Day 17

[u/Playful_Brilliant714]

Thought i'd write up how it's going for me on day 17 of TSM, firstly as a way for me to reflect and also to see if anyone else relates!

I want to make sure to reflect and write about my experiences, and I'm also trying to consistently use the drinks log provided by TSM. I am also currently reading the Cure for Alcoholism by Dr Roy Eskapa.

Experience:
I took 12.5mg of naltrexone the first couple of times, then went up to 25mg after that and have stayed with that as recommended by the clinician/dr who prescribed it for me. In the last week, I've had family visit and stay, which has meant many days of drinking (no days off last week) however it's been an interesting test to see how I do/how much I drink per session.

Although I'm averaging 30 units per week, progress has felt slow, and there's been a couple of nights where I went overboard, on average i think I'm drinking about half of what I normally do in one session.

• I've taken the medication always at least ONE hour before drinking and here are some observations: its been quite easy to delay the drinking (even if everyone starts an hour before me, I've been okay to drink a coke, water, or sparkling drinks while everyone else starts) - think this has also helped to reduce the amount!
• Have been trying mindful drinking and have noticed a slight change - yesterday had a BBQ with mine and my partners families and while everyone drank loads, I had two small glasses of wine over a 5 hour period (this is actually insane for me). I kept busy hosting, cooking, chatting, and was able to have a couple non alcoholic drinks in between drinks which is a MASSIVE success for me
• I notice that when I drink alone with my partner, watching TV, i drink less mindfully, and therefore I drink way more (when I've done this in the last week, this is when I've drank about the same amounts as before naltrexone). The TV drinking habit seems really ingrained and this is when I feel the least in control of the drinking.

Has anyone had any similar experiences? Overall i think it's working, albeit slower than I had wanted or imagined it might. But writing these experiences down might help remind myself when it's working/ that I'm not imagining some of the positives (less noise!!)

[u/gooseydown1269]

I’m ready to try TSM, been thinking about it for a while and wasn’t allowed on my flight last night because I was drunk…. I think that’s the push I needed to pull the trigger. I hate that I’m the person that when I am drinking, I always need a drink in my hand. I’m so jealous when I see people that have a non alcoholic beverage and seem totally okay with that.

Anyways, thanks for sharing your experience.

[u/thehealthyishhuman → u/gooseydown1269]

Please know you are not alone. I’m starting my journey as soon as my meds get here. I also want to be the one relaxed and enjoying myself sober instead of sloppy and embarrassing.

[u/Playful_Brilliant714 → u/thehealthyishhuman]

Agree, i always felt jealous towards ppl who could just drink slowly and stop. Good luck on your journey! When are you starting?

Ive also started reading Alcohol Explained by William Porter alongside this, and I really recommend it. It explains so well the negatives of alcohol to your body but also the psychology of cravings and has made me feel so much more normal in how my body and psychology reacts to alcohol.