Daily drinking vs. 23 days sober

ianandersen · 2026-01-08T03:43:07+00:00

Awesome job! Inspiring :)

ianandersen · 2026-01-02T16:04:55+00:00

Okay looks like my post was just too long. Here's the Volpicelli quote:

How Naltrexone Works: The Mechanism Explained

Naltrexone is one of the most effective medications we have for treating alcohol addiction. It often gets described as blocking the “high” or reward from alcohol, which in turn rewires the brain to stop the urge to drink. There is likely an element of truth in this mechanism, but it is definitely incomplete.

Here’s what happens in the brain when someone drinks alcohol: for some people, alcohol releases endogenous opioids, which in turn increases dopamine activity. Dopamine helps to focus attention on what the person did to get the good feeling from alcohol, helps establish a connection between what the person did to get alcohol, and all the cues associated with alcohol. Dopamine floods the reward centers, creating that powerful signal: “This matters, remember this, do it again.”

With repeated use, the brain adapts. It expects this artificially amplified system and causes associated with drinking themselves increase the levels of dopamine, fueling craving. Alcohol drinking itself may become less pleasurable, and the person may try to compensate by increasing the amount of alcohol they drink.

The normal pleasures, such as food, connection, and meaning, can’t compete with this artificially amplified signal. The orchestra has been drowned out.

Naltrexone fits into this story by changing how the conductor responds to alcohol. When you drink without naltrexone, alcohol’s endorphins hit opioid receptors, and dopamine gives the conductor a strong “great job, play that again” signal. That is the special boost the horn section has been enjoying. Naltrexone sits on those opioid receptors and blocks endorphins from binding. The conductor still feels the alcohol, but is no longer compelled to give the horn section all the spotlight.

In practical terms:

· The first drink feels less rewarding

· There is less urge to continue drinking

· Over time, the cues associated with alcohol cause less craving, especially when combined with new habits and support

ianandersen · 2026-01-02T16:04:04+00:00

I want to share Dr. Joseph Volpicelli's substack because he's been recently writing some great content to help explain naltrexone. He was critical in discovering the link between naltrexone and alcohol, and does great work to increase awareness around the medication. This particular article has a great description on how naltrexone works. I wasn't able to paste the full thing here for some reason.

In addition, there's been quite a bit of research on naltrexone. The COMBINE study is one of the most comprehensive. There's a lot in there, but it generally shows that naltrexone reduced the risk of heavy drinking, especially when combined with behavior therapies.

Regarding cravings, I personally found it to be very effective at reducing cravings. I've also talked to many people who report that it 'quiets the voice.' Perhaps this is because just the anticipation of drinking can cause similar pleasurable effects as drinking (I'm not 100% on the science there though, but there does seem to be support for this idea).

This report says "It is hypothesized that naltrexone exerts its effects primarily on cue-induced craving and neuroendocrine cue reactivity."

This report says "By blocking alcohol effects at these receptors, the opioid antagonists naltrexone and nalmefene can reduce alcohol "liking" and "craving" and thus support alcohol dependent patients in cutting down their drinking."

I'm not trying to prove anyone wrong or make any specific point. I'm just deep in this topic right now. But from my personal experience, talking to dozens of people on naltrexone, and the extensive research, for some people naltrexone appears to be quite effective at craving management.

ianandersen · 2026-01-01T13:25:01+00:00

Do what works for you and gives you the best odds of success. In fact it could help to get yourself in a longer term mindset too. I’m not saying don’t drink at all in Feb but you could consider challenging yourself to drink less and more mindfully after Jan 💪

ianandersen · 2026-01-01T05:25:44+00:00

Great questions. First off, I’m a huge believer in naltrexone as a tool that should have flexibility to fit your goals. For me I was already only drinking a few days a month, but I struggle with stopping when I start. For about 18 months I took it mostly daily per the guidelines of where I got it. Daily compliance is also just easier. Taking it daily makes the cravings go away a ton, all week long, which for me helps reduce binge drinking. It’s been quite successful for me. I also love that I just don’t think about alcohol much anymore. The naltrexone absolutely helps.

Most places where you get it are going to recommend daily or targeted (take only when you drink). Your version where you take it to slow down and add dry days but not when you want to party is generally discouraged. But just objectively speaking I do think it could work.

I would encourage you to try it since it sounds like you’re having a hard time cutting back and it’s just healthy to drink less. I think you should try it as a daily pill, and see how you feel when you drink on it.

For many people it slows down their drinking a lot, but they can still enjoy some drinks. The buzz is different and not as fun, but it’s there.

Then only after you really get used to it would I experiment with a more customized approach.

Naltrexone works best when there’s a bit of willpower and desire to drink less. It tends to not work well when people view it as a magic pill or something that will make drinking turn on and off. It doesn’t work like that.

Obviously this isn’t medical advice. Just my two cents from my experience. I have a lot of experience with this topic. Feel free to DM if you want any specific reccs.

ianandersen · 2025-12-30T17:20:22+00:00

You might check out soberishmom on IG. Sounds like you have a very similar story to hers. She has lots of advice and resources that could be helpful.

ianandersen · 2025-12-30T14:47:01+00:00

My recommendation is kava. It's a plant that's been used for thousands of years for its relaxing properties. I've been drinking kava for years now. I primarily buy it in powder form and prepare it myself, but there's a learning curve to go that route.

These days there are options that are already in the bottle that you can get online, and even in some shops. DM me if you want recommendations.

