Marbella,

You're not alone - craving is also difficult for me to put a numerical value on. So much so that I shall probably only record my weekly alcohol intake from tomorrow when I update my weekly progress.

The only time I actually craved a drink since I started the SM was very recently when my anxiety was very high (I suffer from an anxiety disorder). I wanted a drink immediately but I had to wait an hour having taken my naltrexone before I could have a drink. During that hour, I was craving alcohol. Sure enough, when the hour had passed, a drink had the desired effect. That's why I'm currently working hard with my therapist to deal with anxiety without needing to turn to alcohol. It's a bit of a dilemma - I need to look after my liver but alcohol has been such a prop in times of need.

All the best,

V.

Virgil, in the book The End of My Addiction, by Dr. Olivier Meisen, would probably be helpful to you. In it, he describes his grueling battle with serious alcoholism, and how he was always certain that the addiction was a result of his very anxious nature. He felt if he could rid himself of the anxiety, the addiction would go away.

After many years of going in and out of rehab facilities, getting psychiatric counseling, etc., this prominent French cardiologist who worked in New York City had to close his practice and move home with his mother in France, a broken and unrecovered alcoholic. A few years later he heard about how a drug, baclofen, had successfully treated alcoholism in rats. . .after investigation, he decided to become his own 'test case,' and began a regime of high dose (very safe) baclofen.

The results were miraculous. Not only did he no longer crave alcohol after five weeks. . .but his lifelong anxiety disorder disappeared. He became happy, calm, focused and relaxed. His sleep patterns improved. He was cured of two life-long problems.

Dr. Meisen believes all alcoholics have an underlying anxiety disorder, and that if that is treated successfully with baclofen, the desire to drink disappears.

Interesting, eh?

Goin4More,

Thank you so much for your post. I had never heard of Dr Olivier Meisen. The fact that "he was always certain that the addiction was a result of his very anxious nature" certainly rings true with me. I know for a fact that I started turning to alcohol to deaden the pain inflicted by my anxiety many years ago. I should point out that it was never my first choice of 'treatment'. I'd seen psychiatrists and psychotherapists but what they had to offer didn't help. In fact, looking back on their methods, some of them were plain laughable! So, I became increasingly dependent on/addicted to alcohol.

I shall check out Dr Meisen's book on Amazon as it sounds like I could benefit from reading it.

Thanks again.

V.

Hi Folks,

Well, this is the official update for my second week on the Sinclair Method. The first observation is that my alcohol intake has increased during Wk 2. I have to say that I'm not completely surprised as I'm going through tough times at present. I've had a couple of very difficult therapy sessions, which I am attending with a view to sorting out my anxiety disorder.

I am not discouraged by the fact that my alcohol intake is not reducing at this very early stage. Indeed, I would have been surprised if it had reduced. Having said that, I'd like to think that I was starting to see an improvement by the time my current prescriptions run out - so, I've got six weeks to go.

On a positive note, I don't appear to be experiencing any side-effects from the naltrexone now. In the first week, I had some slight nausea and headaches but they have gone. I'm also pleased that the naltrexone appears to be compatible with the many other medications that I am currently taking.

As stated earlier in this thread, I have decided to exclude craving figures for the reasons given.

Here's beginning week 3.

V.

Hi Virgil -
Hang in here! We are with you and support your efforts and progress. Write/post/talk - we are a new community of folks with the same common goal: to reduce or extinguish our drinking. I do not need to repeat the Sinclair rule...but I will repeat myself and the other rule of the book: keep track of your drinks. The mere fact of writing down what you drink HELPS!!! Keep a notepad in your kitchen or in your pocket, by the computer, whatever is convenient and track your drinks. Seriously, it really does help. You will see how fast you are drinking/amounts, etc and it is really a very keen tool to sort-of make you realize what you are doing. Hope you also have Dr. Eskapa's book.

Good luck, welcome aboard and talk to us wherever & whenever. We are all in this together!

houtx770,

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I am very self-disciplined with reference to keeping my drinking diary - every drink gets recorded immediately after it is poured. I most certainly do have a copy of Dr Eskapa's excellent book.

So, I'm with you all the way!

V.

Congratulations on Week 2, Virigil - it happens slowly, so hang in there and watch for subtle changes...I record them in my offline drinking diary because they are really easy to forget when you summarize the week.

Good luck on Week 3!

Hi Folks,

Well, I don't have a great deal to report at this early stage. Looking at the figures below, there has been a small increase in my alcohol consumption during week 3. However, having started the thread entitled "The Importance of Keeping a Positive Outlook", I've got to remain true to my own words. So, that's what I'm going to do. I have two reasons for needing to do this; one reason is related to reducing my alcohol intake and the other is related to overcoming my anxiety disorder. I'm trying to address two BIG problems simultaneously and it would be so easy to cave in under the strain of it all. It hasn't helped being told only yesterday that my therapist will be returning to her native country at the end of June. So, I'm now on the lookout for a replacement therapist but there are a few options available to me.

I have long been of the view that everything happens for a reason but life is one big roller coaster at the moment. I need to remind myself of Max Ehrmann's words when he said "no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should".

Onward and upward!

V.

That's the spirit V

Keep on going, it will be so much better before you know it!!

YESSIR!!!! Thanks, V.!!