Reading many of your posts have been so helpful - it's clear people are all making progress, which adds to my feelings of hope. I am feeling a slight blunting of the cravings that would always push me to continue drinking after 2-3 drinks, so while I didn't reach my goal of being AF last Wed/Thurs., I also didn't go beyond a point where I felt as ashamed and regretful. I am also not feeling the strong cravings as I'm driving home, which is great! I used to feel it physically, like a surge of adrenalin and now that's not happening. I'm so glad this method exists and that I feel this safety net that will lead to many more AF days and relaxed 1-2 drinks socially, as I please…
I'm looking forward to the holidays without all the mental gymnastics that have existed around drinking: hiding my drinking, hiding how drunk I was getting, and feeling demoralized, hopeless, and ashamed the next day.

Welcome, Committed1 . I'm pretty new and I completely understand what you're saying. Just stick with it and I believe you'll find more good outcomes. I think we are both so lucky that we found this before the Holidays! There are some really kind folks on this site who will give you great support and I've found a lot inspiration here! I think it is up and down in the beginning, but I see some progress in myself so far. Be kind to yourself

Pre-TSM - up to 120 units in a week
Week 1 - 67 units, 1 AF
Week 2 - 34 units, 3 AF
Week 3 50 units, 2 AF
Week 4 7 units (2 days in)

Hi Committed and Sirius,

Thanks for the reminder about the Holidays. I would have been up s(*t creek this past Thanksgiving if I hadn't been on Nal. While I'm not off the merry-go-round completely, in that I still do look forward to drinking, my consumption is now less than half what I was drinking pre-Nal. I haven't had a hangover in almost a month, and I'm starting to find other things to do besides drink. Like yesterday, I joined a gym, so I'm also 'committed' to doing things differently. The motivation to work out will also help support the desire to drink less, because who wants to go work out if you're hungover? I barely want to work out when I'm in optimal health/spirits - to me there's a reason it's called work. But necessary, and I know I'll feel better when I lose some weight and start toning up.

I did see results immediately, but they weren't of the lightning bolt variety. My progress has been gradual and steady, and at times I was jealous of other "quick responders" and really wanted to see more dramatic results, so it's only in looking back at the continual decline that I can say I feel like I'm one of the successes with this program, even if I still have a ways to go before I'm "cured." I can at least see that that's a possibility. A light at the end of the tunnel. Especially considering the number of changes I've been through this past month that would have sent me over the brink in my pre-Nal days; moving, changing jobs, separating from a boyfriend, giving away my cats, dealing with a great deal of insecurity and depression - yet somehow managing to call upon whatever limited resources I have (resources I never acknowledged having) to push through. As Winston Churchill said, "When you're going through hell, just keep going." Sometimes that's all you can do.

It sounds like you're both on track, so just keep going, and best of luck with it!