Hi Everyone. I am 58 years old and have tried everything to stop drinking. Didn't even start
drinking until I was 30 years old. I have managed to stop for 5 or 6 months and then craved
alcohol and got my first DUI! Then I felt worse.

I found this book and I am on my second week. Week 1: 26.5 Week 2: 21 (white wine)
I know that doesn't sound like much but I am still getting blackouts and my body feels awful.
I almost choose to drink more just to test the drug!!

Is this typical? Thanks

Hi,

Not to worry, of course I would say all that is normal. Human nature wants to test everything in my opinion and being alkies, I think its even more so....

Hang tight and read and post often. There are some frequently asked q's in the main page.....Check em out. It will make you feel less alone,..>My best, Jim

Your experience so far sounds very typical, I think. You will probably go through a variety of different relationships to alcohol as the journey unfolds.

My advice: set your sights on the long haul. Keep your log of numbers (it's very, very helpful) but do not dwell on your progress or lack of it. I found it very helpful to apply an adaptation of a traveling tip my uncle gave me. He was an old-school traveling salesman "back in the day." He routinely drove up and down the entire East coast. His tip for long journeys was to NEVER focus on landmarks, but ONLY focus on elapsed time. If a drive was 13 hours, just mark time along the way - the 13 hours would be up when it was up. Thinking ahead about some landmark and wondering if you were EVER going to get there would drive you crazy with frustrated anticipation, because landmarks always seem to be farther away than we think (or want).

I use this tip all the time. With TSM I just assumed it would take six months at least. So even weeks and weeks into it, I was comfortable that I was marking time and making progress. Where I was specifically along the way was interesting, but not the point. It was just part of the longer trip and had NOTHING to do with my eventual destination other than being a point I had to pass through to get there.

Congratulations and good luck on your upcoming journey. TSM is amazing - simple, effective, amazing.

Thanks for the response! Would you mind telling me how long it took for you
to drink less and less? Are you both abstinent now?

This link (also in my signature) shows my progress. By 12 weeks I was drinking at 'low risk' levels (for men). I remained at a 2/day plateau for over a month, before gradually trickling down again. By 21 weeks my drinking was neglible. I just finished a week with no drinks at all. I'm a wine lover so I do want to have a couple glasses of something nice now and again, so I do exactly that. I do indeed consider myself cured, but not abstinent. I'm 55.

Welcome jaldredge & the advice PV gave is good stuff! Just take each day as it comes, the only good advice we can gleen from AA :-) Good luck to you and keep us posted on your progress.

PV: excellent advice - loved the story, and so true! Something I will remember as well -
THX!

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