I've been drinking pretty heavily since I was in my 20s, but as I've gotten older I've realized there isn't much pleasure in it any more. I think it was mostly the social aspect I enjoyed the most, but these days, few of my friends drink very much and I find that sometimes at parties I'm the only one drinking. I tried quitting cold turkey, but of course that only worked for a while. My doc doesn't think I'm an alcoholic, just a binge drinker, but my wife and I have had a lot of conflict over my drinking and when I ran across the Sinclair Method online, it just sounded "right."

I'm really a big science fan, and after reading the book I can tell that the method is firmly grounded in solid clinical bedrock. Fortunately, I have a doctor who's willing to try new things, and when I told him about naltrexone, he said it sounded promising since he's already prescribing Chantix for people who smoke, and it works in much the same way, except with nicotine receptors. I started taking nal on June 3 and kept at it for a week or so, but then had to make a trip to another state and while there didn't take the med. I was staying with an old friend who drinks like a fish, and I guess in a way thought it would be my goodbye to alcohol. 'Course, it takes a little longer than that. When I got back on the 23rd, I got back on naltrexone and will be on it for the duration.

I've noticed the same thing others here have reported; that a couple of times, I left a drink unfinished, which would have been unheard of even a few weeks ago. Right now I'm just drinking when I feel the urge, and I can't say there's been much of a reduction, although that seems to be part of the standard model as well. My wife has been very understanding (once I explained the SM to her), and we're both looking forward to having this monkey off my back, although I know it won't be soon. Right now I'm just taking heart from others' experiences and hoping my story will end up much the same. Nice to know there's a place to go where people understand.

Welcome, yes this site is a life saver and it fantastic to have it especially when we doubt tsm. Ive been on nal for 17 weeks now and its working beautifully. Im not cured yet but I know its not far off. Read around the site there is great info here.

Thanks, Mario. I saw a bigger difference when I first started than I do now, but I'm in for the long haul, and I think I'm very lucky to have my wife and my doc on board. She's not expecting any quick miracles and neither am I, but it's good to know so many on this board are progressing so well.

The bigest challange with tsm is patience. Sometimes it sooo hard. If you read almost any progress thread including mine there are weeks where we doubt that its working. Its just panicking really as even on my worst days with tsm they are nowhere near a regular drinking session prior to nal. My bigist life save when I doubt is reminding myself that Im committed to tsm for a year. Taking nal one hour before we drink is really all we should ever worry about.

If anything, my drinking seems to be accelerating. I had a few beers before a meeting last night, and afterward went to a bar and had a few more. Tonight I'm on my second glass of rum because I couldn't sleep. I know this is going to take a while, but I wasn't expecting to actually be drinking more by my second week. I know all you long-timers are chuckling right now...

No Im not chuckling but what your experiencing is par for the course so please dont panic. Sometimes when I spike I like to think of it as the addiction pancking and trying to up its game to get us to drink more to satisfy it but nal WILL win out, its just going to take time.

Take nal one hour before you drink- thats as much as you have to do.

I've had that same experience too. I had days in the first few weeks on Nal where I was literally gulping white wine, drinking way faster than usual. Then I had days that were the opposite. It is all over the place. I agree with Mario, its almost like the addiction trying hard to override the medication, if I think of it like an actual entity with a life and will of its own.

Don't worry too much about it, just stay the course!

Thanks, guys. It's not a linear progression, that's for sure. And I've been drinking since my teens, so I know it's going to take a while. In the meantime, it gives me an opportunity to work on my patience...

The same thing is happening with me, it seems like I am drinking more and more. But I don't "have to" have that last drink at the end of the night, and I can stop after just a drink or two with lunch. That is different. I hope for more progress.

I haven't quite reached that point yet. Went a little overboard on the Fourth since we were hosting a party, but one thing I noticed was that I seemed to be keeping more of an eye on my behavior than usual. In fact, that's not something I really used to do at all. My wife didn't say anything about it this morning, which is also unusual. I'm only a couple weeks in, so I'm not going to expect too much just yet, but at least I am seeing changes. And bravo to you for being able to rein it in.