I thought I'd post my chart for my 14th month.

This last week (not yet shown since I'm in month 15 right now), I've been at a large international convention. Every single evening this week, there was free food and open bars. Everybody I was with drank every evening. So, after the end of every day's session, I took a Naltrexone prior to rejoining the evening activities (and waiting my hour). This actually proved to be a wise decision, instead of not taking anything and not imbibing, which would have worked, also. However, allowing myself to be exposed to "normal" people drinking every single night allowed me to respond in an unaddicted fashion. On one night, I had almost a full drink twice, but couldn't finish it (I counted that night as 2 units anyway). On other nights I had almost, but never as much, as those who I was with (I didn't feel like it). So, for a full week at a convention, I had 17 units total, more than I have had in a single week in 10 months. I am so relieved now not having the social pressure to imbibe any more. Finally, some AF days! There was so much food there too. And there was social pressure to eat, too. So I ate somewhat more than I wanted to, while I was there. Now that I am home, I can go back to my normal life.

After composing this, I see a parallel between eating and drinking. Social pressures are very strong for both. Individuals behave differently when there are these group social pressures. Thus, these pressures influenced my increased consumption of food and consumption of AL (even though I didn't eat or drink nearly as much as my companions). Glad this week is over!

Bob

hi bob and others ... i am a chronic alcoholic and have been on 50mg nal a day for about 4 months ......... due to an enlightened psychiatrist here in the uk ...... been drinking + nal but loads less.... not kept records to produce a graph!!! ..... going along with TSM I am planning not to take nal tom + not to drink ...... guess I'm just asking for any tips ???? x

I am assuming you have been following the regimen of taking 50mg Naltrexone 1 hour prior to drinking and not taking it when you do not drink. I'm not sure about your last statement "I am planning not to take Naltrexone tomorrow + not to drink". I guess you want to have an AF day. These are tough in the early part of the treatment, but become automatic and even desired later in the treatment. I recall several times in the first several months, where I planned not to drink, but my cravings begged to differ; so I would take my Naltrexone, wait my hour and drink something. There is nothing wrong with that. It's part of the treatment. If your plan works, great! If it doesn't, wait until another day. Of course, when you do have a pair of consecutive AF days, do all the positive behaviors you want to reinforce on those days to ingrain these behaviors to replace your alcoholic behaviors.

I guess my main point is if your planned AF day doesn't work out, don't be overly concerned about it; wait until another day. Eventually, they'll be automatic. I hope I answered your question or helped in some way.

Bob

.
At the end of 65 weeks (15 months) of TSM treatment, here is my quarterly progress:




Drinking has become so sporadic now that weekly posts and progress graphs are not a useful tools in showing the effectiveness of this treatment. In fact, I haven't had anything with alcohol in it for over 3 weeks now, nor have I had the desire to. Next week, I plan to force myself to have 2 drinks after my Naltrexone just to make sure the ADE doesn't occur. I don't think it can occur once you're cured, but I just want to make sure.

I am really sorry I haven't been as active as I once was in the past. At one time, I had the 3rd highest number of posts on this forum. It is quite difficult to be involved in something that is no longer part of your life. Actually, it is hard for me to even comprehend the addiction that was still in place just one year ago and how my life used to revolve around AL.

TSM has worked so well, people who know me still don't really truly understand the effectiveness of it, even though they can see the successful results with their own eyes. Most just think that I am strong-willed, which has absolutely nothing to do with it. Others think that the 21st century medical community has an effective treatment that is accepted and is standard modern practice. And even a few think it has something to do with AA (those are my oblivious friends who don't really listen or care to listen). My wife knows TSM worked when nothing else would, but she doesn't understand why I am not absolutely abstinent all the time (she still thinks like a 12-stepper). The truth is after all this time, I don't care what other people think. I wanted to be cured of that horrible addiction and TSM did it. I know it worked. I have my life back. If no one else understands it or cares to listen about the treatment, I'm not going to force them. If asked, I'll explain the treatment and encourage its use and that is as far as I'll go.

Wishing everyone success! Hello to all my friends here. And hello to all the newbies here and I trust that you have the success that I have had.

Bob

Bob, thanks for coming back and posting. these reminders really help those of us who are in the middle of the process and dealing with ups and downs. So happy to see this. can't wait to be in your position.

Hope I can say at some point in the future "I have my life back" - Thx for posting Bob! So happy for you!

I hope it happens to you too. You deserve it.

Bob

Bob, thanks so much for posting. Seeing your progress in a graph really demonstrates the difference over time. Congratulations, I look forward to joining you someday!

You are welcome. I hope you and ALL those here join me one day.

Bob

Hey Houtx,
I havent heard from you in a while, how are you making out? Are you still posting on MWO? Take care!