Good Morning all. Today is day 25 for me, feeling good, determined and proud. To be honest though I’ve avoided most of my triggers, not socializing much (easy with Covid) and visiting with out of town family (that will happen in a couple of weeks). A just started This Naked Life audible book and yesterday I started The Alcohol Experiment which is 30 days. I want to tap any resources that may help me on my journey. Curious if anyone here has 1) read the book and/or 2) done the experiment? Helpful?? Thanks!
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I did it, I learnt a lot from that and the book. It was my first try at a sobriety ‘program’ and while it didn’t stick straight away I credit it for pointing me in the right direction.
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Thanks Misokatsu! Sober Talk is my first real attempt at a sober life and so far so good but I thought it a good idea to stock up my arsenal of tools to help! Appreciate your reply!
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I read the book but I did not do the experiment because I know that I’m not capable of any type of moderation. That ship sailed for me a long time ago.
This Naked Mind is one of the main things that really helped me stay sober in my first few months. I recommend it to everyone. I don’t totally agree with her idea of the whole “experiment” thing because I think it can be a slippery slope but I’m sure it’s worked for some people. The rest of the book really spoke to me though and I got so much out of it.
That book coupled with this community are the only reasons I was able to make it through my first couple months of sobriety and break through into a life where I’m now finally comfortable and truly happy with not drinking.
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It was a while ago I did it, but as I remember, the experiment isn’t about moderation, and the obvious hope is that after the month u feel so good u want to stay sober forever. But definitely some people might use the end of the month to go back to destructive drinking unfortunately. I get the feeling she doesn’t want to scare off any potential customers who are on the less serious end of the alcohol abuse scale.
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Yeah I got the same impression for sure. I just knew I had to immediately cut out alcohol permanently or I would lose everything. You have a good point about the less serious customers…That way the book had a little bit of something for people on various parts of the spectrum.
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I tried to keep it going myself after the experiment, but relapsed twice before getting the “zero alcohol for u missy” message. Good for u for getting the message straightaway. Still, I learnt a lot and will always be grateful for it.
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Oh I didn’t get it straightaway lol, it took me years of knowing I needed to quit but just couldn’t (wouldn’t?) , so I didn’t even bother trying until I realized it was all or nothing.
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Thanks to both of you! I did catch on day one the position of “you decide at the end what is best for you” ie moderation or abstinence. I’m pretty sure I’m also a “no alcohol for you missy” but I’m going ODAAT for now. I will say that at day 25, the benefits I’ve gotten far outweigh the days of feeling like crap mentally and physically when I drink. THIS app and group of supporters is the best thing I’ve done for myself in decades!!
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I’m so glad you already see the benefits! I just had to get through the first month or 2 and then I realized that 99% of what scared me about sobriety wasn’t real. Then I went further and learned that the opposite was true and 99% of my problems were actually caused by alcohol.
Congrats on your 25 days!!
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Maybe try a meeting will help , dont really read many books maybe the Big Book.AA got me the program keeps me sober not books but as i always say if it keeps you sober then thats fine wish you well
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Yeah, didn’t get much into TNM, but many here swear by it.
Wanted to say though, “experiment” is sort of a euphemism in AA too. Dunno if it’s the same in the book. Referring to the honest suggestion, “Not sure if you’re an alcoholic? Why don’t you go have ‘just one drink,’ then let us know how that goes?” The point isn’t to prove anything to anyone other than ourselves.
Of course by the time most people show up in the rooms, they’ve already “experimented” with controlled drinking a lot. I sure had. Tried controlling how much I drank, what I drank, when I drank, where I drank. If it was one it always ended in too many. Every. Time.
It’s so insane looking back, I hate suggesting it to anyone else. So many mental calories trying to control something I never could. In hindsight, the suggestion “have you tried just not drinking?” was the right one for me and is so much easier. Cut and dry, clean and simple.
It’s one of those things you don’t know about yourself until you experience it, I guess. 
