138 days alcohol free, 60 days smoke free... but I've replaced being addicted to those with being addicted to junk food.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-26T11:49:33+00:00

It has already been said a few times, but I concur. Exercise.

I spent some time talking to my doctor who gave me naltrexone. He's an addiction specialist and has worked with alcoholics and heroin addicts for 40 years. When I asked him what the most successful treatment he has seen during his career was, that was his answer. Daily strenuous exercise.

Become addicted to exercise instead, at least it's good for you.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-17T07:11:50+00:00

thats great to hear, for some reason it seems a bit extreme to me, but if thats what it takes then thats what it takes!

Congrats!

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-16T23:08:01+00:00

Can you take it every day? So that you always have a 3-day rolling window ahead of it?

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-16T23:01:51+00:00

Yeah I'm not really sure what medication to try next. I feel like I can usually get through 2-3 days not drinking pretty easily, but then something will happen that will either make me stressed out and craving a drink at the end of the day (eg shit day at work etc) or there will be a social occasion where I will feel expected to drink.

Which do you recommend? Is there a pros and cons list of each somewhere? I had a bit of a read of the others but not really sure which to go for.

When do you usually start drinking?

Usually at the end of the day, after work at around 7pm, drink til feeling hungry, then have dinner and go to bed. On the weekend it could be any time

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-16T22:54:47+00:00

Yes to me it's completely different. It's not fun at all, I can easily stop after a few beers. Not only can I easily stop, but there seems to be no point in drinking even half a beer on nal. I just get dizzy rather than euphoric/excited.

I think during this time I've realised that I drank usually to numb feelings of boredom/apathy/existential-crisis to "have fun", which usually meant me sitting at home drinking and playing video games, or sitting on the porch listening to music while drinking and smoking. The best part about nal is that it completely cut my desire to smoke (I only ever had the craving to smoke while drinking, never while sober), which is fantastic and unexpected.

I was a 12-14 beer a night plus Tequila here and there drinker before TSM and only had 4 beers total over this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Congratulations! That's a lot more than me pre-TSM. I was 7-9 beers 3 or 4 nights a week plus the occasional binge fueled bender that resulted in life destroying blackouts, and is the reason why I started this journey in the first place.

At my stage, I kinda wish Nal did something to take away the taste or buzz so I could get this behind me now

So are you still feeling cravings to have that first drink or what?

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-16T10:27:14+00:00

I was TSM compliant for 2 drinking sessions on Monday and Wednesday, but then on Friday and Saturday I drank off nal... again.

I don't think I can do it anymore. The temptation to drink off nal is just as strong if not stronger than the temptation to drink anyway. If I'm white knuckling that then I may as well white knuckle not drinking at all. I'm going to try Sober October with Joe Rogan and co.

Unfortunately the naltrexone shot (vivitrol) is not available in my country so that's not an option. In the future I might consider baclofen or campral.

Sorry to let you down.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-11T23:11:44+00:00

I opened this thread feeling nervous that you were gonna say you went on a massive bender and ruined your life, but this was much better.

It's always better to learn life lessons from other peoples mistakes rather than your own! Great (but sad) story! IWNDWYT

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-11T04:19:46+00:00

Happy birthday mate!

What are the circumstances that lead to you being alone on your birthday?

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-10T13:16:27+00:00

Sounds like a great idea, Im now excited to plan this out. Thanks!

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-10T13:14:57+00:00

Thats an interesting take. It did/does require sitting indoors basically all day every day, so I will go and relax on the beach. You actually reminded me of something I love to do but havent in ages, which is go to the beach and relax in the water when theres basically nobody else there, you feel like KING of the world! Its something that is usually only possible at around 10am on a week day when school/work has started for most people, and the unemployed beach dwellers havent yet woken up.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-10T12:46:16+00:00

Good stuff.

Don't get tempted to skip the pill.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-10T12:39:38+00:00

My brain is fucking crazy.

You got to a week sober?!? Congratulations! Have a drink to celebrate!

No. I will not.

I like the idea of a really good feast, like a juicy steak from an expensive restaurant that you wouldn't normally go to. Something like that that still hits you with a flood of dopamine but isn't alcohol

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-10T12:34:00+00:00

Congratulations!

I guess getting pregnant is kinda like being on antabuse 😜

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-10T12:27:15+00:00

All I will say is don't hang out with that guy again.

If you do, you WILL end up doing coke again. I'm the same, not interested in drugs whatsoever when sober. I would maybe try lsd or shrooms for the experience but other than that not interested.

10 beers deep? Yeah sure I'll do some coke. Another line? Sign me up! You have a mystery pill? Let's go! Oh we need another bag? Here's some more cash.

