After a blood test she put me on 25mg for two weeks, then up to 50mg after that. She said her patients have done well increasing dosage on that schedule. She wants to see me again in a month to see how I am doing, and will review the dosage at that point. She said she normally sees a reduction in units to about 3/4 the pre-TSM units in the first month or so. Then she sees a 50% reduction in 4-6 months, and usually about a year to reduce more from there.

sorry for coming in late here but missed this important post.

I think your doc got it spot on yg....I believe nal moderates rather than stops alcohol and that it is a work in progress. In time it willl hopefully stop your drinking.

in fact I think she has hit the nail on the head with her calculations...spot on in my view!!!

Hey YG,

I have been away for a while....and was very keen to see how you are going - especially as we started at the same time. Love the graph - Your numbers look fantastic ! Well done you!

I really must work out how to do a graph and post it. I see you put some instructions in a previous post...might try that tomorrow.

Hugs
Kiwi

Hello Everyone!

Sorry I have been silent for a few weeks. I got really busy, was drinking way too much around the Thanksgiving holiday and felt like I needed to take some time away. I feel like I am in a rut and just keep saying the same things over and over again. I think I wanted to stay away till I had some better news to report.

So here's what's been happening here. As expected, I drank quite a bit around Thanksgiving. I had a huge crowd for dinner at my house, and was not really happy about it. I get really stressed hosting that many people, especially when it is all in-laws (Cinderell-y, Cinderell-y!) Anyway, the way I get through it every year is by drinking a ton. So, my numbers were nearing pre-TSM levels for the week before and during the holiday.

I had some minor surgery last week to repair a torn earlobe, so I didn't drink or take Nal for a few days to make sure the painkillers would work. The good news is, it was easy. The bad news is, the evening immediately after surgery I got hammered. Almost as if that desire had been building up all week.

I feel like the only difference TSM has made for me is that when I decide to have an AF day, it is pretty easy. And I am not obsessing about alcohol all day long like I used to. But I still get that itch to drink, and when I do I seem to have no control at all.

I keep doing what I have always done: I measure out 3 drinks and promise myself that is all I will drink. Then I start having fun and want to drink more. I know I will pay for it the next day, but I do it anyway. There is no difference at all in this behavior from before I started TSM.

So, my numbers look good for last week, but that is because of the surgery and forced AF days. I am wondering if perhaps just taking the little magic pill is not enough for me. Maybe I need to do some Albert Ellis style REBT work, maybe I need to try harder to have more AF days. Maybe this is all habit now and I have to try harder to break the habit.

Regardless, I am still in this for a year before moving on. I just hit the 6 month point on December 1st, so I am halfway through that commitment. I'd love to hear some comments and/or ideas from those of you who are feeling closer to "cured" than I am!

YG if you add an exponential trendline to your graph you will see how much progress you've made and how your units are trending down. The holidays are stressful add family to that and it's ultra-stressful. How did this year compare to last year? Do you feel like the farther along You get in this the more you expect from yourself? It seems that you are making progress. Hang in there.

Thanks, St. Vincent! When I figure out how to add a exponential trend line I will do that. I'll bet you're right, that will make me feel much better. I feel better already today, as I was AF last night and plan to be all weekend. I am taking some advice from Tambo and trying to force 4 AF days in a row to hopefully make AF more of a habit.

It is so weird how I am so much happier when I don't drink. Life is easier, I feel better, I am less stressed, etc. And yet that strong addiction always pulls me back in, against all logic. I am feeling really strong and positive today, so I am going to hold onto that feeling and push through a nice AF weekend (and add some good alternate activities to hopefully reinforce!)

Hi there, everyone! Here's my progress for the last few weeks. I have not been around much because I don't have much new to say. I feel like I have made progress over the last many months, but I feel stuck at about 3-4 AF days a week. When I do drink, I still drink too much. Even when I plan to drink 3 units (and even measure it out!) my addicted brain overrides that decision and I end up at 6 or 7 units anyway.

I had said I wanted to follow Tambo's advice and try 4 AF days in a row. That hasn't happened yet. I am finding the holidays to be difficult because there are so many social situations that revolve around drinking. This week I plan to be AF through Wednesday, but I have holiday parties on Thursday and Friday, so I will not get to 4 AF in a row.

But on the plus side, I do see an incredible difference in my attitude about alcohol. I don't think about it all day, 5 o'clock comes and goes and I don't notice, etc. Alcohol just doesn't have the control over me that it once did. That in itself is wonderful! I continue to believe that habit (and social events around the holidays) are keeping my numbers up. I have not applied the effort I believe is required to push through to the next level and get closer to cured. I think a reasonable New Year's Resolution is in order (like limiting drinking to weekends only) ... and after 7 months of TSM, I think I would have a much better chance of actually keeping that resolution!

St. Vincent - thanks for the advice about the exponential trendline! I did figure that out in Excel, and you were right. It does show a gradual decrease in units, and that made me feel much better.

And Galoot - thanks for finding and reposting what my doctor said about people decreasing 50% in the first 4-6 months, then taking a year or more to see a further decrease. I think that is exactly what is happening for me.

BTW - I want to apologize again for not being as active and supportive as some others here. I have small children and find it hard to spend much time at the computer. I do log in from my iPad often to check in and read how everyone is doing, but it is difficult to post lengthy replies from that device. Much easier to type on an actual keyboard!

My units are still creeping downward, slowly but surely. I have added a trendline to my graph, so that helps me see progress. I just started reading a book called "This Year I Will ..." by M.J. Ryan.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Year-Will-Fi ... 254&sr=1-1

So far it is a good read, all about the neurological and psychological barriers to change, and some great strategies to overcome those barriers. I am planning to implement her ideas in writing and following through on my New Year's resolutions. One of those, of course, is getting my drinking units even lower, finally breaking through to a consistently healthy level.

You're doing great. I wish I could keep my New Years' resolutions, but I've never been able to. Let us know how the book works for you; maybe that would help me. I've stopped making resolutions since I'm so bad at following through, but I'm at least going to try to drop a few pounds in the new year since my sleep apnea is getting worse. And, of course, to keep lowing my units.

Thanks for the book rec, I just ordered it today.
I think trend lines are essential to really get a clear picture of overallprogress, especially since you've been doing TSM for so long. Bravo!