Naltrexone my progress.......

what is the cost of this private?

I've emailed that question to the clinic and waiting for the response. I saw online you can buy it for 96p a pill which is doable even on benefits, but I'm not sure if it's a reputable site? If it is 96p then I will buy it myself. It's a miracle drug that has worked for me. I have however read that some medications are based on how much you believe it will work? In that case I fear that one day it might stop working? Last year I used hypnosis which worked for 4 months then stopped working and I was gambling again and in crisis. My life is over if I can't afford this medication, soon enough I'll be out of control again after a bout of depression. I'm doomed basically lol. Naltrexone also stops your cravings to drink alcohol, I haven't had my pill for 3 days not and I'm I've got a thirst I can tell you! You have to wait 7 days for the drug to leave your system before you can drink tho or it will make you sick.

If this drug is 96p a tablet I can only tell everyone who has tried everything else to buy it. It made me sick for 10 hours the first time I took it but you have to stick with it, it's worth it.

Stu

The NHS treat all sorts of people who have done irresponsible things so it is not fair that they have stopped prescribing to you. They talked of the same drug for me when I attended the NPGC but due to previous history it did not go ahead. I did try Baclofen which I got a prescription from a private doctor who seemed genuinely embarrassed to take £200 of me but I drive too much ( it can make you sleepy ) to really know if that was ever good for me

Well the clinic has written to my doctor about my situation and needing the Naltrexone. I'm not expecting good news, my doctor called me telling me the NHS in in my area of the country is unwilling to prescribe me the drug anymore. I'll let you all know if and where you can buy the drug privately and how much it costs. I haven't had my pill for a week now but haven't gambled or been tempted. Gambling is no longer any  fun for me like it used to be. It only makes me feel incredibly depressed and hateful. I no longer have any discipline or interest in following the form etc. When I gamble it's self-destructive and leaves me feeling dreadful and wishing for death. How or why I'm still alive God only knows. If I'd been born American I'm certain I would have shot myself. I'm only really here because I haven't got access to a gun. 

On the positive side, I've been going to see a CBT counsellor and it's very evident that my way of thinking is incredibly negative and toxic. Gaining new coping strategies gives me hope that I might not relapse again even without the Naltexone. I've got an interview for a job in May so trying to get my life back together.

Stu

 Naltrexone is a cheap drug and proven very effective, especially when you read Dr Olivier Ameisen's " The end of my addiction ". It is widely used in France for alcoholism but barely gets a mention in this country. I won't go into the politics here. It's more than interesting to me to hear of how it seems to be working with you regarding gambling and your comments about alcohol.

I hope you update your story here Stu.

I got that a little mixed up. Dr Oliver Ameisen used Baclofen. It is the Sinclair method and others that use Naltrexone to reduce cravings for alcohol.

Hi canterbury100,

Although it's a difficult time regarding the uncertainty of your medication it's great to hear that you've found the CBT therapy beneficial. 

I had a 23 yr progressive gambling, drink and drug addiction which took me to suicidal ideation. I tried everything possible to try and stop and suffered countless failed attempts. The final option I tried was CBT therapy and to my amazement I have found a life I never thought possible through using the therapy tools to challenge my self defeating cognitions. It took me a period of constant work and mindfulness to see the fruits of my labour. I was so amazed by the transformation of myself that I'm now a qualified CBT therapist and help people be free of low self esteem, anger, frustration, resentment, guilt, shame etc. It would be amazing if it was possible for you to be free from addiction via therapy as there are no side effects unlike meds. 

Thanks for sharing your journey! 

Regards. 

Yes, went to my CBT session today and I can see how I've been going wrong in life due to my toxic thought process and non-existent coping strategies. When I'm wondering if I want to go on, it's impossible to fight the cravings to gamble. I've been lucky to have an excellent counsellor and it's on a one-on-one basis so I can ask question whereas in a group setting it wasn't as helpful. When I found out the doctor wasn't going to prescribe the Naltrexone, I was on my laptop looking at ways to end myself. However, I put the CBT into action, went to the gym and in an hour I'd snapped out of my desperate mood. Basically I need to change a huge area of my life because I can go from having a great day to suicidal in a short time. Joining the gym has helped massively and going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time each day as almost cured my insomnia.

Things are getting better every day.

Stu

Hi canterbury100,

I'm so pleased that you are feeling more positive. Putting CBT tools into practise takes practise and alot of mindfulness. When I was beginning to implement change via CBT therapy i would have some struggles inbetween good times and it was important for me to remember that I'm only human and that I'm learning a new skill which takes time and practice. I sometimes found myself saying that i SHOULD always get it right but by doing this I was self downing and lowering my self esteem instead of increasing it.

Regards.

Dear @canterbury100 ,

glad to hear that although you no longer are on medication you feel the benefits of other forms of support and treatment and also the work you yourself put in to make lifestyle changes. That is so important to experience, that you have the power to change things and tiny things can add up to something really big if done regularly over time.

I am also concerned to read that you are feeling suicidal at times. It sounds like the emotional swing sometimes swings too far out, and this is something you need to be mindful of and have an 'emergency kit' ready for these occasions, a safety plan. One tool in this kit can be speaking to someone when you are feeling this low. So I want to encourage you to call us any time you need to, especially in these low moments. We are here to support you, you are never alone.

Wishing you all the best in your continued recovery,

Eva

Forum Admin

Hi Eva,

Thank you for your concern. I am attending one-on-one CBT sessions which are really helping to understand how my toxic thinking has contributed to my downward spirals. I haven't been able to cope with my bouts of chronic depression and my self-destructive coping strategy from an early age was to gamble. When I was feeling suicidal I'd turn to the drink which would only feed my depression and send me further downward. As I haven't had a drink for almost 6 months, I can now see how my drinking was making a bad day turn into weeks and months of depression. As I no longer drink, I still have bad days but they only last a day or two. Yes, my bad days are very bad and my immediate thoughts turn to suicide but the CBT sessions are helping me to learn new positive coping strategies and I feel a lot more optimistic. I know that there will be crisis days ahead of my and I'm trying to prepare myself for those days so that they don't spiral like they have in the past. Eventually, I hope I can cope without the aid of Naltrexone but for the time being I'm concerned about the prospect of not being able to afford it. I'm waiting to hear from the problem gambling clinic in London about this. I will keep you all posted. For people reading this that accept their negative thinking is a trigger for gambling, I would recommend getting on the waiting list for CBT. You get out what you put in so if you have the right attitude to helping yourself, it could be life changing.

Regards,

Stu