Hi, really nice to meet you all here, and I'm so grateful to benefit through your experiences with TSM. I've had a bit of a browse the last few weeks and the honesty and support so many people seem to offer here is inspiring.

I'm an English guy, living in a little village quite near London. I've always known I've drunk too much and more often than not haven't been able to stop myself drinking more than I planned to once I'd started. But, I never drank during the day - hated it! -and was always able to cut down if I really put my mind to it, so I'd managed to convince myself I was a 'heavy drinker' rather than an alcoholic (silly me, I now know!)

I've always drunk on stressful situations, but a particularly traumatic series of events last autumn led to my drinking escalating very quickly to 24/7. I knew there was a problem straightaway and had two private detoxes in quick succession. Both times I felt I'd beaten it when I left, and so of course I had two swift relapses!

With no more money to throw at expensive private detoxes I was forced to go through the National Health Service, and was horrified by the six week waiting list. By this time I wasn't able to physically hold down much food and was getting in a very, very bad way.

One day I stumbled upon TSM, and it all made so much sense to me I made enquiries with my doctors straight away. A dismissive 'oh there's not enough evidence for that' was all I got.

Not in a state to pursue things myself without help from my regular doctors, I struggled on. It took three months to get into an NHS unit, by which time I was in a perilous condition. (I dread to think how much damage my health suffered in those months, and just hope and pray I'll recover with time.)

So, here I am three weeks after leaving. I've read about half the book, browsed here as I said (and been fascinated by the experiences you've been kind enough to share). My interest in TSM has just grown and grown.

The downside for me (other than the difficulty in finding someone to prescribe the Nal here in the UK, of course) is that I've now been abstinent for a month, and am attending an abstinence-based recovery programme. I haven't had any trouble following the regime so far, am still on anti-craving tablets which seem to help a lot, and am learning a lot of useful life skills from the excellent leaders on the course.

I'm fully aware that TSM isn't recommended for those who have had a period of abstinence, and that no doctor should or could recommend an alcoholic in 'recovery' to start drinking again, but my interest in TSM isn't diminished.

Everything in the book makes perfect sense; that I have both the genetic tendency as well as the learned behaviour that makes me a lifelong alcoholic, that I have no control over my drinking, that the huge majority who follow the abstinence-based lifestyle will eventually relapse, often fatally, eventually - I must be as pro-active in this as possible.

I know I will be strongly tempted to drink again. In fact I'd say that I am 99.9% sure I will do so at some point in my life, despite being scared stiff at what will happen to me if I should. I am not trying to make myself a loophole through which to return to my bad old ways - in fact I absolutely hate drink at the present time for what it did to me. I am determined to remain abstinent throughout the programme I am on to rebuild my health, and for as long after it ends as is possible. But the programme has only two months left, after that I'll be on my own in a sense, and I cannot take anti-craving medication forever. I need to be prepared for the future.

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to seeing you round the forum, and hopefully reading many more of your success stories and any of the priceless details of your recoveries that you feel able to share.

My gosh 8 - what a story. One many of us share, in one way or t'uther.

Get your Naltrexone. . .by script, or over the internet. NOW. Consider it your 'lifeboat.' You don't WANT the ship to take on water, or sink. BUT. You know there's a design flaw, and it not only might happen, but probably will.

So, IF/WHEN you are tempted to drink again - take a big sigh of relief. Know that your journey is only starting. You'll have many experiences similar to ours. (Disappointment. Wanting faster results. Wishing you'd never been born with this tendency to drink. Etc., etc.) But all you have to do is follow the golden rule: take the Naltrexone 1 hour prior to drinking. And trust for the best.

You're in good company. Welcome.

Welcome to our forum, our method, our world.

I am just a member, but we all have something to offer.

I am curious about what the "anti-craving tablets" are, that you are taking. Can you elaborate?

Regarding The Sinclair Method (TSM), Certainly do not consciously start it, if you are currently abstinent!