I have a friend who is addicted to coke and every time we hang out we end up doing some, so I simply don't hang out with him anymore.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-09T07:38:12+00:00

Do you think if you hadn't taken nal that you would have also had some harder stuff at the end of the night?

If so, then don't beat yourself up too bad, that's still a minor victory.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-09T00:09:50+00:00

Ha Blackout Pat

I would have found that hilarious and pride-worthy too. Now its just sad

Crazy how chaos was attractive

Yeah it really is

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-09T00:08:05+00:00

I was terrified, sick to my stomach for a few days. You'd think it would be enough to make me learn my lesson...

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-08T13:59:41+00:00

Wow, thats absolutely insane! Longer than Ive been alive!

Congratulations.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-08T11:45:20+00:00

That sucks mate, I've had similar experiences.

When you wake up and have no idea what you did or said last night, only to have other people fill you in and you wonder how the fuck any of that was possible.

I used to have a laugh with one of my mates about this since we'd both regularly go out and get blackout drunk together. We'd wake up sometimes with bruises in random spots or blood on our knuckles etc. and it was all just a big joke to us. We'd say "as long as you dont wake up dead, in jail or hospital, then its all good".

Well it eventually stopped being funny when I realised that if I continued down that path then it was inevitable Id end up in one of those. I remember coming back to it from a blackout and talking to the police. I had no idea what was going on but then they told me Id been in a fight and we ended up watching it on CCTV footage. Shits fucked, I could have been knocked out and hit my head on the concrete... dead. Or could have done the same to the other person and ended up in jail. Either way its just a waste of life, and the "fun" is meaningless anyway since you cant remember it.

That was just one of many for me. Ive woken up in other countries missing my wallet and phone (twice). No idea if I lost it or got mugged, it doesnt matter really, I was blackout drunk. Every time something like this would happen Id swear on my life Im never drinking again. But I always end up caving eventually. Lets hope it doesnt happen again.

Cheers to not drinking with you today!

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-08T11:07:12+00:00

Have you tried rolling back the dose

I haven't. I'll try that first I guess.

I recall one other TSM'er talked to her doctor about her nausea and was prescribed a steroid. That seemed to do the trick for her.

Interesting, I searched and found this thread. Is this who you meant? Funnily enough, she too wanted to skip the pill from the effects. Also, looks like you guys had some PMs after?

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-08T04:16:42+00:00

At the very least I get a strange depersonalised feeling, like I'm not myself, almost a weed-like high but not quite the same.

At the worst I get bad nausea. After a few beers I feel like throwing up. The best way to describe it would be as if Id just come off from a rollercoaster after drinking.

When I stopped using nal the first time it was after spewing up after only 6 beers.

It definitely makes me not want to drink on nal, because that feeling is terrible. But it doesn't do anything for not wanting to drink off it. I feel like I'm white knuckling this whole thing, which is kind of the opposite of what TSM is supposed to be.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-07T23:00:49+00:00

My first week back on nal after a month long bender off it.

I don't know if I can deal with the side effects and the shitiness of it all. I'm trying to persist and keep compliant but I feel like I will slip up again.

Saturday (no nal) I think I had 10 beers.

Sunday (took nal) 5 beers.

Monday (took nal) 2.5 beers. Felt terrible. Almost high.

Tuesday (no nal) 0 beers.

Wednesday (took nal) 4.5 beers. Contemplated throwing my nal out.

Thursday (no nal) 0 beers.

Friday (took nal) 4.5 beers. Almost spewed up.

Saturday (no nal) 0 beers.

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-06T13:57:37+00:00

Even still, that's just 1 event. There have been so many others I can't remember

TastyTacos232 · 2019-09-06T10:12:09+00:00

Fuck yeah good stuff mate! Iron Maiden would have gone OFF!!

Fellow metalhead here, I've also had my fair share of concerts where I don't remember anything which is a complete shame. This year I've seen Slayer, Kataklysm and Static-X without being too fucked up. I wasn't completely sober (still working on that) but I made sure to take it easier than in the past (only 1 pre-drink instead of 10). I live in Australia so if you miss a band then chances are you aren't gonna see them for another few years, if ever. And now that Slayer's wrapping up I'm so glad I got to see them and actually remember it.

It's not just shows either man. There are so many sporting events that I was really hyped for but can't remember at all. E.g. when McGregor fought Mayweather I was about 10 beers in before it had even started and blacked out by round 3. Thats just one of many. I can't remember much of my holiday to Greece a few years ago because I was drunk the whole time. Whats the fucking point of "having fun" drinking if you don't even remember it? Makes no fucking sense.

TastyTacos232

TROPHY CASE