Great news!!! Keeps us newbies reminded that it may take a year. If I could make the progress you've made. i'd be fine with that! Thanks for updating us

I'm just saying that every drinking episode...ESPECIALLY those that were around weddings, parties etc,..could be very dangerous. For an alcoholic to have control is miraculous.

I think its time we celebrate the mini successes....

I would not be sober right now (ok buzzed) without NAL. If I had my way alcoholic version,...I would be about 10-16 units deep and passing out...now its 6 units,...tired,....ejjhhh...time for bed...just had surgery last week. Pre TSM, that would be an excuse to get hammered.

I'm so hqappy,..take care friends,..I'm also happy to be back on TSM as I had surgeryu and had to be off for a week....best, jim

Hi 1-4
Very glad for you that your persistence and patience are paying off. Well done.
am feeling competitive- wish i could claim the same success- been feeling a bit disheartened coming up to first anniversary and still not achieving predictable control.

anyway hope things continue to go well.
SBTS

stick with it SBTS

your units are well down on what they were pre-TSM, so you've made some progress. I know I had a stage where I wondered if anything was happening, and suddenly I found it was. I just focussed on every positive and kept going. I still get cravings (much milder though). I still occasionally drink more than I intended to. But I'm going in the right direction and that is what is important.

well, 37 units last week, which was another drop, and getting pretty close to the 28 which is defined as safe in this country.

I'm on thirty for this week so far (my week runs Friday to Thursday inclusive) and as I don't usually drink more than 1 day during the week it may well not increase. I'm going away for a short break with friends on Thursday for 4 days, so next week may not see any decrease.

Happy with progress in general though - I'm not yet where I want to be, but not too far off I feel.

Today marks the end of my 52nd week on TSM, and while the overalll progress has been good, albeit not as rapid as I'd have hoped, I'm a bit disappointed in the last month, where my consumption has actually risen each of the last 4 weeks Nothing crazy, but getting back towards twice a safe target level.

Nonethless I'm still at less than half what I was drinking a year ago, and am regularly doing 3-4 AF days per week, compared to 0-1 pre TSM.

Another thing I've noticed, looking at my progress, is that there seems to be a 'seasonal'/periodic component - i.e. while the trend overall is down, it does fluctuate up and down in a somewhat steady manner, typically reaching a peak every 2 months or so and then dropping off again, each peak being lower than the last peak. The trend suggests that I'll be hitting safe levels within a month or two, and hitting moderate levels (14 UK units per week) another 2 months or so after that.

I can live with that.

Happy Anniversary 1-4! Well done with your persistence. I can identify with your disappointment at not being further on but half your previous levels is pretty good. Interesting pattern wonder what thats about.

.

It may help to remember that when Sinclair followed his subjects he found progress continues at least three years following the initiation of treatment.

I'll certainly be trying that DOMD, but up till now, the weekends have had an element of 'off the leash' about them - i.e. I'm 'good' Mon-Thurs, so I'm 'entitled' to a drink on Friday/Saturday.

I guess the pattern was traditionally somewhat different with me - as Mon-Thurs was drinking at home, on my own, - Friday and/or Saturday was with friends and Sunday (usually) was with family.

What is amazing, in relative (if not absolute) terms, is that a 'heavy' Friday/Saturday night now is what used to be a standard weekday night this time a year ago

Mon-Thurs alcohol free takes a little effort now, but nothing major. Sunday is a lot more restrained than it used be.

I guess I'd be happy with a standard week where I have a few drinks on a Friday OR Saturday and maybe a few glasses of wine with family on a Sunday. That would mean cutting out one of the current friday/saturday nights and reducing consumption on the other (and on the Sunday) to maybe 2/3 of what it is now. That would take me down to about 14 UK units which would be in the 'light to moderate drinker' category and well within safe guidelines.

I'll see what happens, but I'll probably target reducing the units per night first, and then look to drop one of my current Friday or Saturday from that reduced level to abstinence.