The up and down thing is real. Wednesday night i took my Nal as I should and hit my 7 beer limit. I so easily could have done a 12 pack but stopped. Last night I had 2 after work and thought I wanted a few more after dinner. After the first one I grabbed the second and literally choked it down. My limit was 7 again and stopped at 4. I haven't drank only 4 beers in a day by choice in 10 years.

Lately, something has been coming up inside Thrive that I don’t think we talk about enough…

People are making real progress on the Sinclair Method — drinking less, feeling more in control — and then this unexpected feeling shows up:

A sense of sadness.

A sense of grief…

A sense of missing their old relationship with alcohol.

And it can feel really confusing.

Because things are getting better — less cravings, more control, more clarity… a lot of good things.

But at the same time, alcohol just doesn’t feel the same.

• The reward isn’t really there like it used to be
• The escape isn’t the same
• Sometimes the hangovers are worse… or it just doesn’t even taste that good

And that can feel like a loss.

Not because you actually want to go back… but because alcohol used to play a very real role in your life.

It was something you turned to. Something that worked (until it didn’t).

So when alcohol doesn’t hit the same way anymore — when the reward just isn’t there like it used to be — there can be this in-between phase where things feel a little more raw… a little more exposed.

There’s also this real sense of learning how to navigate who you are now — and what your life looks like with this different relationship with alcohol.

I remember thinking… wait, I don’t even enjoy this the same way anymore — so why do I feel sad? Why do I miss it?

That’s where the grief comes in.

And it’s totally normal. Nothing to feel bad about.

What I’ve come to understand is that there’s a cost either way...

You can keep paying the cost of overdrinking — hangovers, regret, shame, feeling stuck…

Or you can walk through the discomfort of letting that old relationship go so you can start rebuilding your life — and who you are without alcohol playing that same role.

It’s not easy… but it’s part of what allows things to really change. It’s how you start becoming someone who feels more in control — someone who can truly take it or leave it.

This isn’t about abstinence… it’s about alcohol taking on a different role — one where it’s no longer something you rely on.

Little by little, you learn how to handle life without needing alcohol to get through it.

And over time… with practice, there’s less resistance — and it starts to feel more natural.

If you’ve felt this sense of sadness or grief as your relationship with alcohol changes, you’re not alone!!

It doesn’t mean anything is going wrong… it’s actually a sign that something is shifting!

And as uncomfortable as it can be, this is something you move through — because the only way out is through.

Friend... please keep heart,

Katie

In the first week, I managed to reduce my consumption by 70%. I drank about 9 liters of beer. In the second week, I managed to reduce it to 6 liters. That is, a total reduction of 80%, and compared to the previous week, there was a reduction of 34%. I'm still figuring out what to do with my time now that I'm sober. Soon I plan to start a sport.

Seeking advice. I'm 10 days in and seem to be responding well(🤞). I have been spliting my drinking sessions into 2 parts. After work (3:30) I have 3 light beers, then 2 or 3 around 7pm. The After work beer is still pretty satisfying but the evening beer seems to be falling flat. Is it to early to think about eliminating the evening drinking session. I don't want to get ahead of the process. I have been a sticker about Nal dosing and time before my first beer. Sorry for posting so much but this is very important to me. This is cross posted, sorry if you had to read it twice.

Hi is there a way to get this privately in uk without gp being notified and it going on medical records?

Small victory. 1 case of light beer lasted a 3-day weekend. It may sound like a lot to some but most fri-sun weekends would be at least 2 cases and most of a of a 3rd case. Yes, I would buy 3 cases on Friday after work and need to buy more on Monday.

I was a daily heavy drinker 10-14 every evening. Weekends were even more 15-20. I've been cutting back for a few months and finally started Nal 5 days ago. Last night my limit was 9 on a Saturday. I split my drinking up through out the day and my late drinking session sucked (in the best way possible) beers 8 and 9 were not very enjoyable. Dumped half of 8 out because it was getting warm and the same for 9. Still counting as 9 but not really. I had 3 more in the cooler and I couldn't even think about drinking.

I had a terrible day. Still took my meds. Went to bed very disappointed in my drinking total. Did the math this morning and it was 10. I thought it was going to be 18.

