Strictly Sinclair Week 3

[vicmatoria]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

welcome to Q and wxyz!

I'm on my 6th day of Nal. My head is doing better, as is my soul, because I am convinced (pretty much) that I am doing the right thing. Progress... Well, that's a different story. I am an all-day-drinker. I HAVE been successful at taking the Nal when I start to crave (usually 11 AM- 12 noon). And I have been successful at holding out for the interminably LONG hour to have a drink.

I do feel guilty, though. I've made the commitment, spent the money, got the meds and the book, so my expectation of myself is that I should be drinking less. I have to CONSTANTLY remind myself that I AM doing this right.

(FYI - My mom spent + 20 years sober with AA.... Abstinence was/ is THE rule... Feeling like I'm breaking the rules!!)

Stated a few days ago that I was feeling patient. I'm not feeling so patient right now.

I have SO much at risk. My relationship w/ my SO depends on me getting this monster under control. He knows that I'm doing the Sinclair Method and he is supportive, BUT, I don't know that he is aware that I might get drunk for 3-4 more months before I start to get better. My grown daughters are totally sick of seeing their mom drunk on a nightly basis.

I KNOW that the SM is my best option, but the waiting is SO DAMN HARD!

We are on a promising but difficult path (No easy paths for alcoholics)

SR, Potato, and RV9,

Please keep posting!! you are giving the rest of us the hope that our choice to follow the Sinclair method will help/work!

in a vacuum,
Vic

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

potato;538357 wrote: Just do it. Take your Nal one hour before you drink. Beyond that don't think too much. People are over thinking things. Believe me it is simple and it just works on it's own. Don't get lost in debates etc. It just works for me and that is what is important.

Yes, that's what I will do today. Maybe tomorrow too.

Take care all --Lena

[Solice]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

Hi Vic. I was getting impatient the first month or so too but with encoureagment from the folks ahead of me I persevered (spelling) and am seeing results. Coruse i hit a bit of a bump too with abdominal pain so gotta ease up but cravings are down, and drinking down too. is gradul, not immediate...

[vicmatoria]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

Solice;538659 wrote: Hi Vic. I was getting impatient the first month or so too but with encoureagment from the folks ahead of me I persevered (spelling) and am seeing results. Coruse i hit a bit of a bump too with abdominal pain so gotta ease up but cravings are down, and drinking down too. is gradul, not immediate...

Thanks, Solice. I too depend on hearing about other people's progress. I'm glad to hear that you're noticing an improvement.

Vic

[JohnR]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

Hi Everyone,
I've been away from the forum for a while but just now trying to catch up on what I've missed and it sounds like people are making some great progress. How wonderful! Me, I'm on my 3rd week of Nal and not coincidentally, my 3rd week of a new life. I guess I am lucky because my Nal honeymoon has not gone away...or I am still in it. I drink one glass of red wine per night and many times I forget it's even there. One thing that I think has contributed to where I am at so far (besides Nal of course) is that I am getting exercise. I started while I was in Mexico on vacation and have kept it up since I've been back.

I know this is just a beginning but it is so amazing and encouraging to know that it can be done: To be able to go from a 15-year daily/constant hangover to 3 weeks of not one hangover, is abolsolutely incredible to me.

One thing I am unsure about is what happens after the 3 or 4 month period. I take Nal religiously one hour prior to drinking but I've only been doing this for 3 weeks. I will continue to do this for 3 or 4 months but then what? Do I all of a sudden one day stop taking it and then when I will have a drink, my brain will be retrained and I will be like the rest of my peer group, able to have one or two and call it a day? That is what I am not clear on is the future after Nal.

One thing's for sure: it is a wonder drug!

[SpringerRider]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

JohnR;538720 wrote: One thing I am unsure about is what happens after the 3 or 4 month period. I take Nal religiously one hour prior to drinking but I've only been doing this for 3 weeks. I will continue to do this for 3 or 4 months but then what? Do I all of a sudden one day stop taking it and then when I will have a drink, my brain will be retrained and I will be like the rest of my peer group, able to have one or two and call it a day? That is what I am not clear on is the future after Nal.

