Of course it might. "Cravings" are a very subjective thing. I would argue that a lot of people (most?) never even "feel" anything. I compared my own addiction to being a non-thinking robot. I just drove to the liquor store, bought the ****, and drank it. Day after day. Occasionally, I'd get a wild feeling like "I just got to have some." That would be a "craving."
In your situation, it sounds like you have a very dangerous drinking habit, both in terms of health and in terms of personal vulnerability (I assume you're a woman, which makes week-long blackouts especially troubling). Others might chime in, but it sounds like you might be a candidate for a controlled drinking session with Naltrexone. That is, find a friend and make it nearly impossible that you will go on a major bender. Take a pill, wait one hour, then have a drink or two or three and then stop. That would be one way to try out whether or not you're sensitive to Naltrexone. If Naltrexone "works" on you, it might just prevent these binges.
You'll often hear the debate about being an "alcoholic" (little a) versus an "Alcoholic" (Big A). Big A alcoholics, the argument goes, have a genetic predisposition not only to alcohol addiction, but to high tolerance and an extremely decreased self-control after getting started. You sound to me like a Big A type, especially the idea that one drink can send you off into a week-long blackout. Over time, if you persist in this pattern, the binges are likely to get more and more frequent, until your life is just a huge, alcohol-induced blur.
I would say that, in your case, full sobriety should be your goal. If you can't be sober on your own will-power, then for your sake, and the sake of your family and children, try Naltrexone one hour before you start drinking, and possibly 5-6 hours into each bender. This will require some self-discipline on your part, but you can do it.
_________________ 30+ Years of Compulsive, Secret Drinking Did TSM 1/13-6/13 and snapped the addiction Quit TSM and got re-addicted. Goal=No Al, No Nal
Jan = 0 Drinks, 31 AF Feb = 15 Drinks, 23 AF Mar = 0 Drinks, 31 AF April = 0 Drinks, 30 AF May = 0 Drinks, 31 AF
|