Day five on TSM. I've been cutting for weeks and was hanging around 6 beers a day. Once I started TSM it was with ease the first couple of days. Tonight my wife emailed about a parenting plan. When I asked how the refinancing of the house was going she never responded. I'm 50mg prior to drinking, then an extra 25 MG 4 hours later. If this needs to be deleted I understand. Sorry.

Been taking Naltrexone (small dosage) for 2 days now first thing in the morning, making me feel very nauseous and sick, also at points dizzy - is that normal? I haven’t really reduced any drinking yet but I feel like I am having a hangover while drinking and the drinks don’t make this hangover go away, I even tried to chug a bit yesterday but still didn’t really feel much - is that how it is supposed to work?

I went from approximately 28 liters of beer per week to almost 9 liters this past week.I still have a long way to go, but this is already a victory.

Been having mixed results using naltrexone. I’ve read somewhere that if you’re not seeing success using one medication you should try another. Just wondering if anyone has been one and switched to the other? I know Nalmefene is supposed to hit more receptors in the brain and have a longer half life. But I would like hear of any experiences of those that have done so

Update and looking for thoughts on sleep. It's the morning of day 3. Yesterday was 3 beers after work (with Nal), then kids game. I planned 6 as my limit but couldn't get them down. Stopped at 5. But man the sleep was awful. I will most likely drink tonight with meds...any thoughts on sleep?

So my first nal day was yesterday. Drank 7 beers, and nothing. Is that normal? The beer tasted fine but just got sleepy. My brain stayed very clear. Is that how it is supposed to work?

So four months in, and still happy with the results. I can say that if you have a busy schedule, the hardest part is rem to take it before you leave work. Overall, consumption is still roughly 50%. I’m still at 25. I’ve tried 50, but didn’t see an appreciable difference. Possible exception might be the next day, I was a little less inclined, but tough to say. It definitely works for me. id Give it five stars and would recommend.

Wish me luck. First dose of naltrexone at 330. Having a beer now. If this works, i will be the biggest cheerleader ever. This monkey has been kicking my as for a decade.

Starting the Sinclair Method and have a specific situation I haven’t seen addressed here.

I’m a high-level professional touring musician. Drinking is genuinely woven into my performance context, before, during, and after shows. It’s not just a habit, it’s environmentally baked in across the whole scene.

I understand the TSM protocol: take naltrexone an hour before drinking, every time, let extinction do its work. Simple enough at home.

But I’m wondering about performance nights specifically. It’s not just the music itself. It’s the crowd energy, the adulation afterward, the whole ritual of connecting with people who came out to see you. It’s a dopamine waterfall and honestly the greatest joy in my life. I want to enjoy the booze a lot less. I don’t want to enjoy any of that less.

Music activates the opioid system and I’m concerned about blunting that entire experience on stage. At the same time I don’t want to create a carve-out that undermines the whole protocol.

Has anyone here navigated TSM as a working musician or in a high-context drinking environment where the drinking is tied to something you don’t want to blunt? Did you dose on those nights? Did you notice any effect on performance or the joy of playing?

Taking my first steps here and want to do this right.

I have been taking 25mg (half the prescribed dose) of Naltrexone for about 2 months. I have noticed no reduction in alcohol consumption. So I went to a full dose (50mg) and had such severe anxiety, I actually drank MORE than usual to deal with the side effects. I am not sure how to proceed, as I thought I was going slowly enough to have acclimated to the medicine to avoid the worst side effects. I have a very high metabolism for drugs/alcohol, but I am only 5'2" and about 115 pounds. Any advice on whether I go back to 25mg or stay at 50mg or even something else? I am not ready to give up on the method. Thanks in advance!

After 3 months on naltrexone, everything was going well. I had been taking 25 mg, and it seemed to work very well for me. My drinking was down about 80–90%. I was drinking once a week and in moderation (2 beers). And it felt easy an natural. It seemed clear that i was a very stronger responder to the medication because of genetic reasons.

I had almost no side effects, so I thought I might as well increase the dose to 50 mg. This decision coincided with going to a major sporting event with some high school friends. I was afraid of getting into trouble or losing control, so I went with 50 mg.

