Sinclair Method Journey with Naltrexone

[guapo]

Sinclair Method Journey with Naltrexone

My Experience

Dear Mr. Eraserhead,

I started naltrexone last August in order to avoid going to a semi inpatient 12-step program.

It worked very well, and I reduced my intake to about 30% of previous. I wasn't really on board with changing things mentally, so my drinking crept back up.

About 3 1/2 months ago, I decided to really get things under control, and did a lot of reading about alcohol moderation, commonsense drinking strategies, how to reduce triggers and urges and get past them, etc

I also added some hypnosis, which was extraordinarily helpful.

So anyways, I continue to take the naltrexone, usually only have one drink, and wait at least a half hour before attempting a second drink, and by that time, the desire for the second drink is almost always gone.

I hadn't drank in several days, and last night after a strenuous day at work, my wife had a rum and Coke, and I just really didn't feel like one, so I just didn't drink anything. That is where I'd been hoping to get in terms of my drinking, and I have to say it was a pretty good feeling.

There is absolutely no question that this has been effective, it is by no means a cure, but it enabled me to get to a place where I drink once or twice a week, for a total amount of about 5% of what I used to.

The best part of this method, is I never feel like I have to struggle through a day, or worry that I'm going to get out-of-control, because I already have strategies in place. I cannot and will not ever go back to over drinking like I did, because it was just horrible.

They were absolutely no resources locally to help me with any of this, I discovered it on the Internet, and going from site to site and educating myself.

I hope this info helps

[YouKayBee]

Sinclair Method Journey with Naltrexone

guapo;1669289 wrote: Dear Mr. Eraserhead,

I started naltrexone last August in order to avoid going to a semi inpatient 12-step program.

It worked very well, and I reduced my intake to about 30% of previous. I wasn't really on board with changing things mentally, so my drinking crept back up.

About 3 1/2 months ago, I decided to really get things under control, and did a lot of reading about alcohol moderation, commonsense drinking strategies, how to reduce triggers and urges and get past them, etc

I also added some hypnosis, which was extraordinarily helpful.

So anyways, I continue to take the naltrexone, usually only have one drink, and wait at least a half hour before attempting a second drink, and by that time, the desire for the second drink is almost always gone.

I hadn't drank in several days, and last night after a strenuous day at work, my wife had a rum and Coke, and I just really didn't feel like one, so I just didn't drink anything. That is where I'd been hoping to get in terms of my drinking, and I have to say it was a pretty good feeling.

There is absolutely no question that this has been effective, it is by no means a cure, but it enabled me to get to a place where I drink once or twice a week, for a total amount of about 5% of what I used to.

The best part of this method, is I never feel like I have to struggle through a day, or worry that I'm going to get out-of-control, because I already have strategies in place. I cannot and will not ever go back to over drinking like I did, because it was just horrible.

They were absolutely no resources locally to help me with any of this, I discovered it on the Internet, and going from site to site and educating myself.

I hope this info helps

I'm really glad you got to this good place Guapo. I also agree that combining nal with other, quite usual alcohol reduction strategies does seem to improve results, and often has a sort of kick-start reaction in those who initially saw a reduction, then increased again.

For eraserhead thanks for the genetics post, very interesting. I've never had the gene test, all I know is that I got on really well with the Nal/Tsm thing, but I did have to engage strategies and I did experience times when I thought the Nal didn't seem to be working, but it all came good in the end - in the end I was rarely drinking, to the point where I thought I can live without any of this, and that is what I went and did.

I've gotten almost 11 months of constantly AF time under my belt now......

[EraserHead]

Sinclair Method Journey with Naltrexone

guapo, thanks so much for sharing. That sounds like excellent progress to me. I'd really like to be able to get to that state myself. (Not quite there yet!) I'm curious, what exactly did you do for hypnosis that was so useful?

I had a conversation over the weekend with a good friend who has been in AA for awhile and stopped drinking altogether some 5 years ago. After telling him about my naltrexone experience, he shared some AA wisdom with me. I admitted that I was always skeptical and wary of AA for various reasons, but he pointed me to some literature that actually made quite a bit of sense. So maybe I will start to add that to this pharmaceutical solution. Not sure yet. Anyhow, if there is other literature that you guys found helpful, I'd be interested to read it!

[guapo]

Sinclair Method Journey with Naltrexone

Hypnotherapy, et al

EraserHead;1670439 wrote: guapo, thanks so much for sharing. That sounds like excellent progress to me. I'd really like to be able to get to that state myself. (Not quite there yet!) I'm curious, what exactly did you do for hypnosis that was so useful?

I had a conversation over the weekend with a good friend who has been in AA for awhile and stopped drinking altogether some 5 years ago. After telling him about my naltrexone experience, he shared some AA wisdom with me. I admitted that I was always skeptical and wary of AA for various reasons, but he pointed me to some literature that actually made quite a bit of sense. So maybe I will start to add that to this pharmaceutical solution. Not sure yet. Anyhow, if there is other literature that you guys found helpful, I'd be interested to read it!

Hi again. Hypnotherapy plants suggestions in your subconscious that you will feel better when alcohol is not being used, that other drinks taste better, you will enjoy the clearheaded state, and most of all, it helps you envision a future without an alcohol problem.

i.e. (Imagine two doors, one is the one I go through when I drink a lot and its consequences the other is when I'm clearheaded and don't drink a lot, and how much better that is)

There is a site called Wendi.com, and you can listen to her take on things, I actually ordered her tapes, and found them very helpful. She also has a few things on YouTube you can listen to, but her approach is very very effective. This is not an ad for her, but I'll tell you she is by far the best one I have encountered

Most of it was really just common sense. I then found a local hypnotherapist, who fine-tuned the hypnosis to my personal situation. Your brain finally understands how much better you are not drinking, and how you can finally like yourself, so why the hell would you want to drink irresponsibly.

There's a book called "kick the drink easily" and another book by Alan Carr which are both view alcohol as a poison. Whether you agree with the books or not, they give an entirely new perspective.

There's some other books like responsible drinking, they're all a little different, and every single one of them helps.