TTT,

I am glad you are checking in with us (we do worry), you are following the golden rule, and you are tracking your intake.

It sounds like you're heading in the right direction, so be proud of your progress!

Keep in touch,

Jaba

Tired of this, I really hope you keep following the golden rule and keep posting. It is absolutely essential to take the pill. I am so sad reading what you have been going through. PLEASE TAKE THE PILL. and feel better. Please keep posting. Newlife

Clarions words may sound harsh but they are accurate tiredofthis. I think you know that though. I was very secretive in my drinking too. I know now actually that I was very successful at it too though it was getting worse. My wife would occasionally find a bottle under the front seat of the truck or hidden somewhere in the house but I was an expert liar and could come up with all sorts of spins to get out of it. I must have been real good at hiding my drunkenness too. In fact one night when I got arrested for fighting at a bar and hauled of to jail I talked to the guard there for a good long while and convinced him I was not drunk. I was totally ripped by the way. He said he would let me free but had to go talk to the judge first. The judge came over on a TV screen and agreed with him but only if I took a breath test. LOL I failed that with flying colors and the cop was astonished. I slept the night in jail.

Anyway just last week my wife and I were talking about how much I was saving a week by not drinking so much. Still caught in my old sneaking ways I guess I said probably $50. She was shocked.. Really? Uh ok no actually probably more like $100/week easy. I just left it at 50. I'm trying to be honest still. I was drinking on average about 15 drinks per night. It's start drinking about 6PM and be pass out black out drunk my midnight. In the mornings I'd have to pretend I remembered about the conversations we had the night before too. I got real good at that as well. It's amazing what clues you can pick up on in people to extract a story out of them. Just a little bit of context here and there and you can put two and two together and get close enough.

But anyway I guess all I'm saying is that I was very secretive and sneaky myself. TSM has helped me get over that. I don't need to sneak it anymore. I think this is where mindfulness can be very helpful for you. Be straight up and honest with yourself and your family. Follow the golden rule and drink normally but not secretively.

TSM is probably the very best way to detox and get through any shaking and DT's or worse because it will gradually allow your body to get back to normal but you should most certainly have medical supervision for this process. Don't let them fool you into thinking that cold turkey is the only way to go. That's the draconian brutal way to go. But you can have all sorts of problems when you are used to drinking 20 units a night and then drastically reduce.

Good luck and follow that damn golden rule ok?

Tired of This, you got some good advice here. I just wanted to chime in and say that I am sorry you are having such a tough time and I am pulling for you. I don't feel a huge difference with the nal yet, I am on week 20, but there are some subtle differences. I think that working on moderation management and keeping track of the drinks, along with the nal have made a difference. I am drinking half of what I was when I started in May.

I always have my purse with me and I always have nal in my purse. I hope you get the keychain so you will always have nal with you.

Deena! You might be being a bit too tough on yourself. A little mind experiment:

Suppose you never heard of TSM, but last May you decided to finally put your foot down (I did that so many times I had to replace the floors...) and cut out all of this drinking crap.

Do you suppose that would have worked, and you'd be drinking half what you drank in May in October?

The natural progression is we drink ever more and more. Just treading water would be a major victory...

You cut your consumption in half.

Bravo!

I agree. That's huge.

HUGE !!

You are all so right; I am not giving the nal enough credit. I still feel the same when I drink and still have the desire to drink, but I am able to manage the moderation techniques when I never could before. Like Ocean, I was a secretive and sneaky drinker. I have not stayed up late to drink, have not hidden alcohol, have not tip-toed into the basement where the alcohol is kept for a secret shot in months. Clarion, you made a wonderful point. Alcoholics continue to get worse. I am getting better. Thank you nal, And thank you to all of you helping me see the big picture.

Thanks for replies everybody. Thanks ocean for the detailed reply. I'm on bad Internet connection now, but it's 11:15pm and it's been a while since I would be able to type this especially on a phone at this time of night. I've had less 10 drinks each day this week which is better than the past couple months. I increased dose of nal and it does seem like it made a difference.

Tired of This,

It does sound like things are getting better for, and I am happy to hear that.

When you say you have increased your dose, by how much? I was just wondering, for I cannot remember if you were taking 50 mg before, or not.

I am you are feeling a difference now that you have upped your dose.

Keep posting,

Jaba