eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

[eight days a week]

Not so good yesterday on the AL:

Bac 60mg
Diazepam 7mg
AL 23 UK units :(

I did exactly what Greg recommended not to, I got carried away with the games, and was up till 4am. So, that makes one drink an hour (almost) for twelve hours - 23 UK units. Yesterday was a sad anniversary for me, so I almost felt like getting drunk for once. I don't have that feeling much anymore since starting TSM six months ago - rather I have fond memories of enjoying getting blasted, and sometimes feel like trying to do the same thing, even though the endorphin 'rush' is now gone, and I jut don't enjoy getting into that state. I used to love it, so TSM has worked me for me in that sense, I just have to work out the other stuff (particularly the anxiety).

The other thing TSM has done for me, which is a bit worrying, is make alcoholic drinks seem almost like soft drinks*. They hold no more attraction than that, almost all of the time. In fact I'd rather have a soft and healthy drink, it's only the attraction of relieving anxiety that makes me reach for the booze rather than anything else.

Once I can solve this anxiety issue I'm sure everything else will fall into place

8

* <edit> I should have explained my worry. The danger here is that once I start drinking I tend not to stop until I go bed. Being very much like soft drinks now, and also without the endorphin 'rush' which is kind of a sign that the drink's having an effect, I find I can drink beers far quicker than I used to, given the right circumstances.

[eight days a week]

Back on track yesterday

AL 17.8 UK units
Bac 60mg
Diazepam 7mg

(Of course 50mg Nal at least an hour before my first drink, as always.)

Today I will be very pleased if I can reduce my AL just a little bit. Tomorrow I will increase the Bac to either 65mg or 70mg, seeing how I feel on it.

Wishing everyone a good day

8

[hangingon]

Hi there,
Yesterday was a bad AL day for me too. Took the Nal but ended up drinking 1 1/2 bottles of white wine. Not s ogood nor do I feel so good this morning. I am at work and going to tyr to make it a good day and hope and pray I don't have any tonight. I did not sleep well because of the wine...Sure wish I didn't like AL...
Hanging

[Virgil]

Originally Posted by eight days a week

Once I can solve this anxiety issue I'm sure everything else will fall into place

As you know, 8 - my sentiments entirely. I've been working at this anxiety thing for more years than I care to remember. I know what causes the anxiety but that's only half the battle.

Best wishes,

V.

[eight days a week]

Thank you V for your kind thoughts

It hasn't been a very good couple of days, my drinking went up to 22-24 units. The first night I can blame this on hitting the neat vodkas. I wasn't tired, and without the endorphin rush of alcohol because of the Nal drinking is less noticeable, and I was able to knock back three double vodkas (50ml each, 1.8 UK units) without really noticing. Yesterday I drank all day again :(

Today I'm already doing a lot better, hopefully my AL total will be much reduced.

Apart from that the last two days have seen 60mg Bac again, and 7mg and then 8mg diazepam. I just felt like I needed some extra yesterday.

Oh well, chin up eh?

Best wishes to all

eight

[eight days a week]

hangingon, I'm sorry I missed your post, I hope you are feeling much much better by now

Yesterday was much better here. I took more of my Baclofen dose during the day, before I'd had many drinks, and ended up drinking much less. Could they be related? I don't know, as I'm only up to 70mg of Bac, but I hope to try the same thing today.

70mg Bac
8mg diazepam
15.5 UK units

I'm happy to stick with the slightly increased diazepam if it helps me keep my drinking down for the time being. I've already come down from 12mg daily. Here's hoping today is another better day.

On a completely different note, I'm shocked by how many views this thread has had, my goodness, you poor folk!!

Best wishes to all

eight (thousand views and I will hang my head in shame at my own self-indulgent ramblings )

[eight days a week]

Yesterday was a good day - no a great one! I met a dear friend from Oz and laughed and laughed so much as I haven't in so very long. I'm usually very isolated, and emotionally almost completely - I've drifted away from friends due to being locked away at home as a carer, and family are either unable or unwilling to offer any support - so it was a great tonic for me. It also forced me to wait for my first drink until 5pm. If I can have something to occupy me other than the usual stuff it helps so much. I'm alone today, and had a terrible dream about the recent breakdown of the relationship with my sister, my only sibling, (which is booze-related right now, but at its core the issues aren't, if that makes sense?) It woke me up far too early and crying my eyes out. An early drink soon followed :( So, today is not going so well, so far. I'll focus on yesterday, and try to start recording stuff myself so I don't need to post every day. Though I do find it so helpful, I feel I'm being very selfish by posting daily numbers and reports somehow, like I'm clogging up the board:

8mg diazepam
14.6 UK units
65mg Bac

Best wishes to all, as ever

eight (kisses to all the singlies like me tomorrow, for Valentine's Day )

[craving]

8 - although I am not posting here a lot I keep on reading your posts every day.

All the best - stick in there, I am sure it will work for you!

[startingover]

Hi there eight,
I am sorry to hear you had a rough one today. Posting about it is a good thing, please NEVER feel you are clogging up the boards. This is helpful to everyone even if they dont comment, it might just be a turning point for them. It was lovely to hear about your friend from Oz, it shows you have the capacity for fun and thats so important. Oh and your writing is very entertaining too!
Keep posting its great to hear from you.

[drink2much]

I'm listening here too - keep posting your progress,

D2M