The aim is to weaken the learned reward associated with drinking, with medical assessment and practical support. Progress differs between people; a slow start is a reason to talk with your team, not proof that you have failed.
References and further reading →A doctor checks suitability and explains how and when to take the medicine before drinking. Follow your own prescription.
The treatment aims to reduce the rewarding effects that reinforce drinking. You still feel the alcohol: it does not prevent intoxication.
With treatment and practical support, the pull of alcohol can weaken over time. Progress differs between people.
An explanation of the approach, not personal medical advice. A doctor decides whether treatment is suitable; a coach supports you through your programme.
Take the five-question checkYour doctor explains how and when to take your medicine at your consultation. If you are unsure, ask your team before making changes.
A coach is live three times a day, Monday to Friday, for support during your programme.
You learn the routine: take naltrexone before drinking, track units, notice first shifts in reward after drinks.
Cravings begin to reduce. Many report fewer units, more control and less urge to continue once they start.
Reinforcement weakened, drinking declines further, some choose abstinence, many maintain moderation.
Three weeks in and nothing seems to be happening? Progress differs between people. Your coach can go through what you are noticing with you; these stages are a guide, not a timetable or a promise.
Conceptual illustration only — not measured data, a prediction or a guaranteed 12-week result. These stages describe things to discuss with your coach.
In the follow-on reviews, 75% reported drinking less, including 44% significantly less. These reports do not predict an individual outcome.
Patient-reported, unaudited outcomes from 664 follow-on reviews with 514 SMUK patients, October 2020–October 2026. These are responses from patients continuing in treatment, not a controlled trial or a success rate for everyone who starts. The control and wider-benefit figures come from 210 online forms. Individual results vary.
See the patient-reported results and press features →If you take a break from alcohol and your cravings get stronger, you are not weak. Your brain is doing something common. It has a name. The Alcohol Deprivation Effect.
What you might notice:
When you drink often, your brain learns: alcohol = reward. When you stop suddenly, your brain feels deprived of a reward it still expects. And the longer you go without alcohol, your brain may still be wired the old way, so it keeps sending strong “wanting” signals.
To change that wiring, the brain has to learn a new lesson: alcohol does not deliver the same reward anymore. That unlearning is called extinction. Pharmacological extinction is when the reward is blocked during drinking sessions, so over time the brain can weaken the link between alcohol and craving.
Taking alcohol away can make the brain want it more for a while. The brain needs time and the right method to re-learn
A plan that:
Our 12-week guided programme gives you a simple roadmap and expert support, so you know what to do next and you are not guessing.
Book a free 15-minute callWhen you drink alcohol, your brain releases endorphins that activate opioid receptors. This then creates a rewarding effect, which over time conditions the brain to associate alcohol with pleasure.The more this reward pathway is reinforced through drinking, the stronger the cravings become and the harder it is to quit or cut back.
When you take naltrexone before drinking, it blocks the endorphin reward.Because the brain no longer receives the same reinforcement, the learned behaviour gradually weakens.
This follows the same learning principle shown in Pavlov’s experiments: when a cue stops producing a reward, the conditioned response fades.
On The Sinclair Method:
Over time, the link between drinking and reward can weaken. This learning process is called pharmacological extinction.
The Pavlov comparison is an illustration of learned associations, not clinical evidence that an individual will respond to treatment.
The Sinclair Method (TSM) uses a prescribed dose of
naltrexone taken about an hour before you drink. Naltrexone
temporarily blocks the brain’s opioid receptors, so alcohol
produces little to no endorphin “reward.” Without that chemical reward, the
brain starts to unlearn the link between alcohol and
pleasure. This learning process is called pharmacological
extinction.
Stopping completely works for many people. Different approaches suit different needs. Discuss the options with a clinician rather than assuming one approach is right for everyone.
A medically assessed approach combining prescribed treatment with practical support. Individual progress varies.
Structured treatment and peer support can help people who want or need to stop drinking.
Some people want additional practical, psychological or medical support to change their drinking.
Information on this page is educational and not a substitute for medical advice. Always follow your clinician’s guidance.
These sources discuss alcohol treatment and medicines. They do not verify SMUK’s patient survey or guarantee an individual result.
An introduction to the Sinclair Method, clinical assessment and the coaching support around treatment.
Watch how it works
Speak first with a senior coach. Dr Rachael Jolley and Dr Janey Merron provide the medical assessment and prescribing decisions. Meet the people involved in your care.
Meet the team
A 15-minute conversation with a senior coach. Ask questions, explain what you want to change and decide whether to go further.
If you choose to go ahead, a UK-registered doctor reviews your health and medicines and decides whether treatment is suitable.
If prescribed, arrange your medication with the dispensing pharmacy. Medication is paid for separately from the programme.
Your coaching, practical learning and private community help you work through your programme.
Onboarding is usually within 48 hours, subject to suitability, your availability and clinical availability.
DOCTOR-LED CARE
EVIDENCE-BASED RECOVERY NO FORCED
ABSTINENCE
PERSONALISED TREATMENT PLANS TRUSTED
CLINICAL EXPERTS SUPPORT
EVERY STEP
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The Cure For
Alcoholism