welcome to the forum and good luck to you. I think in your situation there is honestly relatively little risk in exploring TSM. I had never taken any meds before, and it has really changed my view of AL. I too believe if your spouse can read the book, it will really help her understand what it is about. again, it is a TOOL to help you control AL, not a magic bullet. there is work involved but it is VERY worth it. good luck to you.

I think Guapo has a point about making a plan and you need to think about your marriage, and that needs to be your top priority (along with getting in control) for there is a possibility you might do more damage to your marriage. That drive you have to drink is something that your wife does not understand and it sounds like she is fed up.

I think you need to write down a plan and try to stick to the best you can until you start having control.

I have some suggestion (PLEASE only think of them as suggestions):

Try to drink at home as much as possible. This will stop you from driving drunk. The nal will cause you to be more impaired when drinking over a certain amount (at least that was the case for me and I have read that it has happened to others)and you will drink less than normal when this happens.

Take a taxi to and from any place you are planning to drink. Arrange a town car or something like that to take you and pick you up and plan on leaving at certain time and try to stick to it (that will be easier said than done).

Try to stay away from strip clubs until you are in control. You will still need to expose yourself to them to extinct that part of your brain but why add the stress on your marriage at this point in time.

Start a log pre-nal for this will help you when you think things are getting worse (I have only heard of a couple people that did not have their intake increase after the honeymoon period), and most people never go back up to pre-nal intake.

Ask you wife for her input on any plan that she wants you to incorporate. If she is willing to put up with you until you have control, I think she should have a say in this.

I think you get the idea and you I think you can figure out a plan that will work for you that will not be that hard to attain (please think safety first when making this plan).

Once again this is not a quick fix, it does take work. Very few people took the pill, drank like they normally did and achieved control. I have read that you should drink like you normally do (meaning what triggers you drink), but try to keep your drinking in healthy limits (that was from the Options Saves Lives forum) which will be easier said than done.

You and your wife have a very long road a head of you, and I would like to see you achieve your goal without damaging your marriage.

Jaba

I made the decision yesterday to go ahead and purchase a 30 day supply of nal from All Day. I'm confident that my wife will support me on this journey so I went and got the ball rolling.

I think any objection I may face from her I can "gently" remind her of the amount of $$ I used to spend on my binges and we are less than $100 in an investment that could change my life and our relationship together.

Thanks all -

Escott,

I do wish you luck. And please remind you wife that after the honeymoon period your intake will increase. That was a scary time for me, and my husband and I were thinking it wasn't going to work.

We will be here if you need anything. Also if your wife wants to vent and/or needs advice please let her know there is a spouse section that she can post on.

Remember you are not alone in this!

Jaba

Nal is shipping this week from All Day.

Wife is still very hesitant, but reading thru the book over the weekend this method makes a lot of sense.

Can anyone advise on approximate shipping time(s) from All Day once the product has entered the shipping stage?

I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the process has moved forward.

Thanks -

I have gotten my nal from All Day Chemist from 10 to 14 days after my purchase was acknowledged. I live in Massachusetts.

I think it would be a huge help if you could get your wife to read the book. I think it will put her mind to ease a bit for I understand with all the AA brainwashing why she would be nervous.

Good Luck. I hope all goes well for you.

So my nal has shipped w/ an expected delivery date of next Friday.

I shared before that I binge drink, I do not typically have a drink daily. I tend to build up for about 4 weeks and then the madness ensues, usually for just 1 night.

It's very tough on my wife during these "instances".

How would the board recommend trying to integrate this new medication into my routine? Drink more often while my body adapts, all while trying to control my intake?

I am not confident that if I wait for my typical 4 week bender that anything is going to stop me.

Not sure if my situation is unique since I am not a daily drinker. I would like to be able to drink in social situations and not over do things. That is my ultimate goal as I don't think it is realistic to cut out alcohol for the rest of my life.

Thanks in advance -

Welcome,

Also have your wife watch Claudia's video "One Little Pill." I found it very helpful. It is so hard for the non addicted to understand how the addicted brain works. If it was only as easy as just saying no. Or you could be in my boat where my husband thinks it has something to do with letting sin into my life or the devil or something. He doesn't even know about my using NAL. Best of luck!

Escott,

I do hope that UK Blonde chimes in here for she was a binge drinker and can help you in this process. She is busy and tries her best to pop in and give advice when she can, but it is hard to reach everyone. So if she doesn't respond, try to post on a thread she has, or send her a pm asking for advice. OR start a new thread that states BINGER IN NEED OF ADVICE. OR you can reach out to the "options save lives" forum and/or email JoAnn on the website for one on one advice. She will respond to you promptly and she and some of the other moderators have become "alcoholic counsellors".

I think I have read on the "Options Saves Lives" forum is that you may want to drink daily when you start out (if I can find the thread I will post the link). I want to let you know I really didn't read that much into it, for I was not a binger but the topic intrigued. This will not be your norm, and the nal. may take away your desire for the nal. is used in alcohol therapy for abstinence, but you will need to drink a small amount of alcohol for extinction to happen. This will allow you to get use to the nal. and its side effects.

Please start out with 1/4-1/2 or pill for the side effects can be harsh, and keep posting,

Jaba

Here is that thread:
http://optionssavelives.freeforums.net/ ... new-couple

Welcome aboard Escott,

I think you have made the right decision to have the NAL on hand. Always take it one hour before you drink. SO if you are meeting a client after work at a bar make sure you plan for it an hour before so you do not arrive at the bar without taking your pill. Set your timer on your phone for an hour and start it as soon as you take the pill. At first it is a pain to wait - my first post was as I was waiting for the hour after taking my first pill. But after a while it becomes a habit. Buy one or two or even three of the little pill holders that go on a key chain and put one in your car, your wife's purse and on your key chain with at least one pill so you never get caught off guard. I can tell you that it has made a drastic difference in my drinking on a day to day basis and I am now working on keeping the wild week-ends under control. It does take awhile to kick to start taking effect in most people but it does kick in.

Good luck