Hi Char and Server - you two stop beating yourselves up!!!! Have a Blessed Christmas with food, family, some wine, lots of laughs and joy!! You don't have to do it all, at least not all at once.

Good old AA always says take it one day at a time - one of the only things they say that makes any sense no? But it is good advice especially over the holidays.

Some of you may remember my mother died on Dec. 7 and I'm having a very hard time with it - I was with her when she died and I'll never get over that. So I'm having my two glasses of wine EVERY NIGHT like I used to - and NO AF days...and I don't really care. Once these darned holidays are over and I can get a grip I intend to have lots of AF days again. And I consider myself cured....doesn't sound like it eh? But I'm cutting myself some major slack. I'm in no real hurry. I'll get back on track.

And you two good souls will too!!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Thanks BGH, you are right, of course! If anything, I should be glad that NAL has changed even the way I beat myself up! Last year, it would be downing vodka secretly and weaving my way through the Christmas season. Now, I feel so disappointed that I can't manage an AF day even though I'm only 6 weeks in and haven't had AF days in over a year and a half. My expectations for myself have changed, and that's a good thing, but self destructive thoughts are part of what keeps us in such awful cycles. I will responsibly try to enjoy the season, give myself a break, and get back on track next week.

Thank you for your support and have a healthy and happy holiday!

I drank a bottle plus a glass last night and feel much better today than I did yesterday, so I guess I drank a lot more than I thought on Tuesday night. Finishing up all those part-bottles in the fridge can be dangerous!

I actually think the next few days are going to be better because I will have to socialize with my family in the evenings instead of nodding off in front of the TV. And I will TRY to remember that the pop and juice and fizzy water in the fridge isn't just for other people!

Thanks for your support, Server and BGH. No more beating up, just take the Nal and carry on. Happy Holidays to all of us!

Hi Char-enjoyed getting caught up with your progress, and you should feel good about the progress thus far. I know everyone's journey on TSM is different but I was when I started I was a daily 3 bottle a day wine drinker and the thought of any AF days was simply inconceivable. I mean, I literally lived to drink and my days were planned around drinking. The AF days crept up on me about 6 weeks in. I can still put away a couple of bottles in a sitting, but the days I didn't drink were easier, and were occurring by accident. So my advice to you echoes that of others in your thread-don't think about it, don't try to do or not do, if you feel like drinking just take the NAL and extinguish away. This is a disease of shame and hiding and I think many of us tend to be a lot harder on ourselves than we should be. Know that you are getting better. It may feel like you're not doing much but making a decision to try TSM and following though on that decision by taking action is tremendous, and you should be proud of being the master of your destiny

I give up. There has been no change in my drinking for the 6 months I've been taking Nal and I simply can't afford to continue. I am in Canada, I have a doctor's prescription and this experiment has cost me over $1000. If not for that I would give it another 6 months.

Best wishes to all of you.

Char

I'm sorry to hear that. You didn't really have side effects or a honeymoon. It seems that this is a pattern and that often times, people who fall into this group may also be in the 20% or so that Naltrexone has no effect on. On the other hand, extinction usually takes longer than six months for most people, so if you can get an affordable dose of Naltrexone, it might very well be worth it to carry on. Or maybe it's time to try one of the other drugs that treats alcohol addiction?

Good luck.

My best,

Nick

Thanks, Nick. I plan to talk to my doctor soon.