Hi GM,

I think I'm at a pretty similar spot as you. We started around the same time, and I've been thinking that it's time for me to take a more active role in this whole process. I honestly think it has to be a passive process for the first six months to a year, just so you can observe exactly how the drug works, and know for real that IT ACTUALLY does work.

But now I feel like I have plateau'd... I'm far far better off than I was at this point last year, but I'm not where I want to be.

I am going to speak 100% anecdotally here, I have had to go beyond just stopping the hard alcohol or wine. These things have definitely helped, but for me at least simply switching booze is part of my desire to have everything both ways... I talk more about this in my thread, but right now I am trying to make a real mental shift. To not see myself as the same person but a little better, but to really see myself as changed. Functionally that means to me that I'm trying to make AF the default, even on the weekends.

I went AF until Sun-Wed this week, then had two beers Thursday because a friend was in from out of town. Keeping my numbers down on Thursday was way easier after a more extended AF stretch. Funny... 1-2 days off in the past has made it harder to keep my numbers down, but 4 days AF helped. I dunno if it'll stay this way, and I'm rambling here so I'll shut up. You can do this GM!

Just a comment about AF stretches. I find if I can go 4 or more days AF, it is easier to keep my numbers down (keep to 1 or 2) when I do drink.

GM,

I have made it a week without vodka. I have substituted a higher octane beer at first, but I have been gradually migrating back to the lite beer. Like your wine, I need to get away from the higher octane beer, and just have lite beer. I say this, because even with the high octane beer, I get a much better effect of the Nal, than I did with the vodka. Almost every time, my taste buds tell me I'm ready to quit after 1 can, but my gremlins keep me going out of habit. So, in my opinion, the nal works better with the lower the AL content.

Lets keep staying off the vodka together girl.

Talk to you later,

Chris

Hello all. Another week gone by. Numbers were in the 20's and might I say barely. Let's just say that this weekend was not good and neither was last night. I caved and picked up a bottle of wine at the grocery. Hated the way it tasted but drank it any way. Stupid!!!! There are some days I feel like I am staring this whole thing over. Any thoughts out there on upping the dosage of nal to 75mg for a while?

Chris- Congratulations on the no vodka rule. I am with you. No more in my house!!!!! In fact, I thought about you on the way home the other day. I was passing a liquor store and normally would have stopped in if I was out of vodka but not this time. I say we give that bad boy up!!!

Gotthegene- Great advice. It has been some time since I was able to do several AF's is a row. Any suggestions or ticks of the trade to help me jump start the process.

Generic- You really made me think this week. I think our journey is similar in many ways. I am better off now that I was a year ago. My husband even mentioned that this morning. It is time for me to make a mental shift. I tend to drink when I get bored or frustrated. As a mom with two teenagers I seem to stay in a constant state of on the go. Many days it seems like every time I turn around someone is needing something. I wouldn't trade it for the world but some days it is just too much. I feel lost almost. Who am I and what am I going to do when they go to college? I have been a mom for so long that I'm not sure that I can be anything else. I need to stop saying things like I need to stop drinking for the kids. I need to say I need to stop drinking for ME. To me this seems so selfish but I know it needs to be done. I think it may be time for me to take some mental inventory. Sorry to ramble on an on.

Thanks for all your support. I have said it before and I will say it again. I couldn't do this with out you all.

Goal for this week- Numbers below 20. Pray, pray pray!

GA

Hi GM,
Great to read you are still working this thing and you are making progress.

You need to stop drinking for YOU and not for anyone else....altho those around you will surely benefit. As you indicated, the kids will be off to college one day and if you stop drinking for them what will keep you from starting to drink again when they leave? Being a mother myself, and 50, I am at that midlife point wondering what meaningful thing I'm going to do when the kids all leave. That has been a tough question for me and I think for many women. And I think not having something that really drives us and excites us just contributes to the continued drinking...because for me the daily drink was the biggest highlight of my day.

How do I get thru 4+ days of AF? It's not easy. I need to have a plan...like we are going away camping for a few days so I purposely don't bring any alcohol. Or I've got a couple evenings lined up with plays or movies to see so I am occupied away from the liquor cabinet. Once I get thru a couple days then I can usually keep going. And I usually set my goals up in stages: Get thru 4 days, assess how I feel, then go for a week. Get thru 1 week, assess how I feel, and then go for 2 weeks. Once I got thru 2 weeks, I wanted to get to 30 days to really clean out my system. But that's as far as I wanted to go b/c I didn't want to set myself up for failure. Now I'm giving up alcohol for Lent and that will be 46 days (yes, I am counting the days). But this has an end goal for me too b/c to have it open ended I think would drive me crazy.

My goal has never been to stop drinking b/c psychologically I think that is too hard to tell myself I will NEVER drink again. My goal has been to stop the daily drinking and keep it to special occasions and keep the number of drinks at special occasions to about 2. I'm pretty new at this so feel I need to be riding this course for a year or more before I feel comfortable that I've got this thing under control.

Stay tuned. In the meantime, hang in there and don't give up.

There are a couple of things that I've done to help make that "mental shift".

First, I've gotten back into my old hobbies - I started reading at night more often, going to plays/concerts, eating at interesting restaurants, etc.

Second, I've begun to approach the world with a "can-do" attitude. I walk with my shoulders back, head up, and I look everyone that I meet in the eye. I tell myself that I'm capable of accomplishing the things that I want to accomplish. This does wonders for my attitude and outlook on life.

These are small, simple things....and I'm not a parent, so I don't know if these things will work for you. In any event, I hope that TSM keeps making your life better. From one Southerner to another, good luck and keep on keepin on!

Thanks for the great input gotthegene and done. This was not a good week numbers wise but I am going to go back and read your posts for inspiration. This is spring break week for my family. We are at the beach. One thing that I have noticed is that I don't have the urge to drink while sitting on the beach. If this had been a year or so ago I would have been drinking by about two or three in the afternoon. I am so glad those days are behind me. Thanks to TSM. Still my numbers are higher than I would like. My evening drinking is still not where it should be. This week my goal is to add up some AF days. Three to four if possible.
GA

Keep it up GM,

Enjoy the beach. What part of the ocean are you at?

I'm jealous, and yes, a week at "The Beach" has been an extremely high unit week for me over the last 20+ years. We always head to St. Pete in June, and stay right on the beach. Our time share has been so close to pool/beach that we have had way to easy of access to our own booze/beer. The last couple of years I have been better, drinking my Natty Lite, on the rocks and mixed with Diet Sprite throughout the day.

Of course then you have the "Beach Bar" behind every resort, spaced about 1,000' apart where you can go and watch the pretty locals drink in the swimwear.

If this isn't enough, across the street, Gulf Blvd., are pubs, that have booze at half the price as the beach bar, and are full of local alkys all day long. (Starting in the AM)

If running solo, a walk to the grocery store, Publix, and back in the morning would often be a quick 30 minute detour into a pub. This 1 pub has Train wreck Tuesday $1.00 pints, jäger, Cuervo, and $2.50 crown. This place is only 500' from our resort. Tuesday has been a rough day in past years. I will stay out of this place this year, as there really is nothing good to say about it sober.

Hey there Chris. We were in Orange Beach AL. It is not a bad drive from our house. A little over 5 hours. Back home now and trying to get ready to start the school week.


I am really starting to think that I am one of the few that this may not work for. 15 months and my numbers are going up. I am half way thru the week and already 18 units and no AF's. I don't know what I am going to do. This is my last hope. Where do I go from here?

GA

also... regarding my unit measuring, i decided to round a 750 ml bottle of wine up to 6 units, so that's how i'm measuring.