Wow, this is fantastic progress. I hope it lasts for you. But don't be surprised if you spike up; if you do, it's just part of the TSM roller coaster ride.

Our theory on this board is the longer you've been drinking and the more you have consumed, the longer it takes for extinction to occur. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you and how long have you been a heavy drinker? If you are younger and haven't been drinking for years and years, maybe you are experiencing extinction.

Props to you for taking action early on. The most insidious thing about alcoholism is that it's so easy to fool yourself that you don't have a problem. You are fortunate you didn't waste so many years drinking. I wish I could go back in time and cuff my 28 year-old self in the head. Oh well, better late than never.

Yes, don't worry about drinking pattern at this point. Just keep taking your NAL and log your progress. Your patterns will be what they will be, but will not be a predictor of when you will be cured. Don't look for any significant progress for at least another 2-3 months. It may be 4 or 5 more months before you see any progress.

Along the way, the ride is apt to be REALLY bumpy. The key is staying positive and sticking with the golden rule. You do these two things, and you will absolutely beat your addiction.

Q

Wow, this is great progress! I haven't seen anyone on this board progress like this, but on the other hand, most of us are a lot older than you and have been addicted for much longer. I hope this is extinction but again, must warn you that it typically takes a lot longer than this to occur. The "honeymoon" is defined as the time we temporarily lose interest in drinking when we start TSM and our bodies have not yet adapted to the nal. Almost always it is followed by a resumption of drinking to pre-TSM levels (or more) once your body gets used to naltrexone. As I said before, just don't freak if your drinking spikes big time as progress under TSM is almost NEVER linear. But congratulations, this is tremendous progress and maybe we are seeing a new case study here -- the young guy who nipped his habit in the bud with TSM.

Hi AJ
Thanks for the graph- it really is helpful seeing progress in picture form. Just looking through your thread and seeing you are doing great- as the mother of a mid 20 year old who I fear may be heading in my direction with alcohol i am delighted to see that you have found TSM before too much damage is done. The same mid twenty something just landed in Oz last week for a year out and appears to be having a ball in Melbourne just now. Hopefully without too much alcohol involved.

LOL

AJ_, your progress is astonishing. I'm sure it's very very unusual that it's been so fast and is so dramatic, but is such encouragement about the power of Nal to change us. You must be over the moon.

This is fantastic! Six weeks would be one of the longest honeymoons on record, if not the longest. I'm starting to think that extinction works a whole lot faster for youngsters, which would be a fantastic thing! Congratulations.

I can only pray I'm 28, but I've been an alcoholic for eight years...we'll see.

Amen to that AJ!

8 years sounds like a lot because you are only 28. But, on a relative scale, 8 years is minimal. Most of us on this board have been drinking hard for 20 or 30 years, some a lot longer than that. Be glad you are nipping this at 28. I wish I could go back and cuff my 28 year-old self in the head... Oh well, better late than never.