Fast forward to today, I’m sober. I met & married the man of my dreams, I’ve lost 20kg and have no desire to drink. Life is brilliant. Still 50/50, there’s good and bad but nothing like the agony of drinking. Today I am 434 days alcohol-free, with the help of Naltrexone and compliance with the Sinclair Method. I’m now excited to say that I’m a nondrinker. In Sinclair language I’ve reached ‘extinction.’ I’ve got my sober momentum back & life is amazing again.

This is a picture of my weekend Then and Now- Before and After I stopped drinking and finally stayed sober using Naltrexone and The Sinclair method:

Friday (then)–

‘Oh my gosh, what a week. Wine time!!’

This was all good (not really) until I finished bottle uno & moved onto the second.

Friday (now)– Yes, the markets are on- amazing food & great atmosphere! (Plus I remember the night).

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Saturday (then)–

‘Oh my gosh, my head, what did I do? Where’s my phone? Check messages/calls….possibly die from what I read, worse a long conversation I have no recollection of. Arg ….hmmm pretending I feel fine ‘let’s go to lunch somewhere!’

Code, I need to drink at least 3 to get rid of this god-awful shame/hangover.

Saturday (now)– wake up early, relax with coffee, work out, get dressed feeling fresh & amazing. Hubby & I go on a hike with lunch to visit waterfalls (we’re lucky to live in a part of Aus where they’re everywhere).

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Sunday (then)–

repeat Saturday, with the impending doom of Monday! Tell myself I’ll keep it tame, I have work tomorrow (I was never tame). If I’m still conscious by the evening, the sound of the ticking music of the show ‘60 minutes’ is taunting my poor choices…yes Monday is looming!

Sunday (now)– up early, lazy coffees, exercise feeling amazing! Head out to the waterfront for ice cream with hubby.

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Monday (then)–

wake up with a jolt at 3am, drink gallons of water,

‘this has to stop!’…..

wake up again with barely enough time to get ready, get something greasy & a Powerade on the way to work. The anxiety condition I already have is through the f#cking roof!

‘This. Has. To. Stop.’

Monday (now)– up early, relaxing with coffee & BOOM about to exercise & get ready for work. No anxiety, no stress!

Slog out the week and hey, it’s Friday again!! Yesssss 

When I first decided to give naltrexone and the Sinclair Method a go, I got a prescription, waited an hour & had some wine….I had 2.5 glasses & tipped the rest down the sink. After months of slipping and sliding, I had my handbrake back! I continued to drink, making sure I had the Naltrexone 1 hour before. Initially, it was exciting, yes you can get a bit buzzed but you don’t get the surge of dopamine. Slowly you begin to dislike the taste & your brain begins to rewire itself. After almost a year of working with Naltrexone, I have reached what they refer to in ‘Sinclair language’ as extinction.

For me this became achievable with strict adherence to the Sinclair Method, taking Naltrexone 1 hour before drinking. It gave me back my off switch. I could have 2 or 3 drinks & stop! I never cheated the program, I took Naltrexone 1 hour before EVERY TIME I drank. I was relieved, I didn’t have to give up my wine! Slowly the Naltrexone began to create new pathways in my brain….Wine no longer gave me the huge dopamine surge it once did. Alcohol started to lose its appeal. Now the thought of wine creates a physical reaction, I get a foul taste in my mouth. It’s like thinking about sucking a lemon!

This doesn’t work for everyone. If you have already stopped drinking and have some sober momentum going, hold that sacred! The Sinclair method ‘bible’ is called ‘The Cure for Alcoholism.’ There is also a private Facebook group called The Sinclair Method Warriors. If you’re thinking about trying naltrexone join ‘The Sinclair Warriors’ Facebook group and see the successes & failures.

We’re also here in the BOOM Rethink the Drink Community every day to share stories, support, and talk it through, whether you want to try Naltrexone, the Sinclair Method, or any of the other many methods available to take your life back from the alcohol trap.

Rethink the Drink ! The spirit is not in the bottle it’s in You!

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This post was written by a member of the BOOM Rethink the Drink Community for the Boozemusings Blog based on her personal experience. Neither Boozemusings nor BOOM, advocates the use of Naltrexone or the Sinclair Method above other techniques for stopping drinking.

In our BOOM Rethink the Drink Community, a private anonymous group, we use a blogging format to tell our stories, share daily thoughts and observations, and support each other in reaching our goals and evolving our lives. You can read more about us here :

How Posting in the BOOM Community can help you Rethink the Drink

Some of the members of our community are working toward moderate drinking goals and others toward sobriety.

You can find information on our Moderate Drinking Group Here:

How to Use the Moderate Drinking Group in BOOM

And if you have had enough and are ready to stop drinking you’ll find a variety of ideas and experience in the following posts:

How to Stop Drinking Alcohol When You’ve Decided Enough is Enough

My Long Journey to Sobriety and the Three D’s I Learned in Alcohol Rehab

Using Antabuse to Beat the Binge Drinking Routine

Simple Solutions to Beat the Binge Drinking Routine

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