I have posted a few question on other topics, but I just want to introduce myself to folks who may not have read those.

The readers digest version of my story: Began drinking at 13 in 1971. All heck broke loose in 1983 after a serious brain injury. Anxiety, depression, mode swings, panic attacks, rage, and personality changes. I was too afraid to see a shrink so I drank to get thru the day. By 1989, I was doing at least 12 beers a day during the week (lunch, train home, and bar at the train station). Weekends were worse. All the usual stuff happenned. Job forced me to go to Smihters in NYC and they to AA. I hated AA from the get go. Stayed a year. Got drunk, went back right away. Stay dry for 9 months, got drunk. Went back, got drunk. Eventaully I stayed away from booze for 5 years - never did a step. Drank in a beer in 1998. That started 8 years of hell. Two 6 figure jobs lost, detox, rehab, locked up in dual-diagnosis ward for 6 weeks. After almost losing another job, I went back to AA. Got a sponsor and tried to do the whole thing except I am a commited athiest. I always felt totally alone. I wanted science and medicine not voodoo. I began to drink last Oct because I want to drink. I love it, I love bars, I love the comraderie. I always knew science would find a way to let me drink socially again. I have been drinking anywhere from 30 Units to 60 units per week the last serveral months. I know if I did not find this method, I would be back to drinking everyday as much as I could until I passed out. I would only stop because a brutal hangover would get in the way. I would be out of work, my wife and kids would be devestated. I would be suicidal and doing things I normally would not do. From seeing all your posts, I know that Naltrexone + Drink = CURE.

WeeK 1 (so far)
3 Units day 1 - Naltrexone made me feel woosy and I had limited time to drink
3 Units day 2 - Naltrexone made me feel woosy and I had limited time to drink
8 Units day 3
8 Units day 4
0 Units day 5 - cravings were real strong but I fogot my NAL at home so I fought them off.

Regards,
Tom

Tom,

You and your family sound as though you have been through enough hell. Welcome to the Sinclair Method.

We all wish you the best on your journey! Ask questions and keep us updated.

bb

Hi Tom , welcome to the machine .
"Machine" because the more you can follow how the rats did it the better .
I think to do that we have to be jobless , carless and a bit careless too .
You may wonder soon on how much effort to apply and the rule seems to be
limit consumption (where/if possible) but go easy on limiting the frequency,
the AF's will fall into place naturally when you're ready .
I see you did five years Abs without AA , quel surprise . Anyway you won't be wanting to go back there will you now ? Really what's the point ?
You're armed with NAL but don't forget to have them with or else you'll end up
like you said bad crave syndrome . All the best , keep posting .

Welcome Tom. Your story is similar to mine in some ways - I went cold turkey sober in 1982, and didn't drink (except on one or two occasions) again until 2001. Didn't use AA or any other programs, but just grit my teeth and quit. I had four young children, and they were my motivation.

Since 2001 I've upped my consumption from one-two glasses of wine a week to over two bottles a day. I'm now down, most days, to 1-1/2 bottles, and have had two AF days since starting. It doesn't sound like much, but my experience when drinking has been so different - and better - that I have a strong sense there's a subtle shift going on just under the surface. I never lose control, never black out, and am able to maintain nice conversations, etc. There are days when I drink half my old amount, but then other days when it's nearly right back up there. Still. . .at 10 weeks in, there are definite differences.

I'm waiting for the 4-6 month markers, for sure. Hang in here with us!

Elfern,

You have no idea how funny that statement was to me. Here's why:

1) I'm unemployed (jobless)
2) My daughter drives to school, so I'm without a car for most of the day (carless)
3) out of control alcoholic - wouldn't an qualify for careless ?

Guess I'm the PERFECT candidate! Thanks for making me laugh.

Kris ,
Glad you laughed , I thought Canadian would have been an ideal candidate
with his orchard ,time and means but what happened to that guy ?

Just for clarity's sake any talk of ideal candidate for me means actually very little ,because few people have those conditions and even if they do won't or can't do it (like maybe canadian ? ) and everyone just has to get on at the best pace they can .

bb, Elfren, Goin4more, KrazyKris,

Thanks for the post. I no longer feel so alone. How do you deal with friends, family, and co-workers who know you were alcoholic and are now trying to become a NALcoholic ( I LOVE that term) ? My wife knows (and is very supportive - she read the book ) but my kids, friends, and extended family don't yet. All they have ever heard is AA and abs is the only way. I'm not sure how to appraoch them and not freak them out.

Thanks.
Tom

Hi Tom,

Have you read the Letter to a Concerned Spouse thread? You might print it out and give copies to those you care about. Otherwise, simply explain as much of the process as you can. . .and let them deal with the fact that you've found a new and better way to deal with your addiction to alcohol. Tell them this is not necessarily a consistently straight path - that drinking levels may spike at times before declining - and ask them to bear with you for the 4-6 months it takes. Assure them that if this doesn't work by that time, you'll consider something else. (That assurance is for THEM, not you - we know it will work!)

Most importantly, remember that this is YOUR issue to deal with, and not theirs. We alcoholics get used to other people telling us how we 'ought' to do things. Because we often feel 'less than' other people, we go along with the idea that they somehow have the right to do this. The truth is, they do not have that right. . .and we should not concede it to them.

Goin4more,

Thank you. My wife read the letter to a concerned spouse, I didn't think to show that to others. Great idea.

Regards,
Tom