Hi all,

This week has been both great and horrible. How's that for dramatic?

I increased my dosage to 100 mg which has helped limit my drinking but it's also made me feel pretty crappy. I've had a headache most of the week and I've had waves of nausea even while drinking less. My AF days happened mostly because the thought of taking the Nal made me feel ill. I needed a day off in between drinking days to recover enough to take another dose. My numbers would've been lower but I really overdid it yesterday with 14 units. Plus, I only took 50 mgs in the morning and didn't take anymore for the rest of the day even though I was drinking throughout. I'm not sure I was covered by the end of the day. Needless to say, I have a nasty hangover

I'm really thinking that complete abstinence is somewhere in my near future. I'm just tired of feeling ill so much of the time. If it isn't the hangovers its the Nal. Oh well, it does have me drinking less (except for yesterday's bad day) and thats the whole point, right?

Thanks for listening to me vent AGAIN!

well it's helping so I'd stick with it. remember it's not the amount per session that brings extinction, but the drinking instances themselves, so stopping earlier if possible helps me. not that I've ever really put any efort into that myself, but sometimes I'll pour another one then think "why did I do that? I don't really need another. so much of this is just habit.

keep it up btdt

Thanks Joe,

Yes - I've come too far to quit just yet. My plan has been to stick with it until the 1st of January and then reassess.

Honestly, I'm totally fine with abstinence as my end goal. I'd love to get to a point where I'm not afraid of alcohol anymore and quit without having the constant craving. I've never been much of a social drinker anyways so I'm fine drinking diet pepsi when I'm out - lame but true

The hangovers and side effects are nasty though. I do think they've made drinking less appealing so they're helping. I've been trying to think of them as chemotherapy for my alcoholism

BUT, whoever wrote the cover of the book was NUTS!! "Drink your way sober without willpower, abstinence or DISCOMFORT" Wrong!!

Congrats on doing better and better. It sounds like you are cured or very close!! Yeah for you!!

Hi all,

Drinking seems to be less of a priority these days TSM is certainly working. I've been busy with things I enjoy and haven't been around the board much. I'm actually surprised I had 40 units this week but I guess still drink more than I would like on the days I drink! Usually drinking every other day now. My AF days are getting easier and this week I'm going to try back-to-back AF days. Good luck to all!!

Hi all,

A few days late on my weekly update. Not too much to report from last week. Week 16 at 39 units and 2 AF days.

Things are better overall but progress seems to be coming slowly. On the positive side, I seem to have moved past daytime drinking, round-the-clock binges and drinking and driving. These are HUGE steps and were my most important goals in keeping myself and my family safe. On the down side, I continue to 6-10 drinks on the nights I do drink which means I'm still outside the healthy drinking numbers. I'm still not very successful at limiting myself once I start. I'm wondering if this is as good as it's going to get? Or, if I stick with TSM will I have further successes? I'm committed to sticking with it until Jan 1st then I'll decide what comes next...

Also, I've been getting frustrated because since starting TSM I've gained 15 pounds and feel dumpy In the big scheme of things, this shouldn't be the biggest deal but I don't tend to go up or down in weight and this is not much fun.



I look forward to checking out the board and seeing how the rest of you are doing. Good luck in the upcoming week!!

I looked it up and around October 31, you had yet to have a single AF. Since then you have had many AFs and say that you have eliminated both binges and drinking and driving.

Those are pretty big steps. January 1st is only a couple weeks away. I say stick with this at least a little longer and see what happens.

Here's the unfortunate truth: NAL works for some people and simply doesn't for others, for genetic reasons. It's possible that NAL is working on you, helping you take steps toward full control, and it's also possible that NAL is not working on you and the advances you've made are simply due to willpower. Only you will be able to tell which is more likely to be true. But if you feel that a combination of NAL and simple effort are eliminating the problem drinking from your life, by all means stick with it.

Just to throw this out there, now that you've made some improvements, consider whether aspects of your lifestyle are making further advances easier or harder.

Thanks Nemo. Sometimes I can't see the forest through the trees

I do know for sure that NAL is the reason I've been able to make forward progress. Prior to NAL, my willpower was useless and unless I completely abstained I had NO control over my drinking. Bit by bit NAL has given me access to some control as to where and when I drink. And, I was able to let go of daytime drinking because I honestly stopped wanting to. Again, I credit this to NAL. The place where I'm still struggling is in how much I drink once I start and I often break my commitment to stay AF on specific days, I cave in.

Last night I overdid it and drank 14 units!! It's been several weeks since I came close to drinking that much. Hangovers always leave me feeling negative and less hopeful. There are certainly good reasons to continue "the experiment".

Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts. You always have good feedback. BTDT

Hi all fellow TSMers,

Week 17 was another toughie.

I did manage to get my two back-to-back AF days and was feeling pretty good but Monday but then proceeded to drink way too much Monday night and then started again Tuesday AM and drank all day. I thought I was done with daytime drinking but I guess not

On the positive side, it has helped my finalize my decision to quit drinking as of Dec 25th. My plan all along has been to complete 4 months of treatment and decide whether to abstain or continue and Dec 25th will be 4 months. Hopefully this treatment time will have given me enough TSM benefit to make quitting this time easier. Truth is that even though I have continued to drink heavily I find drinking less and less enjoyable. I feel like I am drinking more out of habit than out of a sincere craving to drink. I have no interest in drinking socially so there really isn't any reason for me to continue. I will continue to post my progress and let folks know how well I do with quitting and how TSM helps me keep my resolve. Of course, if I struggle to abstain I will always take the NAL before I pick up.

Wish me luck!! BTDT

Hi BTDT

Have just read all your posts. You have made some amazing progress but i can see it's been a rocky road for you. Good luck with abstaining and I hope you continue to post after Christmas. I would like to be a social drinker if TSM works for me, but perhaps i will lose interest in drinking. Hangovers are no fun!
I hope you and your family have a great Christmas. We are going sailing for 10 days tomorrow - yay!!

Hugs
Sticky

HI BTDT,

Congrats on all your hard work. I feel your pain. I sooooo want to be just a social drinker and I was making progress but then slipped when my ad died. I'm abstaining through the season and will try again - breaking the habit - in the new year. For me it is no problem abstaining it is not knowing when to quit when I do drink.

Merry Christmas and many Blessings!