Hi Susie - Thanks for that. Yes, I am noticing changes in my attitude toward alcohol. I forget about it more often these days than before TSM. Sometimes, I am so wrapped up in something that interests me that I don't want to stop and go get my glass of wine. I notice that I am annoyed that my brain is telling me, "I NEED WINE!" That's new.

HG

Hi All - I am noticing a reduction in units this week. Hope that remains true to the end of the week. I am down by about 1 to 1 1/2 glasses of wine a night. I'll be happy when I can say I am only drinking 1 glass of wine a night, but right now I'll settle for a reduction of 1 glass a night. In my eighth week I am now noticing the urgency to see some greater progress than I am seeing. I want to be done with this already! I know that it takes a lot more than 8 weeks so I won't waste time wishing. I'll just keep taking my Nal + Al. I reread Bob3d's posts for inspiration which took a good part of today. In the end he said that if he had it to do over he would have just settled in for the long haul and done the process of Nal+Al without overthinking it. In week 17 and 18 he almost gave up and thought it wasn't working. But, right after that he hit his switch and by week 21 he declared victory. So, I have a long way to go yet.

Keep posting everyone. It really helps.

HG

Hi All - Not my weekly progress yet as week 8 doesn't end until Tuesday night for me. Still, I wanted to post this as after I last posted in the afternoon on Saturday I had a mini breakthrough. I thought I had a bottle of wine in the house but around 6:00 I noticed I only had 3/4 of a bottle. I panicked! I was still in my pjs after a leisurely Saturday reviewing posts on this forum to perk me up. I asked myself whether I could forgo the trip to the liquor store to get more wine...plus I would be embarrassed to go in around 7:00 for wine as the liquor store guy would know then for sure that I am a drunk (as if he doesn't already, right). So, I gave it a shot. I kept myself at that 3/4 of a bottle and I had no trouble at all doing that. I was worried that Sunday would bring a spike in my drinking but it didn't. Saturday night made me realize that I can drink less without craving more. Wow. I don't think I will yet, but it is good to know that when I'm ready I can and won't be going crazy with cravings. It even speaks to the possibility of an AF day in the near future which right now fills me with terror.

Thanks for listening. HG.

Hi HG,

Well done on that mini breakthrough..I think its so important to celebrate these occasions as they are a sign that things are really happening. What you have described is rational thought beginning to take over.. the fact that you were in your PJ's and also the guy might think it odd that you were coming to buy a bottle stopped you going out. When the craving is at its peak pre TSM these rational throughts aren't enough to stop us going to buy the bottle. I used to buy mini cans of gin and tonic in a store in the train station before my commute home (to drink on the train- classy ). I knew that the guy in the store had begun to recognise me and had me pegged as an alcoholic but this still didn't stop me. Early into the process I noticed that the shame of facing that guy was enough to stop me going and buying the gin and I think this was a real turning point.

You seem to have a really good attitude to the process in terms of your expection and the time it might take- this is also really important. It is still very early days for you but all the signs are very positive. Onward and upward!

Hi Susie - Thanks for the encouragement, but mostly thanks for your progress post! All I can say is WOW......I want what you have and your posts give me ideas on how to get there.

HG

Excellent!! I'll never forget the first time I corked a bottle and put it back in the cupboard (also noteworthy because I could actually remember the end of my evening). It is such a blissful feeling of control. Your progress looks excellent and it seems like you do what I did (took the time to plow through every single thread and post here on this site). It's hard to believe it only dates back to 2009--it's like so many lifetimes have been recounted here on this forum. Lots of inspiring stories from yesteryear and it's also very nice when some of the veterans pop back into let us know how they are doing. I've drifted away here and there over the weeks and I totally "get" not spending as much time here as AL becomes less and less of an issue in your life. But it's also so important we all carry the torch forward!

Great going half! I have found that my ability to slow it down and feel satiated with less alcohol happens when I am proactive. When I make myself drink a large glass of water before I start to drink alcohol, I begin at a slower pace. I plan to end each evening with a tea as well. These simple rules make LESS seem more satisfying. One can only drink so much liquid comfortably. Having less wine around than desired can make me uncomfortable...but I limit what I have on hand when I know I need to feel good in the morning. Pre TSM I would have found a way to get to the store and pick some up...telling myself that I could stop when required....but knowing I would not at the same time!

Keep on going.

Hi All - Thanks much for your comments. Always appreciated.

So, I finished week 8 last night. I noticed before I started drinking last night that I could easily end up over 50 units for the week if I wasn't careful. I really wanted to stay under 50 units for week 8 as that was my goal. So, I conciously drank less last night to accomplish that goal. It was easy. I ended up at 49 units for the week and felt great about that. Interestingly, I drank quite a bit less last night and felt more looped than usual. The effect of Nal never ceases to amaze me. Thankfully, I am finally starting to see my units come down and liking that a lot. I'm hoping next week to keep it at 49 or lower. I don't expect any real drop in units for a few more weeks. I am patient about this process now whereas in week 7 I was in a funk and thought it would never work. I am really noticing the patterns of folks who have been around awhile and seeing my pattern in some of those. So, that keeps me positive. Besides, I just feel different about alcohol. I really can't put my finger on it, but it seems like alcohol isn't quite the focus of my life that it was pre-TSM.

Yeah, St. Jude....like you I do try to read all of the posts and give some encouragement. You get what you give, huh? Thanks for your post as your pattern and mine seem to be quite similar, so your posts help me a lot. 4bal, I will try your water trick. I sure have noticed how much more thirsty I am on Nal. I used to down a bottle or bottle and a half of wine and not feel any thirst. Now, I get up in the morning and feel like I just came off the Sahara. I remember St. V mentioning that too. In fact, water is starting to taste so good.....almost as good was wine.

It is really encouraging to read your progress HG. You are an inspiriation....

I know what you mean about the water thing... I am drinking a ton of it right now. Also, I seem to be craving sugar much more as well.

One question, do you know how long Nal is effective in your system? Could you take one at noon and still be okay drinking at 8 or 9 pm?

Just wondering....

Thanks!

jamie

Jamesnla--the answer of how long the drug stays in your system is a complicated one. I think the offical answer is 13 hours, but the jury is still out. I was scared about that at first, so I took the month long shot of NAL--but I can tell you that the pill is better for me.

NAL is broken down in the liver into what is known as 6-beta-naltrexol. NAL has a half life of 4 hours which means that 1/2 of it will still be in your blood in 4 hours. 6-beta-naltrexol has a 1/2 life of 13 hours, which means that if the nal is broken down at a rate of (for example) 6.26 mg per hour, then the NAL that is broken down after the 8th hour will still be on board 21 hours after you took it. The dose of it needed to bind all of the endorphin receptors depends on you and how your body works but the"experts" say that 1 per day should be enough. That said, I am 6'6" and weigh 245, and I think I need 100 mg per day as, I have read several posts say. The answer is quite complicated and the non-science example is "It depends"