Hapful -- Would you be willing to try to persuade your friend to be a member of this community, tell his story, be added to the Cured list, encourage others occasionally? It would mean a great deal to us all.

I put a link to a great, free CBT online program in a few posts. It's called moodgym.

Not to say this is an integral part of TSM; Sinclair is fond of pointing out that he tried counseling his rats but they didn't listen to a damn word he said. But the rats probably didn't go through messy divorces, face financial difficulties, etc. either.

Hi Lena,

In fact thats what I asked him to do. He hasn't responded as of late. But I asked him to join our community or atleast send me his story to post. He was so full of information. And he has such a great story. I will continue to prompt him.

I know that TSM doesnt call for any additional aids beyond Nal + Drink= Cure...but as you stated, rats don't have bills, complicated relationships, boredom, lonliness or a huge compulsion to achieve. But the way I see it, anything that can make us better in all aspects of our lives is good. Many of the problems, we as alcoholics have been created because we are alcoholics, but some of the problems are what made us turn to the drink for the escape. So by working on those other aspects of our lives, beyond getting cured, who knows, we may come out of this much stronger and better than we could ever anticipate.

Not trying to complicate things, just thought a friendly reminder that while we are getting cured, we can also work on other aspects of our lives. Fill that void after AL.

2 cents....

I agree. That was my point. That's why I mentioned moodgym.

Thanks for generously recruiting your friend; I hope he takes you up on it. At one point folks here were starving for success stories until we finally got some of our own.

Yes Hapful! It's funny, I was just reading your posts about your friend on Nmarie's thread about her boyfriend. I was about to write you too to get your friend to come forward. Three years in! I cannot tell you how uplifting that is for me, who has been kindof an Eyeore recently.

PLEASE ask him to post! FIND HIM!! :-)

After reading somthing about having a margaritta at a Mexican restaurant... I pictured my wife and I going out to have a drink. I pictured us at a beach side locale, under and umbrella on the outside part of the restaurant sipping. This triggered somthing and made me want to go out and have a drink.

So we did.

The last session I had 5 drinks. And ultimately ended up being fine with that. I gave into my habit that night to have that 5th, but didnt follow through all the way.

So last night, we went out, sat at the bar. Watched some pre season NFL. During this sitting, I had 4 beers. One of the beers wasnt even full strength. So ill say 3.75 beers.

I was fine with that number. I felt the buzz. When my wife asked if we should go, I said yah I think so. I didnt oppose her in anway to stay for another drink. I was simply done.

We had a warm pastrami on rye while at the bar too. It tasted awesome. I think Im starting to gain weight with all this extra beer drinking sessions combined with food.

Anyway. I cant remember the last time I only had 4 beers and was fine with that. Habbit kept saying "shouldnt we have another beer?" Body and brain kept saying "we are feeling this AL, we are done, we dont want to have a hangover."

Here are my thoughts, and Im sure they have come across other people's minds too:

Drinking sessions are not as fun anymore. In fact, I wondered why I even wanted to do that after. Im left wondering if Ill ever have fun drinking again. A beasty thought props up and pictures an occasion of drinking without Nal just to try and have fun again. (I will never do this ofcourse). Thinking back, maybe I did have fun, just not the same feeling of fun.

Anyway, woke up today, no hangover. Still had to drag myself out of bed. I had a great sleep it seems like. But once I was up, it was like an energy switch flipped on. Energetic and highly motivated to get some things done.

From day one, my wife has noticed significant changes in my behavior and intake. She couldnt be more pleased. Last night was the best yet. Im almost into my 4th week, is this the honeymoon period? Or somthing new? Unless I suddenly get my pre TSM tolerance level back, I will never be able to drink as much as I used to.

My wife is getting comments like, "wow hapful is mellow" and (during AF time) "hapful seems really happy and outgoing, whats up?"

Im a bit embarrassed to admit this but, when we got home Mamma Mia was on. I saw the show in Vegas and it was great. But...my thoughts were each time after seeing the show in Vegas and the movie last night....I didnt realize that ABBA had so many hits! and....I didnt realize how many ABBA songs I knew all the words to (every song on there)!!! What does this say about me???

If any of the above seems negative in anyway, it couldn't be furthest from the truth. TSM is working for me, plain and simple. If this trend continues I foresee a quicker than expected recovery. However, I will not let it get me down if the best case scenario does not happen, because I know in time I will be cured. When? It doesnt matter. The simple fact that someday I will be cured is consolation enough at this point.
(I feel like I missed somthing lol)

Am I glimpsing what is to come?