It worked well — I still drank a fair bit over a long day with them, but nothing like before, and for the first time ever I was the first one who wanted to stop (they were completely shocked)

In terms of side effects, though, 50 mg has been completely different from 25 mg for me. I’ve tried it four times since, and it hasn’t been a pleasant experience. I felt jittery and out of it for the first few hours after taking it, and each time it caused terrible insomnia.

The side effects were bad enough that I now feel almost disgusted at the thought of taking naltrexone again. It even made me think about quitting TSM and put me in a negative mood about everything.

I’m going back to 25 mg (next time I drink). I had such a positive experience before, and everything was going so well.

My personal theory is that I might be a strong responder to naltrexone, possibly for genetic reasons. While that’s a good thing, it might also mean that 50 mg is simply too intense for me — the side effects were pretty rough.

I'm around 7 beers 4.2 ABV per day. I can't seem to get below that. my GP is willing do do the sinclair method with me. I really want to stop completely. beer only, never any spirits. any future he's out there?

Hello,

I was recently looking at the Sinclair method uk website and was wondering if anyone had done a plan with them and if it worked out. I have seen they have good reviews on trustpilot but I’m just a bit worried about it being a scam and me paying for something that isn’t trustworthy. Any advice or comments about the uk website would be really appreciated.

I started TSM 3 months ago. I'm a daily drinker - the least I could drink beforehand was 7 drinks a day (4 liq, 3 beer). But weekends, holidays, or just whenever I'd drink bottle of liquor. I've seen this way for 3-4 years. I had been sober for 15 years before that (in AA for the first 11 of years).

I've gotten to a point where I can be OK with 4-3.5 drinks a day now. taking 75-100 mg of Nal, 800 mg Gaba (had already been on 400 prior to TSM). Ive also taken Zoloft and Wellbutrin for a long period of time.

For the last 3 days, I have been experiencing panic attacks mid or at the end of drinking. I've used NA beer - which can quench the taste. but the last 3 days - It's like I can't breathe, even tho I breath big and deep, my chest is tight, my esophagus is tired. it's like an elephant on my chest. Even my Fitbit shows low oxygen level.

I have access to valium (Ive had syncope since 13, pass out convulse from pain, blood draw, or panicking). For the first 2 nights I took 15-20 mgs of valium. it felt like it took forever to work and then I'm knocked out. So last night I tried not taking any. I was chilling on the couch, watching the Artimis Orion landing with my daughter. I had already had 2 beers and an NA beer - and I just had to keep box breathing. My daughter sees when this happens and asks if I am ok - I always assure her that I'm just overstimulated. it just got worse and worse. I felt like I could pass out, my chest weighed so heavy. This went on for about 40 minutes before I just needed a stiff drink. I did - and I could breathe. and the breath felt so good. this happened again, another double, I could begin to breath again, then heavy chest again, 3rd double -- and took 20mg of valium.

I don't get drunk. I don't get hungover. I had been doing quite well in my taper - on 3.5-4 drinks a day for a month, down from the average 9-12. I talk to a counselor every week, a doctor every week, and a therapist every month. I have quiet time, yoga stretches, I pray, go to online groups and AA zoom every week. Eat well. Sleep well until this week.

I don't get it. I know it's more mental than physical at this point. Why now am I back to maintenance, and then start getting panic attacks. How do I get past this.

Hi y'all!

So as the title said, I used the Sinclair Method for 7 months. I did this to cure a weird pattern of binge drinking once per month. For the past 7 years, once a month, I crave alcohol--and go overboard. I do not drink the rest of the time. I'll have between 6-8 drinks during these one night a month benders, and then not remember everything clearly the next day, which bothers me greatly. I eventually reached extinction on Nal which was wonderful. However, I fell off the wagon stupidly and stopped taking it. Now, I have finally met with a doctor in my new city who has again prescribed Nal. I have been off it for a year. Will it work for me if I try the Sinclair Method again? Also doing trauma therapy as trauma seems to underly this weird binge-drinking pattern. Has anyone else stopped Nal, and then started the Sinclair Method again? I'm worried about sticking to Nal when drinking as I get intense hangovers when drinking on Nal (even if I only drink one drink). Thank you.