Patience, patience. Not my strong suit....wishing I could fast forward a few months and just feel better....I'm finding there has been a distinct change in my using patterns, if not much of an overall decline. I was consuming pretty much the same amount everyday, now I'm having good days where there is a lot less, and bad days when there is a lot more. The bad days I attribute to my inner lab rat frantically pressing the button trying to get a reward.

Anybody else find they had a pattern change before the levels really started dropping?

Hi misterlion,

I'm maybe a week or three ahead of you, but hang in there. I had an initial drop in consumption followed by the "frantic lab rat" phenomenon you describe as well (I read somewhere this is called an "extinction burst"). Almost got really bummed about it but suddenly I am noticing big differences in my experience of alcohol.

1: I don't wake up thinking about booze -- amazing, considering that two months ago it was not uncommon for me to take a swig of something before or instead of my morning coffee. 2: When I do think about it, it's in a more offhanded manner; there's not as much emotion or drive attached to it. (My partner had a beer at lunchtime today and even though I had taken a NAL earlier thinking I might do the same, it just didn't seem appealing so I passed.) 3: When I do drink, I feel some reward initially but after an hour or two I find myself not really enjoying the experience and wishing I'd just skipped it. 4: I can also choose to not continue drinking even when I'm four or five drinks in because there doesn't seem to be much point. It'll be a few days before I have the final numbers, but at the moment I'm on track to be down at least 30 percent this week.

I also notice my lifelong depression lifting.

Trying not to count my chickens too soon, but I'm really hopeful that this stuff really is restoring my brain to its non addicted state. Stay strong!

I'm new to really complying, so I don't yet have a pattern, but from what I've read I've come to expect a few upswings in consumption. Patience is not my strong suit either, but learning from what others have been through will hopefully help us to navigate this s l o w. process. Hang in there! Keek

Yes, I think it's quite normal, nothing to be alarmed about. Imho, it's a good sign, you are re-acting to the nal. You got great insights too. You will feel better as time goes by. It is the inner lab rat pushing the lever causing the higher consumption days. Follow the Golden rule, drink normally and persevere. It's that easy. Wait to you see how your brain ends up drinking compared to the lab rat. It will blow you away. Good luck. Peace