Hi TSMers, well I've finally gotten to the point where I feel like I have wrestled control back over alcohol and not the other way around. My goal for TSM was never abstinence however I was stuck on the notion that I had to get to zero to declare myself. After much consideration I have decided that it isn't necessary for me and that i am content with my present level of alcohol consumption (10-15 wk/5AF) which is within safe drinking limits. Thats a far cry from 84+ (AU) units I used to pound week after week after week preTSM. My "big" nights are no longer so big and I often end up closer to sober than I do passed out. TSM has given me the freedom to chose to drink or not, how much to drink, how quickly to drink AND when to stop. My young children no longer say "there's daddy's shop" when they see a bottle shop. Don't get me wrong, things aren't perfect (life never is IMHO) but they're a damn sight better than this time last year when I crashed my car drunk and lost my license. I intend to keep posting weekly to see out the year. I would like to thank all those who posted support, encouragement and advice especially Nick, St V, Sticky, HG, 4abetterlife, Electralou, JDog, Ketchikan, Digetic, Yoga girl (who responded to my very first post) and many others. To those who may be starting TSM or contemplating starting, its a hairy ride but hang on because it can change your life (and your family's life) for the better even if you think your situation is hopeless (like i did). Finally, I would like to thank Dr David Sinclair for thinking outside the square and Dr Eskapa for putting it into words. Nal-on

Pre TSM 84+ AU units week (beer) 0 AF
Wk: 1 31 3AF Wk:2 54 3AF Wk: 3 62 2AF Wk: 4 51 2AF
Wk: 5 58 1AF Wk:6 20 3AF Wk: 7 41 3AF Wk: 8 61 2AF
Wk: 9 49 2AF Wk:10 49 2AF Wk:11 55 2AF Wk: 12 56 2AF
Wk:13 52 2AF Wk:14 49 2AF Wk:15 49 3AF Wk:16 61 2AF
Wk:17 37 4AF Wk:18 39 3AF Wk: 19 42 2AF Wk:20 39 3AF
Wk:21 41 3AF Wk:22 55 2AF Wk: 23 53 2AF Wk:24 51 2AF
Wk:25 46 3AF Wk:26 37 3AF Wk:27 38 3AF Wk:28 18 5AF
Wk:29 28 3AF Wk:30 10 5AF Wk:31 38 2AF Wk:32 44 2AF
Wk:33 24 3AF Wk:34 18 4AF Wk:35 21 5AF Wk:36 20 5AF
Wk:37 16 4AF Wk:38 35? 0AF (OS holidays) Wk:39 40+ 0AF (OS holidays)
Wk:40 21 4AF Wk:41 16 4AF Wk:42 16 5AF Declared regained control
Wk:43 12 5AF
Wk:44 12 5AF

This is great, inspiring news! Congrats!

Oh Warren!!!! This is FANTASTIC news!

When I finished reading your declaration I got chills all over my arms and face!!! That is my "truth" indicator and boy, what you wrote rang very true to me!

I am so happy for you and for your family. I remember saying to my mom, "Daddy's breath smells funny." That funny smell was rum, of course. So I can relate to how perceptive your children are when it comes to you and your drinking. Now your lack thereof!!!

I hope you will write Dr. Sinclair yourself, as I have, to thank him. I am sure he'd love to hear that he's helped another suffering alcoholic make his way back to the light. You can write him at david.sinclair@lightlake.fi

I am proud of you and wish you continued success!

But please don't abandon us! You will be a great inspiration to all who are making their way towards the place where you have arrived.

Nal on brother,

Ketchikan1

Love it Warren!!!
We started TSM in the same month last year. I have been rooting for you from day one. You can be safe in the knowledge now that you will never have life-disrupting problems with alcohol again. And the good news, it continues to get better for the next couple years. Nal-on! Spread the good news--the gospel of NAL.

congrats WJ!!!! you deserve it. Thank YOU for being such a diligent poster and so helpful to boot. I wish you continued success and all the best. I myself would ideally like to get to 10-14 units a week as well, with 3-4 AF days. I'm not THAT far but I still seem to have a night here and there that is way too heavy. I'm hoping I will get to where you are soon!

Congratulations!!!! That's awesome news!!! I hope you will continue to update for those of us behind you. It's good to see others finish and get their lives back!

Hi WJ,

CONGRATULATIONS! I am so happy for you and hope to join your ranks soon.

I want to thank you for being active on this site, posting your story for others, and for supporting me. You were one of the people that I found on this site that had a similar drinking pattern to mine, and your posting helped save me and my family as well.

I hope you will check in to the site and spread the word so that we can help save others. I myself had lost hope as well, and now I am back to loving and living my life with hope.

All the best to you!!

Congrats and thanks for the inspiration.

EoB

Congratulations and thanks for being an inspiration to me! Being at the start of week 14 and stuck at roughly 30 drinks a week with 4 AF free days I am a little discouraged. But, being a heavy drinker close to twenty years the process may take longer for me. I am praying I start turning the corner in the next 3-6 months.

In order to get my script for Nal I had to agree to see a alcohol counselor. I went for four visits and on the last visit she recommended intensive outpatient therapy. She wasn't to thrilled about the TSM and called it malarkey and dangerous. She described patients that have gone through the outpatient therapy as kind of "reborn" and after 5 months of treatment even wondered why they did alcohol, drugs or even cigarettes in the first place. That was quite a selling point to me. I have a feeling this program has worked for some ( maybe less addicted ) but reading all the posts on this site it seems to many have done all kind of other treatments only to suffer at the hands of the addiction industry.

Thanks to posts like yours I am sticking with TSM!

Great news! You did it! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.