One thing's for sure: it is a wonder drug!

There is no free lunch, John. Whenever you drink, you must take Nal first. Otherwise, you will regress. But in the readings, many have chose to go on to total abstention. As one character in Eskapa’s book did it; he quit drinking completely but carries two tablets in a capsule he wears around his neck – just in case.

I think we are getting off pretty easy. It is far better than injecting with insulin.

But right now, do some AA thinking. One Day At A Time. Four months will be here overnight.

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

John! Great to hear from you!! Really great news that things are going so well. I'm not where you are but I'm on my way. We've been growing quite the little group here. (To the group: John and I started on about he same day). Eskapa states what he calls the Golden Rule: We will take Naltrexone an hour before we drink from here on out.

Keep posting! -- Lena

[rv9]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

Eskapa said that if you drink without Naltrexone, you won't get re-hooked immediately, but will do so faster than it took you the first time. The bottom line is to always take Naltrexone 30-60 minutes before drinking - forever.

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

New place to post

thesinclairmethod.com; Index page

We hope to see you there

[startingover]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

I was enjoying these threads, why do you have to take them somewhere else?

[JohnR]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

Lena, I am happy to hear of your progress as well. Next week will be one month since we both started and all I can say is thank God (and chemists) for Nal. This has been one of my best months in several years in terms of health. I also believe exercise has been extremely beneficial to my progress so far.

I was hanging out one night with Potato in the chat room last month talking about Nal and she said "whatever you do, don't drink wine on it. It tastes nasty!" so that is what I primarily drink now and while I dont think it tastes bad, it does taste different and I think that has made it even easier to cut back (thanks Potato!) Nal works with everything though. Over the past month, I have ordered martinis out at dinner with friends and found that I can't drink more than a half of one. I used to drink four martinis, then go home for a bottle of wine. That used to be a typical night of the week for me and I haven't missed a night of drinking over the past 15 years. One thing I did not realize is that I will be on Nal (when drinking) for the rest of my life. I am very interested in learning about long-term usage and effects of the drug.

I now realize how out of control I was and I never want to abuse alcohol like that again. This is a day-by-day struggle but Nal is a tremendous tool that helps the process become much easier over time.

[SpringerRider]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

JohnR;540044 wrote: One thing I did not realize is that I will be on Nal (when drinking) for the rest of my life. I am very interested in learning about long-term usage and effects of the drug.

Yes and No. The Golden Rule is that if you drink you do so on Nal. But there is no reason to not believe that you will either not drink in the distant future or drink very moderately. I, for one, don't anticipate drinking everyday. My very normal wife only drinks about once or twice a week and that is never more than two beers. (she would pass out at three)

There are some minor side effects that make me not want to take Nal everyday. There are times when I want to experience the endorphins fully. It takes about 48 hrs. for the Nal to wash out of our systems. For that reason, I intend to choose a couple of days (if any) that I decide to drink and stay Nal/alcohol free the rest.

[aurora borialis]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

I guess I am fortunate in that regard. My drinking is like a cycle. Very predictable. I drink and smoke (cigarettes only) aprox one or two nights a week depending on the life situation at the time. It has always been that way. The problem was that too many times it was to excess and I could not function the next day at all. Now because of the Nal I don't get the horrible consequences of that and can actually function the next day and the amount of alcohol I have varies from 2 drinks to 7 depending. I am grateful for the people here who I can talk to and I want nothing but the best progress for you all.

[houtx770]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

Help! I was invited to the new forum but can't get on - no matter how or what I try. I feel like I've been left out here in the abyss...sent emils to the admin for help last 2 days since it was created to no avail. If someone reads this and can reach me - help! New user name/alternate email addresses I am putting in are getting rejected -

sniff...I need the forum...

[SpringerRider]

Strictly Sinclair Week 3

I assume you are trying to get on thesinclairmethod.com • Index page

Okay, I see a post from you there. I guess you are doing alright.
Will see you there.