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Trying again

Posted , 9 users are following.

cathy16372
cathy16372

Hi all hope that you are ok. Joined this forum along time ago, but never followed it up unfortunately. Im worried that my drinking is getting out of hand. I can go 2 nights but then will find an excuse to have a few drinks. It's usually 2 1/2 cans of lagar...husband has the other half with his drinks and 3 double vodka & coke. Im 61 next werk and petrified that I have left it too late to stop and in effect have shortened my life. Desperate for some advice on how to stop. Any help will be really appreciated x

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • h1954
    h1954 cathy16372

    Posted

    Hi Cathy at a similar age I understand what you're saying. Google the Sinclair method, if you can go a couple of days without drinking quite easily, it might be the thing for you. Joanna on this site is the expert so hopefully she will reply too. God luck
  • Sober_As
    Sober_As cathy16372

    Posted

    Hello Cathy,

    I will be 61 this year, as well... if spared !  So I recognise the age/health aspect of your concern.  My personal worry is that I won't be able to stop, soon enough to save myself.  I know that is a bit melodramatic... but that is how I am😩.

    You need to devise a plan to suit you.  The Sinclair Method may indeed address your problem.  I hope so.

    Do Post again, to share progress on your journey.

    I have a good feeling about you( I'm not Simon Cowell).... someone else said that, on here, some time ago... and it made me Laugh Out Loud !

    That aside... I truly do feel that you will win your war.

    All power to your will.

    Blessings from

    Alonangel ( 60 year old alcoholic lady... for decades) 

    P.S. I am currently failing in the fight !

  • Paper_fairy
    Paper_fairy cathy16372

    Posted

    Hi Cathy. Glad to have you on the site. Really feel for you but you will get so much help on here so please be positive. You can get well again through either naltrexone or campral. Im no expert but people with more experience will hopefully post to you. Please have hope as you can get well again.

    Blessings xx

  • RHGB
    RHGB cathy16372

    Posted

    Well, I don't think Selincro (nalmefene) would be the way to go for you, as you are not alcohol dependent. Alcohol dependent is where your body has become dependent on it and you cannot go a day without it. Once it has left your system from the night before, you start to crave it.

    Because you can happily go a couple of days without, before you give in to temptation means that it is down to something else. There are probably two reasons for this, one, you get to the third day and your willpower caves in or two, something happens on that third day that is different to the other days.

    It may be that you do something interesting on the two days and on the third nothing, so your mind drifts to alcohol. It is much the same if your willpower lasts only two days, you need to find something to keep your mind occupied. Unfortunately, watching evening TV that is endless soaps and mindless game or 'talent' shows, does not really stretch the brain much.

    The only other alternative is medication and there might be one that suits someone like you who doesn't drink all the time and that's Campral. For most people it helps them not crave alcohol, you almost forget about it and it doesn't really have any side effects. The downside is that you would have to go to one of the alcohol recovery charities and battle with them to get them to prescribe it to you as your GP is unlikely to prescribe it. But nothing worth having comes easy in life.

    So there are a couple of options, find out what your trigger is and do something to avoid it. We all have them, I avoid most social occasions because I cannot drink soft drinks. Or go down the very good medication route, but there is a bit of hard work involved to get it.

    • h1954
      h1954 RHGB

      Posted

      That's interesting, RHGB, my alcohol worker suggested nalmefene for me for the very reason that I didn't drink every day, to help me drink less on the drinking days. But that was over a year ago and maybe we know more about the drug now. I don't use it anyway.
    • vickylou
      vickylou h1954

      Posted

      RHGB, from my point of view, is spot on.

      Neither my GP or alcohol services claimed to have never heard of naltrexone/nalmefeme. 

      The research I've done shows that for people who are not alcohol 

      dependant , naltrexone/nalmefeme are not suitable.

      I took campral for a year and can honestly say the thought of not drinking for 12 months filled me with doom. If you can get through the first week on campral, the cravings tend to disappear and you find yourself not thinking about drinking.

       

    • vickylou
      vickylou

      Posted

      sorry, my post was meant for Cathy 
    • Joanna-SMUKLtd
      Joanna-SMUKLtd vickylou

      Posted

      If someone is struggling to either control their alcohol consumption then nalmefene or naltrexone can be used.  They may not be physically dependent, but psychologically dependent.  If they weren't dependant in any way, then they would not consistently drink when they didn't intend to, or be unable to control consumption when they do drink, or have struggled with constantly breaking self imposed 'rules' about their drinking.

      Either naltrexone or nalmefene can be used in these circumstances.  More likely nalmefene though, since it is recommended that doctors prescribe this for 'mild to moderate' dependence.

      Though not obtained on the NHS, I know of a few people who are using naltrexone in order to prevent themselves having issues in the future. These people have already exhibited some minor issues with alcohol and have a history of alcohol disorder in their family and have chosen to play safe.  For them, they didn't want not drink ever, but they weighed up the pros and cons and decided that they would prefer to have a naltrexone tablet before any social drinking to protect them from developing long term difficulties.

    • vickylou
      vickylou Joanna-SMUKLtd

      Posted

      Hi joanna

      I was under the impression (obviously wrong) that you only took a tablet when you're intending to drink.

      I can quite easily (apart from stopping after a binge) not drink for a couple of months, went four years af.

      I can share a bottle of wine with my oh and not crave anymore. Depending what social things or holidays we've got on, I don't drink.

      After my 4 years of not drinking, then suddenly thinking I'm ok to drink now, if I'd taken naltrexone then, would I have started binges again, or not wanting to stop once started.

      I have got the tablets, but never used them. I'm in a good place drink wise now and can take it or leave it (alcohol) I don't work and will not be drinking this week. On that basis am I alright to start taking a daily naltrexone to avoid any binges and just drink socially?

      Thank you for your advice 

    • Joanna-SMUKLtd
      Joanna-SMUKLtd vickylou

      Posted

      You are correct, Vickylo, in that you only take a tablet when you are intending to drink - but it doesn't matter if you don't drink for a while, and then take a tablet because a drinking occasion has come up.

      The tablet will stop the 'more, more, more' happening in your brain. 

      So, whenever you DO drink, taking the tablet an hour before will help you decide when you have had enough and are satisfied.  You have to act on that of course, but yes if you act on it then it will allow you to drink socially without a binge happening.  If you ignore the message, and continue to drink even though your brain is telling you that you have had enough, then the binge will happen.

      Do not take the tablets daily if you do not intend to drink.  They won't help and can make things worse because blocking yourself from receiving endorphins every day is not a good way to live.

      I may not drink for a few months at a time now, but I chose to occasionlly enjoy a glass or two of wine with a meal sometimes (that is what social drinking is for me, but everyone is different).  I could easily remain abstinent as I am 100% craving free, but I chose to have a drink when I do.  Therefore, I take a tablet one hour before I do as a way to protect myself from sliding backwards into AUD again.  I never, ever want to go back to the hell I was in!!

       

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