Hi awayout

For most of us here this process is a roller coaster ride. It is great to have everyone's support - I'd be lost without it. Keep up the good work and have patience.

All the best
Sticky

Your progress sounds typical of someone heading to regaining control: a honeymoon, followed by a spike (but still at lower than pre-TSM numbers), including a sense that you have more control. After months of that you will probably find you can take it or leave it.

My best,

Nick

Great news this week! The latest burst seems to have subsided and my weekly consumption is at it's lowest point yet.

I'm learning that I have to let go of the anger and stress I carry around with me. It just pushes my drink button. Of course that's easier said than done, but it's a good goal to have.

I've been reading the AA "Big Book", and there's a lot of really good insights and wisdom in there. I was struck by one passage about anger and drinking:

"If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but for alcoholics these things are poison."

Now that I'm trying to control my drinking and counting my drinks carefully, it's incredibly clear how true those words are. When I'm pissed at my ex-wife I can watch my drink count head upward every time. Maybe that's an obvious connection, but I've never really been conscious of it before.

Best wishes to everyone!

Wow. It's been a really long time since I posted. Lot's of great stuff has happened since then. I got married, went on honeymoon, started a new job. Life has been really full and wonderful!

I only wish all that great stuff had slowed down my drinking. But it hasn't. It's been pretty high for a long time now. God bless my wife for all her patience!

It's not that I'm not still working the Naltroxen. I keep at it everyday. It's just that it's become evident that my progress isn't going to be measured week by week. I've settled into the reality that I've got months to go.

In the mean time, I've been reading other books on giving up drinking. Right now I'm on "Seven Weeks to Sobriety" which advocates for using vitamins and supplements to eliminate your cravings when you quit. At a minimum, I've decided to start using her multi-vitamin formula to help reduce some of the damage from my drinking. A lot of what she's saying about deficiencies in B-vitamins, Magnesium and calcium in alcoholics is echoed by my MD.

If you've had any experience with her plan, I'd love to hear from you.

Best to everyone!