Sounds like you've hit your target, Wolfie! Congratulations!

Thanks for your participation on Reddit too!

Tomorrow will be my one-year anniversary of starting The Sinclair Method.

Wow- what a year.

TSM continues to work well for me.

Here is my weekly drink count graph at 52 weeks in:
http://i.imgur.com/lVdYXh9.png

Week 49: 8 (2, 0, 3, 3, 0, 0, 0)
Week 50: 4 (0, 1, 3, 0, 0, 0, 0)
Week 51: 6 (2, 0, 4, 0, 0, 0, 0)
Week 52: 4 (4, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)

-Wolfie

Congratulations Wolfie, you're solidly in the single digits! Happy Anniversary!

I wrote a response on reddit's /r/alcoholism forum, that I'd like to share here:
(I encourage folks here to join reddit's forums too as they seem a bit more active...)

/u/ wrote:
How can I kick it for good?
_____
Hey everyone,
I come from two sides of alcoholics of varying degrees. My mother who drinks every night and gets shitfaced but is about 60 now and is denial that alcohol is the reason of her liver woes (It's the salt apparently)

Then there is my dad who doesn't drink much but when he does it is a massive amount, think bottle of vodka in one sitting. (He has no health issues that I am aware of from it)

Now there is me, I guess you would call me a weekend alcoholic. I drink about a 6 pack every Friday and Saturday night maybe more (up to about 14 standard drinks at times) during the holidays.

I have cut down massively since my son was born but now I feel the pull happening again and I want to kick the habit for good. I did have a blood test a while ago and it said something to do with my liver were slightly elevated. (Sorry can't remember)

Although I tell myself I will probably be right as my family history seems pretty resilient to diseases caused by alcohol I just don't want to take the chance, plus I really don't want to pass on my bad habits to my son.

Anyone got any advise on how I can break this habit? I don't think I am quite at the alcoholic stage yet but really don't want to get there. Then again I think most people probably don't admit they are alchos until they are so far gone it is painfully obvious.
__________

link to post here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/alcoholism/com ... _for_good/

My response:
Hi,

You are amazing for acknowledging the fact that you are drinking more than you intend to, and that it's becoming a problem. That's a tough but critical first step in seeking change.

It's really an insane place to be, where you have every intention to consume a reasonable amount of alcohol... and then one thing leads to another, and you are 14 drinks in. This is like wanting to go on a light hike, and then finding yourself running an entire marathon, coming back nipples bleeding and feet shredded. It's insane behavior that can be quite confounding.

Many will imply this is a choosing problem... And that with enough willpower, group therapy and admission of personal failings, you can eventually make the conscious choice to NOT drink every single day hoping you don't accidentally run marathons until you die.

This is not a "make the right choices" problem, but a neural pathways problem that lies in the brain. You have a clear case of being on the AUD spectrum (alcohol use disorder.) Where your frontal lobes get hijacked and you keep drinking despite best intentions or consequences. Alcohol is an addictive substance that changes behavior. People confabulate many reasons why their behavior is not a problem, but it looks like you are already getting past this crucial realization.

I was finding myself drinking way too much in my later 30s and couldn't find the off switch like the more balanced people around me. I often couldn't stop and gave myself huge hangovers and lived with a lot of regret. After looking for moderation techniques and finding very little I stumbled on a method that is very popular in europe but little known in the US.

This method involves medication. I took a pill called Naltrexone which blocked the flood of positive endorphins that some get when drinking alcohol. This eventually helped me re-wire my neurons to not associate that crazy feeling of "I gotta get more in me" from drinking. Eventually finding that "off switch" that my brain was lacking.

To learn more about this method (The Sinclair Method) check out this Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EghiY_s2ts

Here's a graph of my weekly drinks since starting TSM about a year ago: http://i.imgur.com/dcVlcRS.png

You can read my whole story here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4593

This method was easy but took some time and mindfulness. If you want to stop the insane cravings when your engine gets revved up, then I highly recommend learning more about TSM. It has worked well for many. It has a 76% success rate compared to a very large relapse rate from traditional (rehab and AA) methods.

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions... You don't have to run these marathons any more. You can stop this behavior you don't want. You don't even have to stop drinking, but you may find you never liked it to begin with. Getting better through TSM usually takes about 10 months, but many find improvements right away. You can get the pills from online pharmacies and there are few side effects. It's been a miracle for me.

(Also check out this sub-reddit for more: https://www.reddit.com/r/Alcoholism_Medication/ )

Cool, Wolfie! Thanks for doing that. Unfortunately, they banned me some time back, but I still got to upvote your post!

That's great, Wolfie. Like Joe they banned me from discussing TSM there, but I was able to upvote you. I applaud your message in the subs.

Hi from week 65!

TSM is just part of my life now.

Here is a chart of my weekly drink counts since beginning:


I've been drinking anywhere from 0-8 drinks weekly. I'm very happy with these numbers and how my relationship to drinking has been going.

I never reach for a drink when left to my own devices. If I'm meeting up with friends or going to dinner, I'll usually order a drink or two for social reasons. I suspect this will change, and eventually I may become a "non-drinker," but i'm not there yet. I always take my naltrexone pill before any drinking event, at least one hour before.

I went to an AA meeting last week. I was down in New Orleans and had always wanted to attend one. This was away from home, so unlikely I would see someone I knew, and I decided to just give it a shot. This was weird and hard and made my heart break to hear some of the folks share. People are really struggling with their addictions and it's amazing to see the genuine, warm human support. There was less God stuff than I had imagined but I know every meeting is different. Whether or not AA is the most effective method to treat addiction or not, it was sweet to see people help others who were struggling with support and wisdom.

I briefly contemplated sharing my story, finding success with a medication-based approach, but decided not to. I could tell some people would greatly benefit from TSM, and many in the room were likely to drink that very night. Maybe there's a way to share this option with the AA community in a way that doesn't jeopardize some people's precarious sobriety?

Otherwise, all good. I find less reasons to post here these days, as no major new changes or insights. But I'll try not to disappear into the myst of being "cured" and stay in touch.

I encourage folks to continue to come visit the Alcoholism Medication reddit sub:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Alcoholism_Medication/

Nal on!

-Wolfie

Another TSM success story! Well done, Wolfie and thanks for the insights about AA. I wonder if one couldn't convince the "leader" of the group and then offer an opportunity just to those that are still drinking...

In any case, congratulations and Nal On!

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