Partner with the TSM Process

The Sinclair Method is called a medication-assisted treatment for a reason—the medication assists you in your recovery. Dr Sinclair went one step further and called the treatment a "dual therapy" due to the differences between what the medication does during extinction sessions, and what the individual does on alcohol-free days.

The medication works in the background to do the one thing you can’t - it lowers your cravings. CBT, 12-step, and other abstinence-only recovery programs that do not use medications help you learn how to navigate cravings, but they don’t actually eliminate them. That’s why so many people relapse after these programs. They have only addressed half of the issue.

When you fail to work as a partner with the medication, the same problem can happen, but in the opposite order—you can get rid of your cravings, but still drink at harmful levels if you are not equipped to deal with stressors, triggers, habits or unresolved traumas.

Below are some tips for working as a partner with the medication:

• Never drink on an empty stomach
• Drink a glass of water between each drink containing alcohol
• If you drink wine or liquor, carefully measure your pour
• Track your drinks
• Track your cravings
• Don’t let others refill your glass
• Identify habits you’ve built around alcohol and start to disrupt them
• Find non-alcoholic alternatives
• Ask yourself why you want the next drink before you get it
• Find an accountability partner (friend, TSM coach, peer supporter, therapist)
• Take full advantage of your alcohol-free days