Susie,

My father is an alcoholic and his father was before him.... I suspect my mother also had a drinking problem, but she died at 69 years old 8 years ago, so I'll never know for sure. I do know that HER brother (my uncle) was a raging alcoholic, so even if she wasn't, it was on her side of the family, too. Anyway, even though alcoholism seems to run on both sides of my family, I am NOT an rapid responder. I've just completed my 7th full week of 100% compliance with TSM and I feel absolutely NO different. My initial desire to drink isn't different, my desire to continue drinking isn't different, the alcohol (wine, beer champagne, cocktails... you name it) doesn't taste different. The only thing different was the nal-over I suffered yesterday.

I over-drank on Wednesday night... normally when I have a hangover, it's mildly uncomfortable. Slight headache... just "off" feeling. Yesterday I literally did not get out of bed or off the couch. My head has NEVER hurt so bad, nausea, extremely tired. The thought of drinking was so off-putting I had an unintentional AF day.

So, long story short... I think Nal works differently on each of us. We just need to keep plugging along, following the golden rule and eventually it will happen for us, too!

MinneMom

Wow Minne, what a family! That must have been really hard on you growing up and even now. I can't even imagine...all my close family (except husband) has one or two drinks at most and then stops. But I looked at your weekly numbers and they have gone down a little, I guess it just takes time.
I wonder though, you said nothing has changed in your drinking, but do you still feel the same buzz or high?? Because I feel nothing - I can still feel drunk but there is no pleasure. You would think that would make me stop completely by now, but I guess habits just take time to break.
Have a good weekend.
Susie

Susie,

I have a very long ling of alcoholics on both sides of my family, and I was an average responder. I did read somewhere that alcoholic question came up to Sinclair, and he said just because alcoholism is not in your immediate family doesn't mean that you couldn't have the gene. For that gene could be in the family line somewhere, just like someone of a brown eyed family has a child with blue eyes. If someone never drank, but had the gene, that person would have never learned how to be an alcoholic. My great-grandfather was like that, for his father owned a pub and his father died of cirrhoses of the liver. My great-grandfather never touched alcohol and my grandmother only would drink 1/2 of beer with her fish during lent.

That habit is something that will take time. I had to challenge myself to make my brain realize I had control now and not the alcohol! It is like any habit it takes time to break, but the first step is to acknowledge that it is there.

Things have been going pretty good. The drinking seems to be levelling out. I don't seem to have the desire to chase the high anymore, but yet I still drink every day and too much at that! But, I do see progress. No more losing control or hangovers. I think the brain still needs some time to adjust to the fact that it won't get what it wants. Still early and I am still very hopeful.
Susie

Susie it sounds like it is starting to take effect. The numbers will go down and the AF days will come in time. Everyone is different but losing the desire and not losing control is usually the signs that you will just decide not to have a 4th or 5th drink soon. Then the excitement of seeing the results has a tendency to make you not even have the 2nd or 3rd. Hard to believe but true. Keep it up.

Susie,

That was my brain, for that "ah" feeling was gone, but my brain would encourage me to continue to drink and it was almost as if my brain refused to accept that "ah" moment was never going to come.

It takes time and I found that once I started challenging myself my brain caught on.

You will need to find "tricks" to help your brain to accept it, or you can just go with the flow in hopes that your brain will catch on (I got tired of the nal overs for they were wicked). Either way it will work just keep on with the compliance.

Jaba

Susie,

I wanted to asked if you are still drinking in the morning? If so, I dug up an old post and Dr. Eskapa had asked Sinclair about all day drinkers. Sinclair said that if they wake in the morning to take a pill and if they find themselves drinking longer or after 12 hours to take another dose for a booster (I think 1/2 of pill would to just as affective). I am unsure about the "science" about it, but it might have something to do with the 1/2 life of the nal.

(This is a suggestion and nothing more.)

Hi Jaba,
No I am no longer drinking in the morning which is good news. I haven't had a hangover in a few weeks and I'm not sure what the Nal over is. I have had horrible wicked hangovers which is what caused me to drink in the morning, but have not experienced worse ones on the Nal.

Susie,

I am happy to hear you are not drinking in the morning.

Nal overs for me were awful. I thought I would need to go to the E.R., for I had hot flashes, cold sweats, rapid heart rate, nausea etc (to name a few side effects). I haven't had one since I have kept my intake down, and it surprises me that others that drink heavy do not get them. Trust me you would not even think about drinking in the morning with one of those. It just goes to show you how we are all different.

I am glad TSM is working for you!

Jaba

Had a good last week, went on a short vacation from Saturday to today. Before the vacation, drank way too much and once in the a.m. without the Nal but then managed to have 3 days AF. Maybe it was the change of scenery.
Usually I get a huge trigger and craving for AL when I come back from a trip, don't know why but I didn't today. Only had to take the Nal on Sunday, cause I didn't drink Sat. or Monday or today! Also just realized my terrible heartburn is really aggravated by drinking. When I stopped just drinking for just one night, I didn't have it. I guess I am a very slow learner!
Susie

Suzie, that's great news. Sounds like you're "breaking the spell"!

Maybe you do learn it slow, but you learn it good! Keep on flexing your muscles and pushing back. Maybe slow down on the first few drinks, stretch them out and see if you get any backtalk. If the craving doesn't drive you, see if you can get on top of the habit and ride it, surf it, take the controls and make it do your bidding. If no, then try again a bit further down the line.

Nice that you had the 3 AF without the Nal, so you could get the reward and enjoyment of doing something pleasurable without the Nal blocking it. Xlnt strategy and very good example of using both sides of the Golden Rule to amplify the benefit. You nailed it!