OK, it looks like we're giving you your fun back. I was trying (inartfully) to say that I thought you were reading too much into the data by using it as a predictor of where you "should" be.

I think you are absolutely right that the WHOLE POINT of your situation is that you are IN CONTROL of whether, when, why and how much you drink. I can't wait to be there with you.

I think your setting targets is a lot like Elfern's idea of choosing abstinence. I'm sure many of Sinnclair's subjects did not simply fade away from drinking into abstinence; I'm sure many used their newly regained control to choose to resist the now-weakened desire for alcohol and actively choose abstinence.

As one who remains a slave to her cravings, I look forward to the day when I have some say in the matter.

~Q~

The graphs from Sinclairs work are availabe on t'internet. There are also a number of free packages available that allow you to convert graphs into numbers - so we could use one of those to experiment with the regression.

If I find the time (and inclination!) this week I'll have a look at it



Bob - I say go for your targets. And if you decided to drink Guinness while standing on your head on your lawnmower, then I want proof!

I don't know why I'm dragging my feet in saying I'm cured. I guess I don't believe it yet. I must be waiting for some trauma to occur to see how I will react.

Yesterday, I planned a drinking night for extinction purposes and I was actually looking forward to see if I could limit my consumption to 3 units. I had trouble drinking the first. When I finished it, I reluctantly started a second and finally had to put it away, because I didn't want any more. Eventually, I forced myself to finish the second unit and started a third and even that was difficult. I stayed "finished" at 3 units for a while and then got to thinking whether one more would free up my desire to drink. It did not. It was all I could do to finish it and I even washed out my mouth with another beverage to get rid of the alcohol taste. My conclusion for the evening is if you don't feel like drinking, then don't drink. Forcing yourself to drink for TSM medicinal purposes just makes you dislike the drink just as much as any unpalatable medicinal product.

Bob

Bob,

I'm feeling the same way about AL at this point. I'm on AF day number 4 right now and going out to dinner tonight with my wife and some friends. The thought of drinking wine with dinner right now has no appeal what so ever to me.

It is so incredibly strange to feel this way about AL after having such a love for it for so long isn't it?

Q

Man, I get so excited listening into this chat between "the cured." I'm not there yet but do see "hints of the future" -- the thought of going out for a couple after work holds zero allure for me now -- I used to get so excited just THINKING about it. That feeling is gone. It is a great thing, I can't wait for the complete cure.

Bob and Q,

It really is inspiring to hear about being cured - I'm so glad you're both here to show us all that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. Congratulations!

I just noticed that Bob's weekly progress thread is one of the most, if not the most, popular thread on the board. I'm sure the Polynomial contraversery contributed to this, but I think it is mostly do to positive outcomes being discussed here.

It is amazing to see the cure becoming reality for us here. I recall just weeks after this forum came into existence several of us scouring the internet for stories or some first hand account from someone who had completed TSM beyond what was in Dr. Eskapa's book. We all wanted to ask these people: What is it like, what can we expect, Is what we are going through normal, etc, etc.

Now there are several of us here who can answer these questions and more are to come! I feel like in the coming weeks, we are going to have a flood of people saying they are cured.

Q

Thanks folks for all your comments.

The ones who have not made it yet, will eventually. The cure creeps up out of the shadows and boom, you suddenly have control. Further treatments and time give you more and more confidence and an ambivalence toward alcoholic beverages.

I hesitated in stating that I am cured for a number of reasons, but there is no denying the declining numbers, the persistent lack of cravings, and the realization of complete control over when I drink and moderate control of how much I drink. Today, my wife said she thinks that I have beaten my alcoholism and then cautioned me that "just because you're cured doesn't mean you can drink at some time in the future without your Naltrexone", which was kind of cute because we all know that fact here.

Based on the above facts, after 4 months and 25 days, I am now willing to state that: I have been cured of my alcoholism.

I now pronounce myself happy! TSM worked.
Naltrexone + Drinking = Cure

Thank you Dr. Sinclair for the research.
Thank you Dr. Eskapa for the book.
Thank you N101CS for the TSM forum.
Thank you lena and recently nick for the inspired moderating.
Thank you happy4once, Q, potato, and SpringerRider for being an example here of what it is like to be cured.
Thank you WTE, Kris, houtx, G4M, elfern, bamabeachin, ART, LaBear, cessation, craving, soberwithin, calikime, Firebird, soulbythesea, Providence, Virgil, Christy, Virginia, 1-4-the-road, PlainVanilla for commenting and encouraging me on my weekly progress thread (the order of the names is a chronological list of when you first commented on my thread).
I could not have reached the goal without all of you!

Thank you all!!!

Bob

Bob, this is wonderful. I am so happy for you and hope to follow as a fellow benzo user this is absolutely the best news ever! Hope that Dr. Eskapa hears about this too.

Thanks, LaBear!

I guess I forgot to mention that I have been only taking a minimal Benzo dosage for the last 45 days of just 2.5mg Valium per day. That may have helped in the extinction process, but I'll never know.

Bob