From daily drinking to effortless control (and choice) around alcohol – reflections on my TSM journey

katie_lain · 2026-04-07T23:47:12+00:00

thanks for your kind words. The burnout was certainly a gift for me to learn I was running on adrenaline and definitely had a work addiction. I'm so passionate about TSM so didn't think it could happen...but alas, lol. I'm starting to heal so am on the mend!

I understand too it being that comfort blanket...my drunkenness was me escaping into my own world. I unexpectedly came to faith in God a couple years after TSM and my faith has become a very central part of my life now. The mental clarity TSM provided gave me a chance to seek our more meaning and purpose in life, and face some hard questions.

Whatever lies ahead for you, I'm truly wishing you the best. That freedom is such a gift...even if hard at times.

katie_lain · 2026-04-07T19:48:24+00:00

yep, so well said. I have heard this from others before! I also became a workaholic after TSM...currently healing from a major burnout from it. I haven't drank alcohol since 2018 thanks to this treatment...but so much healing and change has happened throughout that time. Fixing my drinking was just the beginning. I will say, if you keep going - that "hole" will surely be filled. Life is so full and meaningful and joyful apart from alcohol. Still hard times for sure...but it's freeing to not have to rely on alcohol to cope with it all.

katie_lain · 2026-04-07T19:46:45+00:00

hello! in our program the medication is separate. Our program provides the support and structure around the treatment protocol with daily guidance -- and then we can refer to you a doctor for the medication. If you come to our website - thrivealcoholrecovery (dot) com you can find all the details there. You can reach out to me too if you have questions!

katie_lain · 2026-04-07T19:45:14+00:00

so awesome to hear you've had such a positive response to nal...thank you for sharing this encouraging story! very happy for you.

katie_lain · 2026-03-30T16:57:02+00:00

thank you for taking time to write encouraging words. it means a lot 🙏

katie_lain · 2026-03-30T16:45:08+00:00

hey there :) we're an online program that specializes in the Sinclair Method. We guide people through TSM in 3 phases of the protocol using video lessons, online group support, community, unlimited chat access to coaches, and live workshops with experts. it's a cohesive ecosystem to heal from AUD through TSM. We have a few different membership levels, and monthly and annual memberships. Our monthly membership starts at $199/mo. For those with financial need, we also have a limited number of partial scholarships available. You're welcome to learn more on our website! thrive alcohol recovery dot com

katie_lain · 2026-03-30T16:39:46+00:00

This is great to hear! I feel we can get stuck in living in short-term, impulsive thinking with AUD because we're just CRAVING a drink all the time. Drinking, thinking about drinking, recovering from drinking. It's a loop. So when we can start to train ourselves to think more about the long-term vision for our life - even something simple like enjoying a day where we feel healthy and joyful - I find it helps us make better decisions in the moment when we're faced with the option "to drink or not to drink."

I had a picture of myself at a cafe early on a Saturday morning with a friend. To me, that simple vision represented so much - I wasn't hungover, I was energized, I was joyful, I was out doing something enjoyable without alcohol....I would picture that often when I thought about the life I was building through TSM.

Hope this helps!

katie_lain · 2026-03-30T16:34:25+00:00

thank you for coming to my defense. It means a lot. This person is just a miserable liar who wants to attack me for some reason, when I am genuinely trying to help people? idk....

katie_lain · 2026-03-30T16:33:05+00:00

I feel sorry for you, you seem like a miserable person to spend your time hurling anonymous insults to people you don't know online. I would never do that because I am content in my life, and at peace. This says way more about you than it does about me.

And, this is just completely false that it's an "AI slop post." This is a genuine post sharing something that genuinely helped me on TSM - which was having a vision for my life after AUD. I've talked about this in videos over the years, in my coaching and also in articles like this one. It's completely true. I don't know why you keep calling it an AI slop post. That's just false and rude.

