i know from me i will always take celexa for my ocd(obsesive comulsive disorder) and lamictol for Dysthymia. i deserve to be happy even if im a alcholic.i hate the feeling of being deppresed or feeling hopeless. i like the dog joke lol. GOD BLESS EVERYONE.

30 days AF. I've made the first (maybe my last) major AF milestone. This is the number of days one source recommended that one goes off alcohol in order to have time to understand and feel one's relationship with alcohol. In my own experience, it has been VERY HELPFUL and for anyone who can muster up the ability to do it I highly recommend it. If you've read my thread the past 4 weeks, you'll see it's taken me on quite a journey. Some parts (the depression) difficult.

The last week I have upped my St John Wort intake to 900 mg (300mg morning, afternoon and evening) and I'm beginning to think it may be working. I was mildly depressed yesterday but not nearly as bad as the previous days and today I generally feel better. I've realized that wine (and later vodka) at the end of the day was my "happy drink"...the only fun I was having for many years.

I still have mild cravings...it's either cravings or it's still an emptiness that my "fun" drink is missing. My next milestone I guess is 60 days....but I'm less certain I'm going to make that. I know I will have some social events coming up and I'll be curious if I can take some Nal and just have 1 glass of wine to fit in with the group. Will post here as to what I do on an event by event basis.

Hope folks are have some wins of your own.

Way to go, Gott!!!!

I really admire your accomplishment. I'm going to guess that over time missing your evening "happy drink" will also eventually "extinguish" as long as you are taking the Nal beforehand. My interest in my evening drink has decreased dramatically in just the past 2 months...but I've been drinking every day so have had the steady Nal extinction effect at work in a very concentrated way. When I started taking the Nal, I was worried about losing the pleasure of my regular evening "sacrament", but now realize it was my alcoholic brain/mind at work trying to talk me out of quitting! My attitude now is "good riddance!". I'm sure you will reach that point eventually too.

Again, congratulations on putting in the 30 days! It's been very interesting to follow your progress. Thanks again for the inspiration.

Take care.

Hi There Gott

Congratulations on 30 Days AF. Fantastic news! I'm sure you are feeling quite happy about it all. Isn't life feeling so much better without the big A? Now, just find something healthy to replace it and you'll be fine. I'm thinking that is key to quitting all together if you so desire. Life is so full of interesting things to do and we miss so much when we drink. Even if you practice harm reduction and only drink occassionally, its got to be better that it was before.

Best wishes to you in the coming weeks.

Seems Nalwayout has it all solved for you Gott!!!

Ah....???

Who's next? LOL

Take care.

Nalwayout is right in that there ARE A LOT of things to do out there besides drinking. I've always known that but now, sober, I'm really appreciating that fact and being more proactive to do some of those things.

Many things are at play in my life. I need to make more effort in my marriage and so my husband and I are both trying to find things for us to do together...more date nights. I'm reaching out to the few friends I have and am trying to figure out what I can do to make more friends. (My mother is in her 80s and is very healthy but she is watching many of her friends die or succumb to dementia....lucky for her she had tons of friends to start with so she still has some today....I look at myself and think if I don't make more friends I will be all alone in my 80s (if I'm lucky to live that long) so need to get on the friendship bandwagon).

I also notice I have a bit more energy. After looking at my overgrown garden the past 8 months, I actually mustered up the energy to weed it yesterday. My kids actually helped and my garden is looking so much better. Just couldn't muster up the motivation the last several months.

I feel I'm a long way from adding myself to the "cured" list....that monkey on my back is currently locked in the tool shed out back...It'll only be when I start drinking once and a while and feel no interest/urge to resume daily drinking will I feel confident in adding myself to that list.

Wishing everyone a great week!

Good deal Gott!

~

This is the gold nugget well said here, Gott! Look at yourself...free enough from the booze to see it having effects not only on yourself, but also upon those around you, and so wonderfully your children. And THAT is what we are all dreaming of...which we all know down deep awaits us when we reach that point in our sobriety. Still a way's off for many of us, but SO exciting to see someone else---you---experiencing. This is what we all have to look forward to and what helps us to KOKO in our Naltrexone journey!

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful news!

WtG, GtG!!! That's quite a milestone - 30 days - and it sounds like it was worth the effort and periods of discomfort. And I appreciate your many posts along the way, sharing your experiences and discoveries.

Thanks so much, everyone, for your posts of encouragement. The fact that anyone is taking the time to read some of my posts and that some of what I write is helpful to others comes back to help me. If snippets of my journey can provide some help to someone else, that is great. Besides "misery likes company"

As I've written before, folks on this board have really helped me...particularly in that "I'm not alone" in all this. While my husband knows my journey at a high level, I don't discuss the day-to-day battle with him. Those little moments that come out of nowhere, when I start thinking about my absent friend "Mr Vodka"....Such as last night....got thru another AF day to go to bed and then have trouble going to sleep (tried an herbal sleep remedy but it wasn't doin' it for me). So at 11pm I lay there thinking...boy a shot of vodka or scotch would just be the ticket. Got up, had a warm mug of milk and took my prescription sleeping aid instead (always works)....Still substituting one drug to get to sleep for another (alcohol) but I think I'm much better off.

Okay, so now I have one of those Temptation (w/ a capital "T") evenings coming up on Thursday. A chance to meet some women at a faire. $20 entry which includes wine. So, as written before, I feel I should go and mix w/ some women and work on the "friends" thing. Sanity is telling me to pay the $20 but don't drink....do they ever have non-alcoholic drinks at these events? But the "getting value for the dollar" part of me and the "missing my fun drink" part of me is wondering if I can have one glass of wine? I'm thinking it's too soon still. I should get some more AF time in. What a bore...

Take care everyone.