Hey Skylar,

Did the nal show up? Are you all out? I'd recommend trying to save ALL of them and go AF starting today as long as you can... It will probably be easier to go AF with the knowledge that you have your safety net there for you.

Have you thought about trying to take down the ABV of your bevvies? I have had a lot of success on nal by kicking the hard A, like you, but also by replacing ale and wine with a low gravity beer. Miller 64 - basically water. Something like 3% ABV. For me, these days, it seems that a lot of it is in the ritual/routine. Miller 64 with a lime wedge takes the edge off, satisfies the routine, and leaves me with no hangover.

Just a thought. Good luck Sky!

Hi generic,
Sorry it's taken me so long to answer, I've been away. Drinking Steel Reserve (# of cans) is how I keep track of how much I drink (me bad at math), if I were to start drinking something different, I'd lose track of my progress (2 cans vs 4 cans a night). Though, admittedly, I do drink other stuff (hard stuff, good beer) ever so often.

I've been away because I was getting a bit frustrated with my own progress and I didn't want to become a whiner here, but, I still stuck with it. And I'm seeing progress again. I'm actually starting (just starting) to get AF days in. I think my next hurdles is boredom from not drinking (which is getting a teensy bit better now) and the one after that is my physical addiction to alcohol. Boy does not drinking put me in a bad mood.

For those out there who love the hard stuff, try drinking the crappy hard stuff. The ones that give you a bad buzz and a worse hangover the next morning. One of many reasons I have been able to get AF days in is because the hangover from a Steel Reserve (hangover bad) becomes less and less worth it to me now that I don't get the benefits (so to speak) of the rush from drinking alcohol. So, if you're already taking Nal and you're (for instance) a vodka lover, put away the Grey Goose and pour yourself some Vodka of the Gods instead.

I'm out of Nal. Should have a shipment this week. I kinda wanted this to happen. Lets see how I do without the sauce.

So far, so good. I think the most telling thing is my low level of anxiety in regards to when my next shipment comes. In days past, it'd be all I think about. In fact, part of me kinda hopes it takes it's own sweet time, because once it gets here, I'm afraid I'm going to pop a pill and start drinking.

I'm marking the days, today is another. I'm not going to count them, that reminds me too much of AA and I abhorr AA. I started smoking 5 years ago and quit 3 years ago at the request of my now wife. I was on the patch and even so I thought often of having a cigarette, I was getting my nicotine fix but the habit I acquired still drove me to think about smoking everyday. I, reservedly, think I'm there now with drinking. I say reservedly because I don't know how I'd feel if I had a nal, what I'm going to do when my next nal shipment arrives. I do know that there are two 24 ounce cans of Steel Reserves in my fridge right now and, sometimes, I'll even forget that they are there. I'll take that as a step towards success. I feel good, a good nights sleep still eludes me but physically I'm feeling better than I have in a long time. A major concern of mine is when and if I do still decide (need?) to drink again. I've always been a binge drinker, I'm better at not having to have a drink, being driven to have a 24oz can of Steel Reserves, but when I do so again, will I have a overwhelming desire to suck it down as fast as I can?

River pharmacy has been having problems. Looks like I'm going to be sober for a few weeks.

Another day. I've always seen this treatment as Pavlov's experiment with the dog where I'm the dog. That being said, I'm certainly salivating less than before.

Keep it up! A long dry out might give you some fresh perspective when you start again when your nal arrives

Thanks for the encouragement, generic.

I'm definitely going through alcohol withdrawal. I'm going to sit out 10 days no matter what, completely detox and do an assessment on where I'm at in the journey.

Hi Sky, I just read through your thread. It is encouraging to see that the initial SE's went away fairly quickly. Wow, 2.5 Nals in one day and you didn't get sick! This gives me hope. I've been a bit of a chicken s#$t with the Nal and am now encouraged by your posts. I do hope the next few days find you AF, but if not don't fret. Reading through these posts proves that this journey is anything but smooth. Keep up the good work! Keek