However, I would get a prescription for Naltrexone, fill it, and keep it handy for your virtually inevitable relapse. Not to say you, or anyone for that matter, is weak and will relapse, but that is part or the reality of alcoholism. Personally, I think I'm at about two dozen relapses in five years.

If you have the Naltrexone available when the "inevitable" occurs, take it, and white knuckle it for an hour, then drink. From then on follow TSM methodology. In 3 to 6 months you'll be cured.

You've come to right place friend. We are here for you. And you are here to help us too.

Bob

Thanks so much for the hearty welcome guys and the excellent advice.

(Thanks also for no doubt struggling through my lengthy intro, did I really write all that?!! hehe)

A great analogy Goin4More, that's exactly how I feel. The conundrum's been whether to try to get some Nal now or to wait. On the one hand I don't want to risk undermining my motivation for my abstinence course (whatever the long-term success rate, I know it's doing me a lot of good right now). On the other, while I detest drink atm, even the thought of it making me feel sick, who knows how I'll feel in weeks or a month or two? I also have issues with panic and anxiety, and when these are doubled up with really stressful events the urge to calm a little with drink is uncontrollable. This could pop up at any time, and the problem comes because once I start drinking it's very, very hard for me to stop.

My gut feeling on balance right now is to try to get the Nal at hand for whenever it might be needed. I have a lot of research to do to achieve this. It's not available on the NHS here, and my private psychiatrist who could have prescribed it dismissed my interest in TSM. I've read here that the River Pharmacy (??) takes online orders in the US, but I can't find anywhere similar in the UK as yet. The search continues.

Bob, excellent advice too, thanks. I won't start drinking again just to try TSM, definitely not, but temptation, and probably a lot of it, lies ahead at some point, it's certain. The anti-craving medication is Campral (2x 333mg, three times a day), and it seems to have been helping with the cravings as I've had no really bad ones in four weeks completely sober. The statistics for it don't look great over even the medium term, unfortunately. Many here will probably know it already, but here's one link I found for anyone else:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_the_doc ... pral.shtml

I've been drinking about 100 UK units a week for the last couple of years, and up to 35 a day in the last six months btw. My aim (really just a dream right now) is to one day be cured of my alcoholic nature, and to lead a life of very moderate drinking or near-abstinence.

Welcome 8, and hi from California!

I'm glad you found us, this is a terrific group of very supportive people.
It's nice to have you with us.

Not to throw a wet blanket on your meds, but I took Campral for over a year and a half and was able to stay sober for 60 to 80 days before relapsing, again and again. My psychiatrist decided that it does not do anything for me, so he put my on the "next best" med: Naltrexone. So then I could start my journey with the proven opiate receptor blocker, Naltrexone, which I wanted in the first place. Good riddance to Campral. "They" don't even know how the drug even works!

Bob

Welcome Eight! I wish you the best success with whichever way you decide to go. I would try to get the Naltrexone but not think of it as a license to drink. I have had very good success with this method. There are really great supportive people on this site and I am certian that they will embrace you regarding your questions. The UK is a different health care system but I believe it is similar to Canada in which you just need to find the right doctor and tell them that you want it for anti-craving. Then they will perscribe it. I hope that is a possibility for you and that you are able to get it. There is online but I am not aware of River Pharmacy or other's overseas shipping policies. Best of luck. Hope to hear from you soon.

If this is really your goal, then your only alternative is to get the Naltrexone. You will NEVER be a moderate or 'near-abstinent' drinker on your own, without the help of a moderation medication.

Truth is, almost every alkie in the world really WANTS to be able to drink, and to do so moderately. Until now, that was a pie in the sky dream. But, not any longer. . .

Hi 8,

I would also like to welcome you aboard. It's great to see more Brits joining this community as it means the word's getting out in old Blighty.

You'll find a wealth of information on this site so dig in.

All the best,

V.