The Sinclair Method: A Revolutionary Approach to Alcohol Use Disorder
The Sinclair Method (TSM) offers a revolutionary approach to alcohol use disorder (AUD). Unlike abstinence-based programs, it works by taking Naltrexone (or Nalmefene), an opioid antagonist, one hour before drinking—every time you drink, as long as you drink. This medication blocks the euphoric feelings people with AUD experience when consuming alcohol. Over time, the desire to drink decreases, control over consumption is achieved, and compulsive drinking becomes a thing of the past.
Why choose TSM over other methods?
Effectiveness:
Studies have shown that, as long as patients stay compliant, this method boasts a 78% success rate, contrasting sharply with the 8% to 12% success rate of abstinence-based programs.
You're in control:
Not everyone who experiences problematic drinking wants to be abstinent. Some people only wish to gain control over how much they drink, avoid compulsive drinking and blackouts, and develop an "off switch" to understand when they’ve had enough. Others desire abstinence but struggle to achieve it long-term. With TSM, as you lose interest in alcohol and cravings dissipate, you gain control of your relationship with alcohol. You can take it or leave it!
Pharmacological extinction:
TSM gradually helps the brain return to a state where it no longer craves alcohol. Repeated drinking creates strong neural pathways, linking alcohol with pleasure. This happens because drinking triggers the release of endorphins, the brain's "feel-good" chemicals. Essentially, the brain learns to associate alcohol with reward, leading to cravings and compulsive drinking.
The Sinclair Method uses naltrexone to disrupt this cycle. Taken before drinking, naltrexone blocks those endorphins, preventing the brain from experiencing the usual reward. Over time, this consistent blocking causes the brain to "unlearn" the association between alcohol and pleasure, reducing cravings and compulsive behavior.