just one random night per week with the rest of the week AF. I have no cravings at all on AF days. I was in a social situation recently where there might have been alcohol offered and I brought my Naltrexone just in case. I was relieved when everyone just drank water, tea or non-alcoholic beverages that evening; Relieved because I didn't want any alcohol that night, but I felt that it was necessary to test my social drinking on Naltrexone, since I don't attend many evening social events where drinks may be offered to me.

I am quite happy where I am now in my units. In fact, I am classified by US NIAAA standards as a "light drinker" now. I don't even drink enough to even be called "moderate". I thought I had leveled off in the past few few months, but I am still experiencing lower and lower amounts as extinction continues, just like Dr' Sinclair's studies showed that extinction still continues even 3 years after TSM is started, but at a much lower rate. About 13 months ago, I could, and occasionally did, drink as much in one night as I now drink in an entire month. I wonder where I'll be by the end of the year.

Anyway, here is my graph through Month 13:


Bob

Great stuff. to be cured from that amount is amazing. I notice you had 7 AF days the first month. I am a month in and have not had any AF days. I am a daily drinker and it's a habit. While I have enjoyed several days with very little alcohol, I am wondering if I should be tackling some AF days to teach myself that I can do it, or if just drinking as I please is a better idea for getting extinction going. Did you make yourself take AF days? if so what did you get out of it? and did you take advantage of upregulation?

Actually:
2 AF days for Month 1,
2 AF days for Month 2,
7 AF days for Month 3The AF days during the first 2 months were forced due to circumstances beyond my control and they were difficult, white-knuckle, jittery nights since I was a daily drinker too. AF was very hard for me. I think in Month 3, I started to force AF days to reinforce good habits. I really don't remember; I suppose I should reread my own thread here and find out why and how I managed 7 in Month 3. It wasn't until Month 5 where AF days came naturally along with a drop in units/session.

My thoughts on daily drinking are that I should have forced more double AF days to reinforce good behaviors, because I lost a lot of good habits during my cure which I have had to relearn. A couple I am still struggling with reviving even to this day.

I hope this response answers your questions.

Bob

that makes sense bob, but isn't forcing one AF day enough? for instance, I am thinking I will take one AF day then go bicycling the following day afternoon. then take my NAL and drink that night. so it's more like 1.5 AF days and upregulation. NAL is out of the system in 24 hours, no?

I guess your logic makes sense. My reinforcement activities were evening activities, so I had to wait until the 2nd AF day.

Bob