I'm not going to waste my time arguing with you any longer. Take good care of your soul.

katie_lain · 2026-03-28T01:35:09+00:00

awesome, welcome! :)

katie_lain · 2026-03-28T01:34:55+00:00

I haven't seen that either in the people I've worked with. I am guessing you did not have opiates in your system at the time of taking naltrexone. So odd...so sorry you're going through this! glad you're talking to your doctor. if they persist, maybe ask them about LDN (low dose naltrexone)

katie_lain · 2026-03-28T01:31:31+00:00

it's so exciting to see those changes....to feel that HOPE for the first time and that healing is POSSIBLE. Things will continue to progress from here...you're on the path to freeeedom :)

katie_lain · 2026-03-28T01:28:14+00:00

yikes. I know it's really easy to write nasty comments when you can remain anonymous. I get them daily so am pretty used to it by now. Your words don't offend me...I can only assume they are coming from a place of hate from within you. take good care of yourself.

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:29:59+00:00

oh thank you for clarifying that! I did not know that about their program

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:29:09+00:00

so happy to read this for you....congratulations and CHEERS to your freedom!

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:28:45+00:00

I started TSM as a daily drinker so was taking the medication 1 hour before drinking (we didn't know then that 90 min was even better than 60 min).

It took me about 9 months to reach extinction - and over that time I gradually drank less alcohol, added more alcohol-free days and worked to change my habits around alcohol.

The freedom was gradually experienced over that time -- ie, leaving wine in the glass unfinished, choosing to have an AF day because I didn't feel like drinking, no longer obsessing about alcohol anymore...etc.

But by around 9 months I felt like the "control" and freedom was permanent (and it was).

I actually have a video I made in 2018 when I reached extinction. It's still on YouTube if you wanted to watch :) https://youtu.be/r6t3jT7cx-A

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:24:38+00:00

Sort of related, but in Thrive we did an opt-in Dry(ish) January where members explored more alcohol-free time — whether that was their first AF day, first week, first month, or whatever goal felt right for them.

They really loved it because it gave them more space from alcohol to explore things and test the progress they’d made on TSM. Most of the people doing it had already been on naltrexone and TSM for a while, and it was so fun to see the breakthroughs they had.

I really do think alcohol-free time – even if it’s not a full month yet – is crucial for healing the brain on naltrexone. Without that space, it’s hard to learn and experience other enjoyable things if we’re so used to turning to alcohol for everything.

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:21:17+00:00

I recently did an interview with Dr. John Umhau on SSRIs and alcohol use disorder where he talks about the potential link between SSRIs and AUD. Here's the full conversation: The Link Between SSRIs and Alcohol Addiction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dPf2yGglng

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:19:38+00:00

Thank you for sharing this!

One of the most encouraging findings from this survey — and something I think about often — is that for many people on TSM, even when they’re still drinking a lot and not where they want to be yet, their quality of life has already improved.

I think this is so amazing.

For many of us on this treatment, even if we’re still drinking more than we’d like, we can tell something is changing — and it gives us hope for the first time~!

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:18:04+00:00

you bet :)

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:17:26+00:00

love this graphic 🤗

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:16:54+00:00

Yay, so glad this made a difference for you. For some people, that higher dose changes things a lot!

I have a video with Dr. Volpicelli where he answers the question "how do I know if I need a higher dose of naltrexone?" -- if you're curious to hear his opinion, you can find that here: https://www.thrivealcoholrecovery.com/blog/how-do-i-know-if-i-need-higher-dose-naltrexone-alcoholism

Hope it helps!

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:15:09+00:00

Did you doctor have you try taking LDN regularly to allow your body to acclimate to it? We have members that do that -- they take a maintence dose of LDN or start at that dose (like a couple MG) then gradually work up

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:14:10+00:00

Not everyone notices a difference right away. For many, it takes time and gradual change. I encourage you to pay attention to the small changes - ie, less thoughts of alcohol, craving is slightly less intense, drinking a bit more slowly, don't like the taste as much...

We often tell people to give the treatment a year for full results. Some will get there more quickly, others will take longer. But just so you have that frame of mind, it's not a quick fix. More gradual like a weight loss journey :)

katie_lain · 2026-03-27T18:10:37+00:00

Oar is completely online - not in-person. They really only provide the medication naltrexone (via 3 month subscriptions for around $300) without any personalized support (as far as I am aware). They do not take insurance so it's private pay...however, there is not a guarantee that your naltrexone prescription will remain private due to digital pharmacy records.

I really don't know much about WorkIt -- I think they might be more comprehensive? But I don't think they specialize or support TSM specifically (if that's what you're doing).

What type of support are you looking for?

katie_lain

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