If you are looking to start the sinclair method (TSM) in india then first of all make sure that your goal is to gradually reduce your consumption and then achieve pharmacological extinction.
The way sinclair method works is that you take Naltrexone medicine 1 hour before you start drinking alcohol. And you have to do this every day for the rest of your drinking plans.
In India, you can get Naltrexone by visiting an addiction specialist, preferably a psychiatrist and asking them specifically for Naltrexone prescription.
Addiction psychiatrists in India, prefer giving acamprosate or Disulfiram for alcohol addiction along with a bunch of other medicines to deal with anxiety or underlying depression. So you need to mention this to your addiction psychiatrist or find one who prescribes naltrexone. Naltima 50 marketed by Instas pharma is one such drug which your doctor may prescribe.
You may also need to tell your doctor that you plan to continue drinking with Naltrexone only and do the sinclair method which is taking the pill just an hour before drinking. As already stated, doctors in India assume that you are looking for abstinence not moderation, so you need to clearly mention that you are looking to moderate and do the sinclair method.
Once you have your prescription, you can start taking naltrexone 1 hour before each drinking session. Do not take naltrexone after drinking and try your best to stick to taking Naltrexone an hour before drinking.
You might face some side effects like drowsiness or bloated stomach. There are other side effects listed for Naltrexone and you need to go to your doctor straight away if the side effects do not go away after 3-4 times or if the serious side effects occur.
Using the sinclair method involves the following important components
1. Tracking your drinking
You need to track your drinking to know whether the sinclair method is helping you. Drink tracking can also help understand when the pharmacological extinction is setting in.
2. Doing fun stuff on non drinking days
Doing something fun on non drinking days will make your brain look forward to non drinking days. This will help you achieve pharmacological extinction easily.
3. Get your liver functions evaluated regularly
Since Naltrexone is metabolized through liver, you need to make sure that your liver functions are not getting impacted. A simple LFT test can give you enough information. Make sure that you are not taking more than the prescribed unit of Naltrexone.
Unfortunately in India, most of the support groups are abstinence based and their theme is the 12 step program. So if you are looking for a support group on the sinclair method in india, you will not be able to find one. And you will certainly not fit in an AA or 12 steps based support group. So it is better to join support groups on reddit or facebook which have people from all around the world.