Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

[bloggy]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hi Nealio and Welcome!

I think AA is like many things in life- it will work for some and not for others. I have a friend who I think it is fair to say it has saved his life- there is not an AA near me, and I don't think it would work for me anyway.

I think the best bet is to research, research, research (as the owner of MWO did) and try anything that reasonates with you.

As soon as I heard about the Sinclair method, it made sense to me.

[nealio]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

TY Marbelbella
You are correct it saved my life 15 years ago but talk therapy stopped working and depression eventually kept me from being a more active in AA member.

[Solice]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Nealio, Welcome. I'm new here too.. Picked up the book last night and started reading, scary thing is that 8 to 10 beers a night is normal for me and when you throw in some whiskey, well.... I feel it this morning.
I have to have faith though and will just keep taking nal whenever I drink, which for the last umpteen years has been every day, except for a few white knuckle days, weeks or months in AA/NA.. My hope is that this 'cure' works for me, rewires my f'd up head and takes away the desire and cravings for alcohol.
My GF can take or leave it, anytime.. One night she may have half a glass of wine, other nights nothing. I want to be like that!!

Maybe abstinent will be my end result but for now I just want the compulsion/cravings/insanity to be gone. One thing became quite apparent last night though. I will need to change/lose some friends... But that would probably be for the best whether I was trying to stop or control my drinking or not..

Lord help me, I can't do this alone...

[rv9]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

I'm still almost out of Naltrexone so I've been careful this week. I had kept two in reserve but broke down and took one & drank on Wednesday evening. I had three glasses of wine. The rest of the wine has just been sitting there since.

So that's 3 drinks total since Saturday and virtually no cravings. Even the three glasses I had Wednesday were less than wonderful. I'm not sure why I even drank them.

This is working.

[nealio]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Talked to my Doc this morning and he is going to prescribe Nal for me. I hope it helps.

[Solice]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Wow RV, That's encouraging. I hope this works for me just as well...

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Patience starts to pay off . . .

Solice;527480 wrote: Wow RV, That's encouraging. I hope this works for me just as well...

rv9 -- That goes double for me. You've reminded us to have patience and now it is starting to pay off for you. Potato -- Same with you! That gives us all hope!!

nealio - I hope you have armed yourself with knowledge and join us for the long haul. Please keep posting and Godspeed.

It does seem counterintuitive to keep on drinking like a sailor and believe that this is good for us. Hearing from others on this thread helps.

I find I might be overthinking what it means to drink normally and maybe this is making me drink more than what might be normal for me. Not more than I can handle -- just maybe a daily trend going up a bit. Anyone else notice this?

Take caree, all -- Lena

[nealio]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

ty rv9 for the encouraging words. I promise to post my progress..
These last few weeks have been a twisted mess.. I was sober (AL free ) so long but never really happy these last few weeks have made me rethink everything about the issue of alcohol and what is really wrong wit me. Anxiety and depression seem to be the cause and I am not sure about the cure

[rv9]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

I find I might be overthinking what it means to drink normally and maybe this is making me drink more than what might be normal for me. Not more than I can handle -- just maybe a daily trend going up a bit. Anyone else notice this?

I did. IIRC, Eskapa even mentions that possibility. Don't worry about it. As long as you're in a safe place and not driving, just drink what you feel like drinking. For me that meant quite a bit in the beginning. The method sort of gives you license & an excuse to drink. Don't worry about it - it will come back down on its own.

[Solice]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hi Lena, Yea, I think I've gone up the last few days, 10 to 12 the last few nights. Looking at the extinction curves in the book I guess this could happen and then after 30 or more days is when it looks like I might actuallt notice a difference. I think RV said his was around 45 or so..

ANyelse else notice a drop in desire for other things??(like sex?)

[aurora borialis]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Really glad to hear your progress RV9. I am stiil doing very well. Sometimes I feel like drinking, take my Nal and an hour later can barely get through one drink. Unheard of before!!

[nealio]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

just took my first dose of NAL. Hoping it helps with cravings and overall consumption.

[Solice]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hey Potato, Congrats, so glad it's working for you. Just hope I get the same results in the long run...
Can I ask, how long did it take before the drinking/cravings really dropped off? At this point how many days a week would you say you do drink? Thanks for any insight..

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

In the long run . . .

nealio;527671 wrote: just took my first dose of NAL. Hoping it helps with cravings and overall consumption.

Yes, nealio, from our little living laboratory here, sounds like you can count on reduced cravings and consumption in the long run. Potato and rv9 are our long term members and have begun to see real results after several weeks. No pressure, but we on this thread have put all our hopes and dreams of getting free of our alcohol addiction on them (just kidding rv & 'tate).

Seriously nealio, please do as Marbella, SpringerRider and the others who have posted on this thread have done and set your sights on the long haul. Some of us had a rocky first day or so w/ side effects and found that went away completely, especially if we took only half a dose the first two days. Many of us had a "honeymoon" on our first Naltrexone doses, where we had little if any inclination to drink, and thought we instantly were cured. Nope. It's a fleeting effect as our bodies adjust to the med; true healing takes several weeks at least. Avoid these early pitfalls and you will be off with us on this adventure. We're in this together.

All who post here, I can't tell you how much it means to me in my search to be free of alcohol that we have found each other. We are pioneers together. We give each other hope. We deserve each other. Gratitude -- Lena

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Solice-- Yeah, about that reduced sex drive. Isn't it funny how we all have not responded to that. This is not a problem but an opportunity. After a few weeks, when we are ready for a couple of alcohol free days, we can use the pharmacological extinction principle to reinforce the positive endorphin - producing behaviors, including sex. Sinclair discusses this in the podcast and Eskapa at 120-122. So not only will we break free of alcohol addiction but our sex lives will be better than ever. How's that for motivation?