Last night a huge trigger came about. I dont normally drink alone, and I normally dont drink around my parents. My wife decided to go out with some friends. To me she knew what she was doing all day. But failed to mention it to me until right before she left. This kinda PO'd me because, I think I was feeling left out. And my beast says, any opportunity to drink if fine by him. Anyway, I wouldnt have had such a reaction if I knew she was going out. Oh well...deal with it. I found myself thinking, ok I can play that game, who can I go out with? lol As it turns out, no one.

So I ended up taking my Nal a bit later in the evening about 8pm. Waited, played with the kids....I forgot about having a drink. Then hour and a half later roughly, I said, oh man, I have to drink! So there was a quarter bottle of wine in the garage fridge.

To get to the point. I ended up drinking 1.5 glasses. The .5 glass I really didnt want. I found myself not caring to have any more. In fact I was fine with 1 glass. The urge to continue was a faint cry in the distance easily drowned out by my TV. In fact I didnt even tell my wife I had some wine. She didnt even notice. It was business as usual as far as she was concerned.

Monday night, I had 4 beers and that was enough. Last night 1.5 glasses and Im fine. Im quite pleased with this new turn of events, and hope this trend continues. Is this the honeymoon ocurring 3 weeks in to TSM?

Like I said before, my tolerance level will not allow me to drink like I used to. Its basically all about hangover preventative maintenance at this point.

Thoughts?

Tough to say Hap. True extinction takes months according to Eskapa so this could still be just your body not liking alcohol while on the nal and could be temporary. On the other hand, AJ seems to have experienced true extinction in very short order. And, most honeymoons seem to end relatively quickly -- after a few weeks typically, if not sooner. So, it's tough to say. Just enjoy the fact you have little interest in alcohol, watch highlights of Ortin throwing three more picks, and enjoy life. And if your drinking spikes, you know it's nothing to worry about and just part of the process.

Sincerely,

Brett Favre of the soon-to-be NFC Champs

Well this certainly could make my drinking spike! However, Cutler's first outting was nothing short of unimpressive.

Favre returning to football is exciting to say the least. To me he is the last of the Titans, until maybe Petyon and Brady move on further. (They are the new teen Titans lol) What makes his return more fun, is he is returning to long time rival of GB. Ha ha!

Anyway, Im not getting over excited, its just that all this is so new, Im left wondering if this is the start of the honeymoon or what. Am I getting a glimpse of what will come? I know there are many more triggers to extinguish. Ill approach it like "Duck Hunt", ooh theres one, pow! gone.

I looked back at my drinking history. While my late teens and early twenties was full of binging, it was more like a long college party. But my drinking actually led me to drugs...this is what started to really send me downhill fast. I stayed "clean" long enough to join the Air Force. Since then I have not touched drugs. But...what I think happend is, in searching for that "high" my drinking consumption levels elevated to extreme peaks. I ultimately got in alot of trouble because of too many "alcohol related" incidents and was sent on a little vacation to start "recovery". This is what led me to my 11 year sober binge.

So really, my history of uncontrollable bingeing would really only be about 3 years at most. 3 years of heavy reinforcement of a habit. (is that all???) Who knows what will happen. All I know is, Im getting some very desirable results right now. Whaever happens, I already know TSM is working, so thats a comfort Ill have to take with me through any trials and tribulations that come about during this journey.

BTW, it seems to me that Simms looked better than Orton, so far. Also, keep in mind, philly just got Vick, who knows what havoc putting him in the line up will cause an unweary D.

Doesn't look like the Broncos will get to beat the Vikes this year, as they are not on our schedule.

I forgot you had 11 years sober and have "only" been boozing heavily for three years. That means you might fit a profile closer to our young friend AJ, who at 27, hasn't been boozing so long and seems to be experiencing extinction quite rapidly. Maybe this is extinction! Wouldn't that be fantastic! And while you are at it, you should also extinguish any fantasies about your ball boy-led Broncos coming close to kissing the shoe covers of AP and Favre. Philly has a questionable offensive line and the Vikings almost beat them last year with the worst QB in the league and no Percy Harvin. So, I have no fear of Philly whatsoever, with or without the dog killer. Brett+Harvin=CURE FOR BORING VIKINGS OFFENSE. To quote Randy Moss, "Super Bowl Homeboy!"

LM*O!



Dang.... good one. I know there is a statute of limitations on whitty retorts, so ill have to concede on this one and hope for quicker thinking in the future. That one was just too good. Im still laughing.

I can't bring myself to bash Favre, even though he is just around the corner from using a walker. Isn't Moss catching TDs for Brady now?

Signed,

Old men in uniforms.