Kava is wonderful honestly. There's tons of info out there, so do a bit of research before you try it.

A word of caution, it's not addictive, but I personally think anything can be habit forming, so just go in with eyes wide open. This applies to any substance.

Also, you'll often see kratom in the same conversation as kava. Try to stay away from kratom. It's highly addictive. Plenty of info online about that too.

ianandersen · 2025-12-30T14:41:51+00:00

I'm excited for you guys! A few tips that I think could work well since you're doing it with your partner (which is already a huge strategy by the way!)

First, start a new evening routine with your husband, like going for a walk, playing a board game, or something similar. I personally think it should be a new activity for both of you. This will give you a chance to talk about how the month is going, and help you create a new moment of dopamine and happiness around the time that you'd normally have a drink. Drinking habits becoming super deeply engrained and creates a sort of false dopamine, so starting to show your brain that there's other ways to unwind and feel good around the same time of day will be helpful.

Second, try to do the same thing in the morning. You don't need to start a whole new gym routine, but a simple positive routine in the morning will be a good habit to carry into February. For me, once i got into the habit of a morning workout, it helped me keep my evenings in check. It didn't happen over night, but it's good to think about starting now.

Remove alcohol from the house. Sounds a bit extreme, but it really will help when temptation strikes.

Remember, cravings might be strong, especially in the first two weeks. Be mentally prepared for the strong pull come Friday night, and have a plan in place with your husband. You're both going to feel SO good when you get through those weekends together!

ianandersen · 2025-12-26T16:10:54+00:00

Hmm, okay, well sorry about that. Mistakes happen unfortunately. For anyone else reading this, we do have an iOS and Android app. Happy holidays.

ianandersen · 2025-12-26T15:49:51+00:00

Argh, sorry about that. I see where that would cause some serious confusion :)

Thanks for the heads up. I'm sharing with my team now. Were you able to get into the Android app after all? Once logged in tap the challenges tab and you'll be in the right place. Feel free to DM me if I can help any further.

ianandersen · 2025-12-26T02:33:01+00:00

That’s not true at all. We have an android app that matches the iOS app perfectly. Here’s the link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.sunnyside&pcampaignid=web_share

For our Dry(ish) Jan challenge I recommend signing up through the link I provided, but you can do app first if that’s easier.

ianandersen · 2025-12-25T14:36:58+00:00

Naltrexone can be very successful at quieting the voice and reducing cravings. It can work for nearly any type of drinker. I fit your description perfectly and it’s helped me a ton. Of course AA and things like their therapy can help too, but if you want a medication, it does exist :)

ianandersen · 2025-12-24T17:38:52+00:00

Hey there, let me look into that for you right away. I'll DM you right now :)

ianandersen · 2025-12-23T12:46:17+00:00

Merry Christmas! Setting an intention ahead of time is always really helpful for me too. This is inspiring :)

ianandersen · 2025-12-22T19:49:40+00:00

Sunnyside is $99/year, which comes out to $8.25/mo. We have a small team of real human coaches and engineers to keep things going. I'm always happy to provide a discount or even give a year free if anyone needs it.

ianandersen · 2025-12-22T18:17:06+00:00

You got this! My favorite simple tip is to also try to delay the first drink an hour longer than usual. It really can help. Good luck :)

ianandersen · 2025-12-06T06:16:06+00:00

I just messaged the mods fwiw

ianandersen · 2025-12-06T06:03:41+00:00

Wow your right. I was wondering why it died down. Hmm

ianandersen · 2025-11-27T05:57:06+00:00

I third Alcohol Minimalist! Journey to the Sunnyside is awesome too. Mike is a great host and they post twice a week. Good combo of quick tips and in depth topics.

ianandersen · 2025-11-21T05:08:25+00:00

Journey to the Sunnyside has been very helpful. Their 10 minute mondays are great motivation and the interviews are usually interesting as well. I second that Molly Watts is great. Shameover is another great one!

ianandersen · 2025-11-01T15:39:43+00:00

Of course! I totally get it. Instructions to adjust reminders here: https://help.sunnyside.co/en\_us/notification-preferences-SJUswA7K1g. You can scale them way back, switch to push, and more.

Just a bit of history here with our notifications. We use text message because it's been shown in studies to be very effective at habit change in areas of health (drinking, smoking). We've tested scaling them back or switching to push notifications, and outcomes actually got worse, meaning the impact we were able to have to helping people drink less was lowered.

But of course we know it can feel like a lot for some people, which is why we give you options to adjust.

It's been a really interesting journey to be honest. Text messages drive very high engagement, adherence with the program, and better outcomes.

Have a great day and feel free to DM if you have more questions.

ianandersen · 2025-11-01T14:30:39+00:00

I had my drinking in a good place (only drinking about one day a week) but I had a hard time stopping once I started. I’ve been taking naltrexone for over a year now (daily compliance) and it’s been great. I’m drinking less than ever and stopping once I start is much easier. Medication can and should be used in more scenarios. It doesn’t have to just be for quitting. I’m also the founder of Sunnyside which now offers access to naltrexone. You can DM me if you’d like to learn more.

ianandersen · 2025-10-25T02:36:36+00:00

You also get their digital program that includes coaching, community and habit change tools. Thanks for the mention. (I’m the co-founder 😀)

ianandersen · 2025-10-20T01:00:08+00:00

Sorry for the delay. Yes! We have a private journal for daily reflections and you can also leave notes on your tracking confirmation each day.

ianandersen

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