Hi, I've looked all over this site and the net in general but I can't find any data about people like me, who wish to resume drinking after an extended period of sobriety, using TSM. I know of two members of this forum who have done it but what I'd like to know is: are there any trials or controls done on sober people who try TSM?

Best Regards,

CuriousOne (I was CURIOUS but I forgot my password so I created a new account)
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2258

Dr E specifically says in his book that anyone who has achieved sobriety should not try TSM. that said, I can see what you would want to try.

There are barely any studies on the efficacy of TSM, period. There have been no studies done on how long it takes TSM takes to work, based upon drinking history. I think it's a safe bet that no such study exists on the issue that you raise.

Thank you, Nick and ma6907,



ma6907, do you happen to remember if Dr. E. says why a sober person shouldn't try TSM?

Because of the risks involved with resumed drinking. Drunk driving, long-term health consequences, damaged careers and relationships... See Andy M for a fairly typical scenario of the risks of uncontrolled drinking... (But Andy M. is on his way to regaining control.)

No snit, Sherlock...

I thought there might be some biochemical reason.

Yeah, I thought the question was unusually naive...

No, the book offers no biochemical reason to not try TSM. None that I'm aware of anyway. If anyone else has knowledge, please pipe in.

No worries, Nick, I can be naive too... when it suits me Thanks for your help, as always.

Yeah, I have the same question. I've been sober for 2.5 years through AA, but am intrigued with the idea of an actual extinction of the hard-wired neural pathways in my brain I created/learned by years of alcoholic drinking. I know that 'The Cure for Alcoholism' book states, "If you are currently abstinent, unless you are relapsing, there is no valid reason for you to start the treatment." Is this a statement based purely on ethics? Sometimes, I feel the alcohol craving is lurking just under the surface, and wonder if the Alcohol Deprivation Effect will sooner or later catch up to me. Sometimes, my sobriety feels quite tenuous. Attending AA meetings for the rest of my life also is also something I'm not too excited about. I understand that the hard-wired "super-highway" I created/learned in my brain would exist for a lifetime without applying The Sinclair Method. I'd love to revert my brain to a pre-alcoholic state and get the monkey off my back for good by weakening the neural circuitry driving the addiction. I'm wondering if it's worth the risk of a purposeful relapse combined with Naltrexone to address the root cause of my alcoholic tendencies.

Page 31 of the AA Big Book (written in 1937) states, "Physicians who are familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may one day accomplish this, but it hasn't done so yet." Has this day arrived???

Thank you for any input!

It's a difficult question that only you can decide for yourself, weighing the pros and cons. TSM takes a long time to work (six months to a year for most) so you would have to be prepared for months of drinking at potentially close to your old levels. And it doesn't work for everyone -- I'm sure you are familiar with the approximately 20% who don't react to the drug. These are the obvious large risks. The upside, of course, is that there is a good chance that you could re-wire your brain to its pre-addictive state and not crave alcohol.

Good luck in making the best decision for you.