Well, I just finished my first week. My first day on nal was closer to a previously "normal" day, but from there it has definitely gone down. 44 units this week and 1 AF day. Previously, a typical week would have been around 90-100 or as high as 120, so this is a huge difference for me. I feel really good and it was nice to feel what it must be like for normal people. Ultimately, my goal is to drink or not drink because I choose to, and not because I have to. I also need to lose some weight, which should be a LOT easier without all the added calories! Anyway, I think I'm off to a good start and I'm excited to see this thing through. Thanks for reading.

Sam,
Sounds like you are off to a great start. Nal plus drinking plus patience equals cure.

Eric

Well, it's been a while since I last posted. I've been taking the nal for about 5 weeks now and can say it's really working wonders for me. I had been dreading the end of the honeymoon period, but thus far I have not seen it. On some days I totally lose any urge to drink after taking the pill. I still will have at least one to reinforce the extinction, but it does feel like I'm forcing myself on those days. On others, I will have 2 beers and really just feel like I've had enough. A funny feeling that I still sort of smile at when I realize it. I've had two slip ups where I took the pill too late, or it wore off before I started drinking. Learning experiences, but not the end of the world.

I don't know if it's just a placebo effect, but I feel like my urge to drink overall has really diminished. I don't find myself looking ahead to 5:00 when I can go home and start drinking. When I do get the urge to drink, however slight, I take my nal and have maybe a few beers. The days I actually get drunk are social occasions and, to be honest, I don't really enjoy that as much as I used to. The social angle is something I'm going to have to figure out as I don't have any interest in going to the pub and getting **** faced any longer.

I've been pretty bad about keeping track, but I went back and looked at every beer I had last week (something I would never have been able to do before, too many to count!) and it was about 35 units. Before the nal I was easily doing at least 90 a week. I've gotta say, that I am shocked at how well this is working. I really feel like control is within my grasp. After all those times I tried to quit, cut back, moderate, distract myself, etc., and now, finally, I've found something that really works reliably and doesn't require super-human, masochistic self-discipline. It's a good feeling.

Thanks for reading.

thnak you for your post.My experience is similar to yours. The board seems to have more posts from struggling folks right now. It nice to read a happy post. It keeps me encouraged. thnak you

Very happy to read your post. You may be one of the lucky ones who beats this thing in just a few months. Thanks for sharing!!

Happy Thanksgiving all! It's that special time of year where I would normally start drinking champagne before lunch, scotch throughout the day, wine with dinner, and more scotch until I pass out. Then, I would wake up the next day regretting how much I had consumed, feeling weak and foolish. I would promise myself that I wouldn't drink for a few days, only to start drinking that afternoon. How predictable and cliche.

This year will be a challenge, but it will also be different, and I welcome the challenge. I feel good knowing that I can take my nal and that I can drink, even to excess, but that I don't have to. I guess that's what nal does for me. It gives me control over how much or even if I am going to drink. Here it is noon today and I haven't even thought of alcohol except to write this post.

So, here's to control; the thing we all strive for. I wish you all the best.

Two months and things are going great. What I love most about nal and TSM, is that for the first time in YEARS, I can say I woke up both Saturday and Sunday morning without even a trace of a hangover. Such a nice feeling to wake up actually feeling refreshed. It's made a difference for me at work too, especially the dreaded Monday morning. Used to be that each week I would start the work challenging myself to have a one or two days without drinking so I could go to work not feeling tired, foggy, or nauseous. Now I go to work and don't worry that people in the elevator can smell the booze on my breath. I don't sit at my desk counting down the hours until my hangover subsides. This week I had 24 units of alcohol and 2 AF days. I haven't been drunk in two weeks now. I used to drink ~100 units/week with 0 AF days, drunk every night. Naltrexone is working wonders for me and I can't wait to see where I'm at in another couple months. Thanks for reading.

That's very cool! And what a great time of year to have this "gift", as well as some help w/ the extra challenges that often accompany the holiday season.

Sam, your story and mine are very similar. Glad that it's working so well for you.

Well, it's been a while since I updated. I had a bit of an uptick in my drinking for a few weeks, but it seems to have subsided. I feel like I'm sort of plateaued at around 30 units/week. I'm not trying to quit drinking all together, but I'd like to see it a little lower. More AF days. I think at this point it boils down to lifestyle rather than addiction for me. I don't find myself thinking about or craving alcohol at all during the day, which is not something I could have said for many years. But, I live in the city and have an active social life that often brings me to the bar or over to friends places and that always involves some level of drinking. My wife and I bought a house recently and are moving to an area of the city that is a little less lively, so I think that will help a lot. We're also planning on having our first kid this year. I expect that will slow down the social scene quite a bit as well. All in all, I'm doing well. More room for improvement though, so gotta keep at it.