Less Cynical

[Becoming cynical]

Hi
When l posted here at the beginning of September I was feeling quite hopeless about my partner, he got drunk the day he started Naltrexone. Here we are weeks later and he’s taking his medication, seeing the GP and AOD counsellor regularly and hasn’t had a drink for almost 2 months. A couple of weeks back l had this bad feeling that he’d be drunk when l got home. He said it had been a hard day and he’d thought about drinking and chose not to. Maybe this time he won’t lapse and the drinking will be over, or maybe he will lapse…. I am enjoying the break and respect his effort

[Lhiver]

hey @Becoming cynical that's really great t hear! It sounds like he is making a concerted effort to stick with his medication and make an active change in his behaviour.

Respect is such an integral element of all relationships, so feeling that you are getting that respect from your partner again is so important

While it's difficult, do you feel you would be prepared if he did lapse?

[Becoming cynical]

Recently we talked about what happened last time. He was sober for quite a while, maybe a year. Then he was offered a drink after work and thought that one wouldn’t hurt… On his good, strong, thoughtful days he knows that he can’t sustain moderate drinking. It has really been a lovely rest from dealing with his drunk self, so in some ways a lapse now would be more manageable than life was before. I know for myself that when l was trying to quit cannabis in ALL my earlier attempts there was a tiny part of me that was looking forward to my next smoke because my tolerance would be so low that l’d get very affected. Last time l stopped l didn’t have that thinking; it really was over finally. I also know for myself that there was value in all my quit attempts. I hope to be able to manage a lapse in a non-destructive way

[Lhiver]

hey @Becoming cynical I wanted to check I and see how things have been the past two weeks?

I can hear a lot of understanding and empathy in how you view a possible lapse. Being able to draw on your own experiences takes a lot of strength and compassion.