Firebird, Don't worry or even think about it. Just keep on taking the Nal and rock and rolling along. Maybe try to see it as a special vitamin you take an hour before a drink then just do other things. I know it is difficult not to anticipate the future but try to just stay in the now. I don't want you to get cerebral about it. The Nal will do all the "headwork" for you. Cheers

FIREBIRD

I must continue plodding along and keeping my hopes up for you, and me, and all of our fine fellow NALcoholics.


HOPE YOUR MUSIC IS MIXING WELL

Thanks to Mabelee for a really cool idea. The chart really gives a sense of progress.



blue dots on the bottom are AF days

Mabelee, how did you get that line that shows the overall trend?

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Yes, and you also can see outliers, which can't be emphasized too strongly when we are dealing with averages. Thanks, mabelee

I use Excel Mac 2008, but I made the chart I posted in Google docs (I followed the link that you posted).

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very cool. I use Excel (Office 07), so I will try to do this as well. It will help me see my pattern of increased usage days over time and then I can try to see a pattern over a few months instead of just marking a highlighted stroke on my calendar. Like I do now.

When I first started TSM on April 4th, I had set July 4 as my own personal "Independence Day". I had pictured myself on a boat in Lake Union, surrounded by my friends waiting for the fireworks to start. I was going to have a drink in my hand, and maybe even a few drinks in reserve, because by then I was going to be in complete control of my drinking. It was no longer going to be an issue.

Obviously that scenario is not going to play out precisely the way I had imagined; although I feel I have made considerable progress in the 12 weeks I have been at it, I clearly have a ways to go before I can call myself "cured". I'll still be on my boat with a drink in my hand, but the complete control and confidence that my drinking problem days are behind me has not arrived yet.

I am far from discouraged, though. The improvement in my life that TSM has brought is astounding. In every area, from relationships, to health, to success at work I am beginning to feel relief from the weight that was previously dragging me down to the bottom of the ocean. When I started this I had some unrealistic expectations: total cure in3 months, bottom line! Of course that was a wishful reading of what the book actually said. My alcoholic mind chose the cheeriest possible scenario, and threw the rest out without consideration.

What I have learned from this is that it is important to begin TSM with realistic expectations, so that you aren't (wrongly) discouraged when real progress takes the full 4-6 months that seems to be the accepted standard.

In a week, on the 4th of July I will be celebrating the tremendous independence TSM has brought me thus far, and I will be toasting to the further betterment I know we all have to look forward to!

Cheers, friends