Hi WJ & everyone

Prior to TSM I would go months without drinking (in AA) then binge for a few days on end, so my overall units were much less than they have been on TSM.
This week I feel less interested in alcohol. Did drink quite heavily on Fri and Sat nights and haven't had cravings since.
I can't pinpoint why I binged last week except that I was feeling "stuck in a rut" with work, after school activities, etc. That "restless, irritable and discontent" they talk about in AA. Since Friday I have felt more upbeat again.
Hoping to post lower numbers later this week.

Cheers
Sticky

Hi Sticky - I too am having a lessened interest in alcohol. I still have nights with cravings but for the most part alcohol is no longer my focus. I am glad to hear things are going well for you and can't wait to see your numbers later this week. I ended my week last night and my numbers stay around 37 for the week but that is because last week was a big trigger week for me. Instead of having 5-6 glasses of wine a night I am now down to 4-5 glasses of wine a night. It seems like I'm inching my way towards regaining control, but I'll take whatever reduction I can get at this point.

Hi all

Well I fully intended to stay AF last night and post 28 for this week but it wasn't to be. In fact I'd had 1 1/2 drinks and realised I'd totally forgotten to take my nal! I hope that doesn't happen too often. I must have pickled my memory over the years!
I'm keeping optimistic that with time I can get those numbers down to healthier levels and avoid any more benders.
HG - we seem to be following a similar pattern at the moment. At least it is more stable and we both feel we are losing interest in alcohol. That's progress for sure.

Cheers
Sticky

Week 1: 1,8,AF,3,AF,AF,3.5 total 15.5,3AF Week 2: AF,8,8,AF,AF,4,8 total 28, 3AF
Week 3: 4,8,AF,8,AF,5,AF total 25, 3AF Week 4: 16,AF,8,7,AF,10,AF total 41, 3AF
Week 5: 7,12,8,AF,8,AF,8 total 43, 3AF Week 6: AF,5,12,AF,AF,8,AF total 25, 4AF
Week 7: AF,14,AF,6,AF,5,AF total 25, 4AF Week 8: 8, AF, 12, 12, AF, 1.5, 1.5 total 35, 2AF
Week 9: 12, AF, 10, 2,AF, 10, AF total 32, 3AF Week 10: 9, AF, 10, AF,1.5, 6.5, AF total 27, 3AF
Week 11: 12, AF, 14, 3.5, 1, AF, 7.5 total 38, 2AF Week 12: AF, 8 AF, 9, 2, AF, AF total 19, 4AF
Week 13: 8.5, AF, 9, AF, 12, AF, 14 total 43.5, 3AF Week 14: 7.5, AF, 8, AF, AF, 9, 9 total 33.5, 3AF
Week 15: AF, 9, AF, 9, AF, 9, 10 total 37, 3AF Week 16: total 34, 2AF
Week 17: total 32, 3AF Week 18: total 34, 4AF
Week 19: total 33, 3AF

Hi Sticky, again your figures seem to more stable now than earlier in your TSM journey. Its good to acknowledge the other positive things too Ie reflect on whether life is better now than it was preTSM, it certainly is in my case. Keep going, we are all in this together and we will get there together....... however long it drags on for! Hope you have a really positive week, Warren

Hi Sticky - Yep, we are in the same boat! At least the waves are a little calmer. I posted on WJ's thread that my units are now consistent rather than up and down and all around! I feel much more in control of my drinking but I still like my wine enough to drink 4-5 units a night. I'm hoping that the indifference to alcohol continues to increase albeit slowly and in a few weeks I'll notice a stark decrease in units. I'm with WJ as your posts clearly indicate that you are no longer all over the place in consumption. I anxiously wait for both WJ and you to post so keep posting. It helps me a lot.

Hey Sticky,

Soooo sorry I dropped off the face of the earth. Lot on my plate.
Hope you are well. Sooooo pleased to log in and see you are "staying the course". I have been on an upand down journey since our last contact. But, am back on track. (No thanks to the NZ CADS association !!!! ) Hope you and the family are well.
HAve a wonderful Easter.

