Well, once again I over-did it last night. Figured I'd have only 3 or 4 beers and then call it a night. 3 hours and 7 beers later I finished. No excuses. I wasn't at my usual watering hole and there was no one there to talk to even, other than the bartender. Why, after 6 weeks great progress, I have suddenly resumed my pre-Nal levels of drinking is a mystery. Although, it seems to be a common one and I've been encouraged to just keep going with the Nal and of course the golden rule (Always take Nal at least one hour before drinking). Indeed I will.

Tonight, however, I'm going to try something different. I've notice over the past week that my craving for the booze has been quite low. I could have taken it or left it...I think...but I chose to take it because I didn't want to stay at home alone and because I know that Nal + drinking = gradual extinction. Well, my best friend is not back in town for another 4 or 5 days. So, I'm going to suck it up and take this opportunity to try to not drink at all for the next few days until my friend is back. If Gotthegene can do it, plus lots of others here on this forum, then I can too. Six weeks ago, I wouldn't be able to do this. My craving has significantly reduced, however, so now I think that I can....I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...(The Little Engine that Could--and did).

Will let you know how it goes. Blessings to you all.

Dab, I hope the abstinence night is working out for you. You could try going to a movie instead of the pub, perhaps. I know it's really hard. I'm 9 days AF and still feel very odd not drinking.

It's easier to abstain these days and I don't really have cravings but I do still feel something is missing. My head is also very clear which is something new.

Good luck!

hey dabs and gotth my craving is down to (i think). i feel the obsession went away as well. one thing for sure is that the little guy in my head bugging me to drink is gone. but just like Gotthegene said "i feel like something is missing" this was my biggest concern i always had. i been drinking for so long,that it has became part of my life." NOW WHAT DO I DO" i know i need to break the habit and start the change in my life. i just cant believe that when i emailed dr. escapa, and asked him that in all the trials that were done wasn't breaking the habit a issue.he said that after 3 to 4 months they simply just didn't want to drink. im mean is it just me with this issue. i know i shouldn't get greedy. tsm helped me with a huge head start. i guess now its time for me to do my part. i decided to start monday and see what happens. at least one thing i know is that before tsm i would of been very nervous with the thought of not drinking.good luck dabs. gottegne keep up with the af days.

Thanks folks. I agree its difficult to figure out what to do instead of drinking, especially if it's been our routine for many years. I have lot's of hobbies, so having something to do is not a problem, but making the change from evenings at the pubs or just drinking at home is difficult. I really enjoy getting out in the evenings because I live and work in the same place (property management) AND I live alone, but I think I will try taking my computer to a couple nice coffee shops that are around here and see how that goes. Catching the occasional movie sounds good too. Maybe I'll even start doing some dating (!)...we'll see.

It's simply a matter of changing long-held habits, but like most, easier said than done. Being free from the bondage of alcoholism makes it all worth it though.

So, I have successfully abstained from drinking tonight! Day one under my belt! Lot's more to follow, I plan, I hope.

Y'all take care.

Day 1 AF....that's awesome Dab!!!

I am very happy to report that this week I put in two day's alcohol free. It took a bit of effort and old-fashioned will-power, but I did it. That will-power is something that AA say's is impossible to muster. They even say, "Any drunk can stay sober for a year"! Any drunk might be able to stay sober for a year, but WE are not your typical AA "drunks". Were it not for the Naltrexone, THIS drunk could not have felt comfortable and happy to decide three nights ago to have nothing to drink for the last two nights. My craving level that night was to a point where I could quite easily decide to not drink for a couple of days. There was no "white-knuckling it" involved...I simply didn't want to drink, and so I didn't. The Naltrexone and the Sinclair Method gave that to me, for which I am so grateful.

Being completely sober (after 36 to 48 hours) is a new experience for someone like me who has been drinking every day for 30 years! Today, I had my first full experience of being what AA calls, a "Dry drunk". Although perfectly sober, I felt as if I was intoxicated. Yesterday and today were NOT fun. I was uncoordinated, my memory was shot, I had trouble concentrating....but all of it was because my body and brain was trying to adjust to not having the alcohol in there. I looked it up online today...in my case it's called "PAW"....post-acute withdrawal....and it can last for several weeks. A small price to pay for otherwise letting the booze slowly and surely destroy my entire being.

Thanks for being here folks. The Sinclair Method is not an easy road to take. It takes a lot of discipline to always take the Nal before drinking. But if you can adhere to the Golden Rule and stick with it...it does work...at least it has for me. I'm only 7 weeks in to this....but compared to where I was 7 weeks ago, I'm comfortably back to about the level of drinking that I was at FIFTEEN years ago. That to me is a miracle. If in the next 7 weeks I can stop drinking altogether, the miracle will be even greater. I'm looking forward to that. Thank you to Dr. Sinclair and to Dr. Escapa for sharing this.

Y'all take care.

I wish you good luck. It is more of a question of habbit if you are in beer drinking. I was 11 yeras in beer drinking. It took me 20 days to quit beer once I went on Nal. For one week, it was a question of will power after that I sailed smoothly. Now I have been sober for almost more than 13 months. The same goes for smoking. Now 74 days smoke free. Please surrender to GOD and everything will be fine.

May GOD bless you all.

...

Thanks for your kind words and spirit Hello....in fact, I surrendered to God quite some time ago while i was still active in AA. Unfortunately, despite my surrender, everything was not fine. In fact, my alcoholism still continued to get worse. But perhaps in the end it was God who brought the Naltrexone into my life....helping me....to help myself.

Thank God!
Cheers.

perhaps in the end it was God who brought the Naltrexone into my life....helping me....to help myself.
perfectly worded i prayed eveyday to God,when i was in aa, and evryyday i was so scared that at night i would drink and every night i still did drink, and felt so guity. i did everything my sponser told me to do and i failed. i know it was GOD THAT BUMPED ME INTO TSM. i know i have to put a effort and stop this habit of drinking but this time i dont feel scared knowing im not going to drink. im still drink 9 beers every night and i think at the end of this month (withch will be 4 months) i will take a week off and see how i feel. God is good.