A recent poster was asking what it should feel like when TSM is starting to work, so I thought I would share my experience, and ask others who have had success to share theirs. So, here are some signs I noticed when TSM really started working for me:

1) Alcohol tastes funny. At the time I think I called it "paint thinner". You just start to taste the chemicallyness of the alcohol in your drinks. You may still drink plenty of it, but it tastes weird. Also really strong.

2) Your thoughts are "clearer", and you start to notice when you are drunk. You're still drunk, and you're still having a good (or horrible) time, but there's a part of you that seems to notice, and maybe even tells you when its time to knock it off for the night.

3) Hangovers really, really start to suck. Even worse than normal, and on much less alcohol. Especially depressing thoughts, insecurity, insomnia. A wise man on this forum once said to let yourself experience every bit of that pain: it will help you remember what you do not want to do.

4) Related to #3 - you start to consider the consequences before drinking, and it actually influences your decision on how much you want to drink that night, if any.

I'm sure there's more, but thats all I got right now. Anyone else?

I experienced 1 and 2 of the above. Number 3 bypassed me to a large extent. I rarely get hangovers unless I really dog it. I still get the funny taste from alcohol from time to time especially with wine and it can physically disgust me. My sister was having a glass of wine one night and I could get the smell of it from across the room It smelled as if I had the glass right under my nose and was turning my stomach. Strangly enough I have never had a change of taste with beer.

Yeah, the other day I poured the remnants of a bottle of wine I never finished down the sink, and even though I rinsed it down, every time I walked by the sink I could still smell it. I just couldn't get it gone enough.

Wow Firebird - Thanks for that post. I am experiencing all of the things you mentioned and so your wise post helps me a lot. I had a drop in units last week and now this week I'm back up a bit so I was getting kind of discouraged again. Then, I pop on here and see your post and I know I'm right on track. Again, thanks so much for sticking around. Nick and you really help those of us who haven't made it yet.

Hopefully, I can do the same for someone on this board some day when I am cured.