I have had a successful first week taking nal. I'm wondering if the honeymoon period is partly due to the extreme tiredness nal can cause when first taken?
Day 1 - Only had 1 drink and didn't want more. Was more interested in sleep!
Day 2 - Started earlier in the evening and did have that "I want more!" feeling. Also only took half a nal at first as i felt so wiped out the day before. Took another half later on. Had a total of about 8 drinks.
Day 3 - AF
Day 4 - 3 drinks and no desire for more
Days 5-6 AF
Day 7 - 3.5 glasses of wine and happy to stop there and go to bed.
This is more than I could have hoped for, but i realise my drinking will probably spike up again. As long as i don't go on a bender all will be good.
I have the support of my husband now and also of my AA sponsor who is keen to read the book.

Note that NZ/UK standard drinks are different from US - here 1 x 100ml glass of wine is one standard unit

In summary
Week 1: 1,8,AF,3,AF,AF,3.5 total 15.5

Thanks everyone for your posts and have a good weekend.

Cheers
Sticky

Great week Sticky !

I look forward to your next update. Good on you for giving your AA sponsor the book - it will be interesting to get their feedback (Altho - if he/she doesn't agree with the book - dont let them dissuade you. This thing works.)

All the best for the crazy season.

Kiwi

Hi everyone

Kiwichick suggested I fill you in on my drinking history here.

I'm a Kiwi living in Auckland. I'm also a mum - my boys are 12 & 9. I have been around AA for most of the last 17 years, but the longest periods of sobriety i have had have been 2 years & also 10 months. There's been quite a few 6 months too but eventually I pick up again. As time has gone on of course the consequences have got worse. A few weeks ago I thought I could just have 1 or 2 (haha!) & ended up on a 2 day bender in my car. Not great mothering skills, not to mention being a wife & having 3 businesses to run with my poor long-suffering husband! Fortunately I am mostly sober & there for everyone. There is some great support in AA but i feel like such a failure when i drink because I try as suggested to hang out with the women (& men) who have been sober a long time. They are in the successful 5%. I'd love to be able to have the occasional drink or few without going overboard, or to be abstinent and be happy with that long term.

I did actually take nal a few years ago, but on the instruction to not drink as the professionals say in NZ. It made me feel permanently nauseous and didn't reduce the cravings. Not sure how many weeks i took it for then eventually threw the rest out. Since then i heard of TSM thru the website My Way Out.

My husband & I are very impressed with the book and have hope that this will provide a more long lasting solution than AA has. The success rates are way higher.

All the best to you all and thanks for the support.

Cheers
Sticky

Another super busy week has whizzed by. It wasn't as good as my first week but had 2 nights where i could stop rather than consume a whole bottle of wine. If i have a whole bottle i don't sleep well and feel like crap the next day.

Day 1 - 8 drinks. Couldn't find my car in a car park (after 4 drinks) and was late picking up my son from a school dance. Hubby not happy.
Day 2 - 8 again.
Days 3 & 4 - AF
Day 5 - 4
Day 6 - 8
Day 7 - 4
Total 32

My AA sponsor has been reading the book and researching journal articles. (Her Dad is a GP.) She told me that I have to give this a go so that is great. Am still going to AA meetings twice a week, but not discussing TSM except with my sponsor. Will stop going to meetings if further down the track I choose to moderate rather than be abstinent.

I hope everyone is going OK with the wind up to Christmas. NZ kids are on holiday now until Feb so am trying to keep them happy and get work done. We are having a family Xmas at our house on Tuesday and a barbeque for our staff on Friday. Roll on Xmas day and 10 days' sailing!

Cheers
Sticky

Hi sticky!

Welcome to the board. I am also a longtime AAer with 24 years in that program and I've had some longterm sobriety 7 years once, 4.5 years another time but had been struggling recently and been getting pretty down on myself. I decided to give tsm a try and I've made significant progress from my crash-and-burn days. My hubby and his family are also kiwis from auckland but we currently live in Chicago with our three kids 12, 9 & 7.

Be prepared for a bit of a rollercoaster ride with successes followed by some tough days followed by further successes. Atleast that has been my experience and the experience of many others on this board. Feel free to share the good and the bad. Chances are someone here can relate. Take care and keep posting!! BTDT

Hi BTDT

Thanks for your message. Chicago is a great city. I spent a few days there once on a work trip.
I can see that I may be in for lots of ups and downs. Am not enjoying feeling blah the day after I drink a bottle of wine. I'm really happy the days i can stop at 2 or 3 drinks.
We have our family Xmas at our house tomorrow evening and I think I might abstain. There will be plenty of days after that to sample all the wine we bought!
I hope you have a great Christmas.

Cheers
Sticky

Week 3, & 2 Christmas celebrations later. Am looking forward to 10 days' sailing leaving tomorrow. Last Fri & Sun I polished off a bottle of wine with AF days following. Tues was the family Christmas dinner with 13 people at our house. I stuck to the alcohol free bubbles until 8pm and managed to only have 5 drinks and feel quite good the next day. AF on Wed, but last night was a different story. We had a barbeque for our staff (5 guys) and a friend who is a chef did most of the cooking. Crayfish, mussels & pork chops. It all started around 1 pm so i took nal in the afternoon for the first time. I drank 2 bottles of wine over the afternoon and evening and did not feel great this morning. Thought i might throw up for a while there but didn't. I can't have done anything embarrassing though, as i would have heard about it if i had. Just fell asleep on the couch.

I hope everyone has an awesome Christmas and all the best for 2011. Will post again after my holiday.

Week 1: 1,8,AF,3,AF,AF, 3.5 Total 15.5
Week 2: AF,8,8,AF,AF,4,8 Total 28
Week 3: 4,8,AF,8,AF,5,AF Total 25
Week 4: 16,AF so far

Hi Sticky - I am VERY curious to understand how your AA sponsor is taking things. Sounds like they are quite supportive. I would imagine mine would not share the same sentiment. It's different here in the states, as guilt plays a big role in AA.

I'm thinking I keep it secret until maybe I have a month under my belt (ie, proof).

Any suggestions on how to break the news to my sponsor ? ....MontclairNJ

If you have a good handle on what TSM is all about and feel comfortable sharing, just tell your sponsor what you are doing. You're not doing anything wrong are you? You are simply using a different approach. Even those in AA have heard of antabuse, and compral, and some of the other craving drugs right? We know they don't work, and that AA doesn't work, but at least they admit people do try them.

So what you are doing is right. It makes scientific sense. It has helped many that you can quote here on this board, no?

Have no fear my friend. The disapproval of your sponsor will only last until you tell him/her of your success down the road. And not bashing AA will go a long way to easing the situation

Sticky,

Merry Christmas!! I always love the Kiwi Christmas parties... shellfish on the BBQ... . A stark contrast to Chicago's white Christmas with ham and all the trimmings. Enjoy your sailing trip. Look forward to hearing about it when you get back. BTDT