I have always thought that I drank so much because I was an alcoholic. From my first exposure to alcohol I have drank alcoholically. The first time, I drank until I was drunk and threw up. The second time I drank until I passed out. I drank because I was alcoholic.

The current thinking seems to be that we are alcoholic because we drank so much. If that is correct, then we drank too much too often before we had an alcoholic compulsion to do so.

SO:

If we drank too much before we had to, we are probably going to drink too much after we don't have to.

I am early into this, but I believe that we have to push ourselves if we want to achieve more rapid results. You want to quit or control your drinking? Take nal an hour before you drink. Eventually it will work. But it may take longer, and you might be able to drink thru the cure because of habit or other factors.

I believe that Drs. Eskapa and Sinclair have said that it matters more how often we take nal and drink than how much we drink after taking nal. If necessary will try to find quotes, but I believe that was the gist of the info.

SO:

Let's not be afraid to put some effort into the cure. As soon as we can stop after a couple, I think we should start trying. I believe it (TSM) will work without any effort, but to me it makes sense that it might take a lot longer than if we really take every opportunity to cut back.

Right now, I'm not pushing anything. But I think for me it might end up being Nal + Drinking + Effort = Cure.

I love all of you who share my struggle. I can't stand the thought of being alone in this. Thank you so much for being here.

Like you, I can vividly remember the endorphin rush the very first time I drank at age 14. I downed 2 40oz bottles of King Cobra, while my friends each had about a quarter bottle. I would find it extremely hard to believe that my drinking was induced by drinking....

Now, on the other hand, one of those friends that just sipped a little on that day is now, 20 years later, one of my most dependable drinking buddies, and struggles with it sometimes. In his case, he may have gradually developed the habit over an extended period. Maybe the root cause is different for different folks...

"Now, on the other hand, one of those friends that just sipped a little on that day is now, 20 years later, one of my most dependable drinking buddies, and struggles with it sometimes. In his case, he may have gradually developed the habit over an extended period."....
Yep, that's definitely me. I was a responsible drinker in high school (even if I did get drunk occasionally) and generally always in charge in college. Even if I liked drinking and overdid it like most 20 year olds, I rarely got out of control, did anything I regretted, etc...and I usually was the one taking care of friends and making sure no one drove. It's only once I got to grad school and starting living in a place with a huge bar culture (NYC) that I really took off with the drink. I'm not sure why, but my drinking was definitely progressive and I feel like if I had made some different choices earlier on I wouldn't be here now :/