Path, It is working. I wouldn't even call them setbacks. Its the process. It's needed.

The only true setback is drinking without NAL.

thanks for the responses and encouragement! tonight was my first "6 pack night" i started at 6:30, and the first few didn't taste good, and i thought i'll never get through 6 tonight. famous last words... by 9:00 i was ready to start my 5th, by 10:30 i had finished my 6th. still not time for bed... hmmm. i finally poured myself a shot of hard liquor, (there is always liquor in the cabinet, it's just not my first choice and i rarely drink it), had one sip and said i don't want this and poured it out. yeah for small victories!
trying to keep my eye on the prize,
thanks for helping me through the process,
path

yeah! the world series is over!!
i realized that this is a trigger for me, even though i almost never watch sports. this year i was watching because my 13 year old baseball playing nephew was rooting for one of the teams. then i got into it... went out a couple nights to watch at a bar with friends and that put a glitch in my 6 pack strategy. but, all in all i didn't do too badly. 6 on the nights when i had planned an activity in the early evening, and then 7 each night that i was home watching the game. 8 on the nights i was out. 46 total for the week. not bad, i just wish it didn't feel like so much effort and planning. hopefully that will come in time.
i also am surprised that when a month ago would have been thrilled with 6 per night on even one night, now i am disappointed that i was only able to do 6 per night 4 days a week. what is that about? it is feeling much harder to be positive this week. why?
path

In a very newbie sort of way I can identify with being disappointed in not being able to limit units to where you want them to be (ah, how our perspectives have changed on drinking since we've started this!). You seem like you're pretty tough on yourself, your progress has been amazing. Your six pack is my bottle of wine. I was doing 3 "six packs" nightly, 7 days a week. Now I'm down to 2 six packs, 4-5 days a week. What you're beating yourself up about is my next drinking goal! I don't mean to sound like an a-hole, we all start here at different levels, with different issues and histories. And we all progress through the program differently. But, I just wanted to let you know that your current status quo is my next-shining-beacon-of-light-hope-of-a-goal

Simple Path,
Your disappointed because you are making progress. Just remember that it wont happen "by the book" or on any schedule.

Cmon, you know its working!

wk 22 (wow! 5+ months )- 48 units. not bad, as one of those days i was in new orleans for a wedding. i have lots of history of drinking there, where starting early and going overboard is considered completely normal. (they don't call it the big easy for nothing! ) so all in all i did pretty well. i had only one beer on the plane, and skipped my usual get "warmed up" for a social occasion beers before the event. i did however have 8 units at the reception (over 6 hours) which i paid dearly for the next day. man, those hangovers are getting more common and more brutal. i really wonder what the reason for the nal hangover is. any of you medical types have any theories? i was wondering if perhaps my liver is not functioning as well these days? couldn't that cause hangovers?

anyway, will endeavor to stick to my 6 pack plan again this week, even though i have already had a couple days with higher units. i find that i am more able to delay my start time, but am still unable to stop early. if i'm up in the evening and i usually am til 11 or 12, then i want to have a beer in hand. i guess that's the next thing to work on. wish me luck!

keep up the good work everyone
path

Path,

Congrats on 5 months. I was looking at your numbers and this past month definitely shows a downward trend! Given your history, 48 units in New Orleans and at a wedding is reasly impressive. I also find it easier to start later then limit my units once I start. I also find it easier to take an AF day then to try to manage my drinking once I pick up. Regardless, I'm looking forward to continuing to hear your progress. It seems like TSM is working for you! BTDT

Hi Path,

I'd like to also throw in my conratulations with your progress. It's wonderful that we can all communicate between Europe and the US on this and it really brings home the network we have. Long may it continue! You will get there my friend.

Cheers,

Galoot

Excellent progress path! Reading your thread got me to thinking about my situation, which has been similar. I no longer drink during the day ( I used to start drinking as soon as I woke up in the morning) and have no problem waiting until the evening but once I start I'm right back in my old champion drinking mode. I'm wondering if a change of scenery or routine will help me break out of that pattern (I almost always drink alone in my apartment while at my computer terrorizing this forum or watching tv online). I'm wondering if a change of scenery or routine might work for you too, even if you switch to another room in the house. Aside from the pharmacological extinction aspect of TSM there is also the behavioral piece and it makes sense that setting is a major trigger (as they say in AA "people places things"). I'm going to try a change of setting on the evenings I drink-I'll let you know if it helps me cut down on units swilled.

thanks for the comments folks,
it's hard for me to see this as a lot of progress, so it's good to have other eyes on it, and really good to have the support.
wk 23 total units 46. i am nothing if not consistant mostly it took effort to keep my units to 6 or 7 a day. one day i was happily okay with 5, and one day i had 8, despite my efforts. i'm still really wishing that the lower units were just magically appearing, that i was not having to work for it. did i ever mention that i am lazy?
today i had one magic moment in that i forgot to plan ahead and take nal an hour before i was ready for my first beer, so i had to wait til 7. i take forgetting as a sign of being ever so slightly less obsessed with when i can have that first beer.

st. jude i will have to try your suggestion about changing up my usual places. so far i have just been trying to be okay with waiting between beers, thus getting myself used to not having a beer in hand ALL the time. i am also getting used to being basically sober for the entire evening. 6 light beers over 5 hours is not enough to give me any buzz at all. hopefully these small things are steps along the way to establishing new habits.

been loving all the posts, it is good to be connected across such distances. these days when it's colder and darker earlier are rough for me, so thanks for the support, and the laughs, (and the controversy ), keep it up everyone!
path