“Drink Your Way Sober”: Sinclair Method and More

In Drink Your Way Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol journalist Katie Herzog has written about her own decades-long struggles with alcohol addiction—and how she ultimately managed it without AA or abstinence.

“Short of rehab, I tried all the usual treatments to get better, and even a few less usual ones: Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), cognitive behavioral therapy, individual counseling, group counseling, yoga, cleanses, white-knuckling it through cravings and shakes. At one point, I tried swapping out my drinking habit for a cannabis one, which no drug counselor would recommend, but was definitely less dangerous.”

Her “drink, abstain, relapse; drink, abstain, relapse” cycles were repeated multiple times—and made her feel sicker each time.

Via an article by Gabrielle Glaser she then discovered the Sinclair Method (TSM), a technique using the opioid blocker naltrexone, which limits the buzz when taken before drinking. Once this has happened regularly enough, cravings for alcohol decrease and eventually stop. It took Herzog about seven months to reach that goal. 

Her website calls TSM “the AA alternative you’ve never heard of.” Here’s a link explaining in more detail (better than I can) how TSM works. Apparently, however, it works less well for about one-fourth of the population.

Also of note is that additional life changes have to be made, of course, in order to sustain achieved progress.

Other types of medications, by the way, are also known to assist alcoholism recovery. An article by Kendra Cherry, MSEd (VeryWellMind) lists these.

Selected Reviews of Drink Your Way Sober

Camilla Nord, neuroscientist: “A self-help book like you’ve never seen before. With equal parts wit and compassion, Herzog challenges conventional wisdom around abstinence-only alcoholism treatment and explores a neglected route to recovery—one grounded in scientific evidence, as well as her and others’ moving stories.”

Sarah Hepola, author of Blackout: “This book is a game changer in the recovery canon, and possibly the world.”

Keith Humpreys, psychiatry professor: “Drink Your Way Sober is a humane, candid illustration that there are many pathways to recovery from alcohol addiction.”

Gabrielle Glaser, author of Her Best-Kept Secret: Why Women Drink-And How They Can Regain Control: “Bold, engaging, and deeply researched, this book is essential for anyone struggling with alcohol—or anyone who loves someone who is. With humor, heart, and hard facts, Katie Herzog takes on the myths surrounding naltrexone with the curiosity of an investigator and the candor of a friend. A must-read for anyone interested in science-backed solutions to problem drinking.”

Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections: “An enlightened and compassionate book that will help a huge number of people. We need more science and more love, and this excellent book brings both.”