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Well done on 25 days. I’m 9 at the mo. Not done the alcohol experiment. Just finished alcohol explained on audible audio book. Found it really useful. Lots of useful information about subconscious and physical effects etc. One of the most useful bits I found was were it says breaking events down into separate components with alcohol being just one. Then asking what does alcohol add? For me, good situations were no better and often worse or spoilt and bad situations were worse. It’s simplified it a bit for me- if it’s adding nothing or adding negatives, why am I doing it? That mindset has helped me completely remove the desire, thereby removing any craving. It’s difficult to crave something I don’t want. Sticking with aa anyway. Peer support and shared experience is invaluable.
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Morning (from the UK) 
Firstly, big 
on 25, now 26 days of being sober and I imagine I’ll be feeling the same as you when I get there.
I have done the experiment before but admittedly wasn’t ready so didn’t commit. I love how it’s read and laid out so it’s a keeper, and am now 5 days in with not a drop. There’s a suggestion about experimenting with alcohol at the end and filming or at least documenting the experience, but by no means is she pushing that to happen and it is a choice. The information given is an eye-opener and a relief because it makes sense. Naming your belief about alcohol and then declaring your reality with it is powerful because you can no longer argue that alcohol serves you well.
Im also reading TNM and some bits have scared the shit out of me! Which I need.
Reading and educating is what I think I need to do to continue being sober and willingly so, not just clocking up the days waiting for when enough have passed so I’m “safe” to drink again. Hope you find it useful if you do try it.
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Thank you Norgs! Sounds like you and I are walking a very similar path, let’s keep up the contact! I’m about to do Day 3 of the experiment and today I’m at 26 AF days! I am SO excited for that 30 day badge to pop up and can’t wait to share that milestone. I too quite like what I’m learning from The Naked Mind and the experiment so far. For example, when we “blame” we are giving away our power, that was an AH HA moment for me. Blaming a long stressful work day for having that entire bottle of wine that evening for example, WOW! This is the first time I’ve EVER attempted a sober life and I’ve clocked quite a few trips around the sun! I’m going to encounter some of my biggest triggers soon but I can say for certain that I feel stronger and have better tools in my belt going into those than I ever have before. Not perfect and not arrogant enough to say, no way will I falter but I truly feel better equipped going in than ever before! Appreciate your insights. Be well!
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Keep us posted on your progress wish you well
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Thanks Ray! You were one of the first persons to welcome me and offer encouragement, very grateful for that (and you!)
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Yes I finished the 30 day and still trying to stay sober. Day 72 today 
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I’ve heard of the experiment, never tried it as an experiment. Anyway after 1.5 years of sobriety (in AA) i quit AA and tried moderation. Before AA i was binge drinker, couldn’t stop at all, maybe for 2 days or a week after binge. So after AA, when i read a lot of books, when i heard thousands of stories from addicts, i had some image of how the disease goes, heard lots of times that alcoholic cant moderate and definitely can’t control amount of alcohol.
I decided to drink one beer after 1.5 years of sobriety. I thought maybe i can moderate. When i finished it i bought 1 more. Then 1 more. That evening i was observing myself, i honestly saw i can’t moderate. I planned to drink 1 beer, and drank 3. Then i was sober for 3 weeks and drank again, and my drinking grew exponentially, it took 3 months to have a binge. And i tried moderation after, it never worked. Even if i could moderate in company, when i was alone, i drank as much as i wanted, and i wanted too much.
I don’t like it when people tell me relapse is a part of the way, of that you should avoid relapse. I don’t like any external advice on it, it doesn’t work. Only my own experience works, when i deeply feel that i choose sobriety, when i see that alcohol doesn’t do any good. Trying moderation helped me to see what alcohol does to me, and i tried it being already in recovery, kept reading, listening and talking to people about alcoholism. In general, it was ok to try it, when i already knew the way out - the recovery program i was in.
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Amazing! Well done, I’ll finally get my 30 days soon and get more excited by the minute!
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