Yes, I think it's working for you also. You did not leave that wine unfinished for no reason. Your compulsion is fading. How many times have you do that in the last 5 years?

I bet you are enjoying going out a lot more now. Plus the next morning/day is not spent in bed.

Just keep truckin on...

Pacifman.I hope so but I'm not getting too cocky because it's just the start of a journey,we'll see.
Today I was meeting people for a late lunch.I had a coffee to start and was quiet happy with my coffee but because I had taken my nal earliar felt the need to have a drink drink.
Here's my dilemma and I love it.What to drink.
The thought of wine makes me sick and vodka seems empty,just a total waste of time,can't be bothered.
Husband and friends were drinking,laughing and having fun so I thought,I know how to catch up,I knew this drink would not fail me and it didn't.I had 2 drambuies,got a big buzz on the first one.
I feel like I have extinguished wine and vodka but my choice of darker coloured liquer from way back may take a while longer.

Phoenix

Phoenix,

I'm no expert but I think the answer is to "drink as you normally would". If the darker drinks work for you focus on those. I, for one, can't stand any hard liquor and beer doesn't appeal either. The only thing I seem to be able to drink is light white wine. I'm OK with that because it minimizes my hangovers. And, in answer to an earlier post, yes you should take Nal every time you drink if you want to keep moving forward. Other members of the board have gone without and slipped backwards. In my opinion, it's just not worth it

Enjoy the honeymoon. It means that you are responding to the meds. That is great!!! When (and if) your drinking starts to spike you can deal with that then Take care, BTDT

I get the same feeling; I've taken the NAL, so now I have to drink so that I don't waste it

On another subject, I'm wondering if it's counter-productive for me to be focusing on my weekly unit counts, since it seems that the typical progress is very minor and then a large drop fairly suddenly. Any thoughts on this? I think that's why I've been very loosely counting; missing weeks, estimating, etc.

I'm still drinking with the NAL, about the same as when I started in January, but limited usually to F and/or Sat nights. Had 2 beers last night watching MNF. Usually not a problem moderating when I have to work the next day, but boy, those 2 beers left in the frig were calling out to me I guess football is a trigger

Pheonix: BTDT is right. They simply say, "Drink as you normally would" I've asked Eskapa about cutting back or making effort, and he said the same thing.

Spine, it doesn't matter if you count or not. you don't have to. and considering the type of drinker you are, I bet you'd know your progress without counting every little drink anyway. But I doubt it's COUNTER productive.

I do the same thing with the whole "I've taken Nal, so why not do some extincting?"

Me too on the 2 beers monday night football. For me that's huge! MNF was a drunken blur before TSM. I would come into work after sitting on my ass on the couch watching every play the night before and people would talk about the game and I wouldn't remember who won! Now I don't know who won because I was asleep or working all night

I noticed that too BTDT in some earlier posts (people skipping the NAL) and it made me very concerned. If there's one thing that comes across loud strong and clear in the book is to not screw around with taking the NAL. Even if we have a little drink after years of abstinence, if we have it without NAL it triggers that receptor reinforcement switch in the brain and makes the cravings even stronger.
once a nalcoholic, always a nalcoholic (and that's a good thing)

Hey Phoenix, how's my fellow binger doing I'm still sticking to weekends, sometimes just F nights, but usually F and Sat. No real change in units since starting in Jan.'10. Wondering if I should up my Nal dose or just "do a 30" ala Moderation Management style.

Having severe, guilt/depression-filled hangovers. Good times

Hi spinedoc99 - maybe now's the time to make a real effort to have an AF day on Fridays and only do your binge on Saturdays.

You seem to be stuck - and as you've been taking your nal a long time you might need a little kick in the pants to get things moving downward. I know it's different for binge drinkers - the progress is different somehow. So that's why I suggest something a bit drastic. Could you not drink on Fridays at all? Would that be very hard to try?

I hope a veteran binger will chime in - seem to be quite a few newbies who binge but an old timer might have a suggestion or two.

Hang in there anyway and don't waver from taking your Nal.

Veteran Binger here with a little 2 cents. Try to push for an AF day. It really does help especially your self-esteem.

In tsm since 6-11-2010. Noticing los of mini changes & a few big ones as well. Everyone here KNOWS they MUST take a "Bennie" before AL always & forever. Small potatoes, right? Like Schartzeneger says: "Youuu can dooo eeet!

Thanks for the input I did go AF Sat night. Felt horrible, and almost did the "hair of the dog" remedy. Took my nal in case. Couldn't bring myself to even sip a beer to bring myself out of my misery, because I was so intensely aware of the toxicity. Didn't even try the medical marijuana (MMJ) on hand. Just suffered .

Great idea on the AF day. I was thinking that I needed to have 2 extinction sessions/week, but that's probably just an excuse to party. 1 or 2/week, it'll happen when it happens. All I need to do is keep taking the Nal.

Time to order more, and probably go up to 75 or 100 mg.

Thanks to everyone for their help.