Okay I will take it in the morning...I just had that golden rule in my head. I guess if I take it in the morning (at least for the time being) it will work all day. Thanks for your help, Jaba, sometimes I need to have someone to talk some sense into me!

Susie,

There is nothing embarrassing about being a morning drinker, for I think a lot of people do it...the hair of the dog or what not. It is just the nature of the beast. Alcoholism wants you to be embarrassed and self-loathing so it will have that hold on you. That is not what TSM is about. You have to drink like you normally do, so if you wake up in the morning and drink, just make sure you take your pill and wait that hour. The rest will follow!

I have witnessed it on air planes (7am flight) where I thought someone was going to a vacation, only to overhear them talking to a client and make plans for lunch. You are not alone, my dear!

Jaba

Okay, yesterday started a new week. I was going to go AF and almost made it but husband decided to get a bottle of brandy and I couldn't resist. Well, I could have, but didn't want to. I feel a lot more determined and hopeful now. I think the first week was exciting and novel and then the next 3 just got worse and worse. Trying to drink thru the Nal.
I had a stern talking to myself and am ready to get serious again.
I did notice that after the second drink of brandy last nite i got a desire to have a lot more. Have to drink more slowly so as not to lose control and then feel like **** the next morning.
Anyway, feeling like having an AF day today, it is about time to give the liver a rest!

Had a really bad headache this afternoon - another alcohol trigger for me is feeling bad. Took Nal and I bought a bottle of wine and took some ibuprofen. I drank the wine too quickly, finished it in about 3 hours and then had a craving for more so bought another bottle. Drank another two glasses.
Feeling rather disappointed with myself. I wanted to have an AF day. The only progress I see is that i didn't get any buzz off of the alcohol. I tell myself that this is just one more drinking session on the way to extinction. I have to believe that eventually I will break this habit (of over 25 years in the making!)

I d0 have one question, though, many people have mentioned that having a family history of alcoholism is important to success...I do not have that at all, does that mean i have a greater chance of failure??

Susie - just my own opinion but I do not think it matters if you have a family history of if you don't. If you are a binge drinker or if you are not. I think the Nal works because it does. It takes a while and the book saying a few months is unrealistic for most of us. You just need to hang in there and have faith that it will work eventually - it didn't happen over night and is not going to be sorted overnight. The main thing and I cannot stress it enough is to take the Nal AT LEAST an hour before you drink. EVERY TIME. That is the most important thing you can do .... the rest will follow.

Hugs, Maggie x

I think it has more to do with how fast you respond to TSM. I come from a long line of alcoholics and responded instantly to TSM. I'm not saying that's set in stone either I'm just one example but I have heard it on more then one occasion. The big thing is the chase. If you feel like one of the only reasons why you drink is because one drink always leads to another which leads to another and is out of your control then that's a good sign that TSM will work too. And it sounds to me like you do have that problem. Once you get the chase under control then you are left with all the other reasons why you drink, habit, anxiety, fear... what ever it may be. TSM cuts out that rat brain lever mechanism that tells you to keep pushing the button for your reward. That's the most important part but the rest of it has to be dealt with also and that is where mindfulness comes in.

Just keep at is Susie you have a long way to go but you will get there. Be patient and always always always follow the one hour rule.

Susie, the book states that unresponsive patients in the clinical trials a) did not have a family history of alcoholism b) had an aversion to sweet solutions

So the question is do you like frappes!?

Hang in there.

That is funny Bardo! I like frappes, milkshakes, etc, but I hate sweet coffee! Also, whenever I stop or cut down drinking, my sweet tooth comes back with a vengeance!
Ocean, thanks for your help - I do have that feeling of chasing or trying to get the high - eventually my brain will figure out that it isn't going to happen!

Susie:

Has the nal changed the feeling of that "chase" for you? It has for me. It is still there but not nearly as much fun as it was. making it easier for me to stop.

Hope this helps. xoxo Newlife