Warm regards
Kiwichick. : )

Hi everyone

Happy Easter! I have just had 5 Easter egg hunts for our boys in different parts of the house and garden, then my youngest hid some eggs for me to find. We've had a tradition the past few years of having hunts at a beach when we have been away sailing, but we came home after only 2 days away this time as the forecast didn't look good. On one beach where we hid eggs we found Kiwi tracks and feathers and heard Kiwis at night. Magic!
Have had another so so week on TSM with about the same units. Last Sat we went to a 40th which was fun but I had way too much wine, both white and red, and hubby had to stop the car on the way home so I could throw up. Gross!
I rarely seem to be able to stop at only a few drinks - it is usually the whole bottle of wine if not a couple more. Might try wine spritzers or lower strength wine and see if that makes a difference. Or RTD drinks.
Looking at the positive I thought back this morning to an Easter about 4 years ago when I gone on a binge, done a runner and was holed up in a scummy hotel, drinking when I was able to get some alcohol and the Easter sale of liquor bans didn't apply. I was miserable and so was my family. It is so much better to be able to wake up without a hangover and enjoy my family's company on Easter Sunday.
Another annoying effect of my drinking is that sometimes I revert to an old childhood nervous habit when I drink of biting my nails. Not a good look and then it's out with the superglue and fake nails and polish to cover the bitten nails up!
Oh well, things could be a lot worse and I will keep plugging on and remaining optimistic.
I hope you are all doing well and having a relaxing long weekend.

Cheers
Sticky

Week 1: 1,8,AF,3,AF,AF,3.5 total 15.5,3AF Week 2: AF,8,8,AF,AF,4,8 total 28, 3AF
Week 3: 4,8,AF,8,AF,5,AF total 25, 3AF Week 4: 16,AF,8,7,AF,10,AF total 41, 3AF
Week 5: 7,12,8,AF,8,AF,8 total 43, 3AF Week 6: AF,5,12,AF,AF,8,AF total 25, 4AF
Week 7: AF,14,AF,6,AF,5,AF total 25, 4AF Week 8: 8, AF, 12, 12, AF, 1.5, 1.5 total 35, 2AF
Week 9: 12, AF, 10, 2,AF, 10, AF total 32, 3AF Week 10: 9, AF, 10, AF,1.5, 6.5, AF total 27, 3AF
Week 11: 12, AF, 14, 3.5, 1, AF, 7.5 total 38, 2AF Week 12: AF, 8 AF, 9, 2, AF, AF total 19, 4AF
Week 13: 8.5, AF, 9, AF, 12, AF, 14 total 43.5, 3AF Week 14: 7.5, AF, 8, AF, AF, 9, 9 total 33.5, 3AF
Week 15: AF, 9, AF, 9, AF, 9, 10 total 37, 3AF Week 16: total 34, 2AF
Week 17: total 32, 3AF Week 18: total 34, 4AF
Week 19: total 33, 3AF Week 20: 32, 3AF

Hi Sticky, I'm new to this forum and about to embark on Nal. I liked reading about your egg hunts- sounded fun. Ours will be tomorrow morning (still Sat. night here) and should be fun with two young ones. I decided to wait until after Easter just in case the side effects hit me hard. I relate to what you wrote about past holidays. This last Christmas was horrible for me and a real eye opener that things are going very very wrong. I'm a wine drinker too and drank way to much on Christmas eve, got overly emotional and fought with my husband in front of my inlaws while putting Santa gifts out, and could hardly get up the next morning due to the hangover. I missed the kids coming out and seeing their new gifts. The regret and shame is emmense and I truely hope it will all be in the past soon.
Best of luck to you!

Hi Sticky - Yeah, I'm in the same boat as you this week. I'm back to the seesaw on alcohol. One night it is 4 and the next night 5....then I'll do 6 and then back to 4. I thought that whole process was over, but I guess not. Last night I drank alcoholically for the first time in months....I may have even had 7 but don't know for sure as I quit counting. Onward I guess.

Glad you are having a fun Easter and keeping postive. I'm trying to do the same but this rollercoaster ride does get discouraging.

Hey Sticky,
Just read through your thread and really appreciated your thoughtful comments and stories. I am rooting for you! You mentioned at one point that your former favorite, chardonnay, suddenly tasted yuck — I have been for many years a bourbon drinker, and now all of a sudden even the nicest bourbon tastes terrible!!!! Meanwhile, I feel like I have a heightened palette when it comes to wine now...it's really strange. I feel like I can finally taste all those crazy complex layers of flavour that oenologists talk about! Has anyone else had this weird heightened taste (and smell...) effect on nal?
All best,
EL