stargazer016

I think when I initially quit drinking, in the far back of my mind, I had slight hopes of maybe trying to be a moderate drinker after going booze free for a few months. I had zero success moderating from my daily alcohol intake previously while drinking.

I was reading an article yesterday about Naltrexone, a drug used mostly in Europe. It apparently cuts off the high from alcohol in the brain, allowing some people to drink moderately, like having a glass of wine and stopping. (Quite a concept!) In the article, a group of lab rats whom were previously given alcohol, were then cut off for several weeks. When given alcohol again, they all basically went on a week long bender, drinking far more than previously. I have read several similar stories here on SR about people hitting the bottle even harder after quitting for a while. When given Naltrexone, the rats dranks, but at greatly reduced levels. A study in Finland showed that 78% of people seeking harm reduction from alcohol either reduced or stopped drinking using this drug. It is encouraging to see the medical community look for solutions for alcoholism. Here in the US, everything is based on AA and the 12 step approach, which clearly does not work for a great deal of people.

At any rate, it would be very risky for me to try to drink again, even with a drug like this. The whole point of drinking for me was to get that high. No desire on my part to play with fire again. I am in such a better place this January first than I was last January first!