The Sinclair Method: An Evidence-Based Approach to Alcohol Control

The Sinclair Method (TSM) is a medically proven approach that uses the body’s own ability to unlearn addictive behaviours. By harnessing a process called “pharmacological extinction”, TSM helps individuals regain control over alcohol, reducing cravings and harmful drinking without requiring abstinence from day one.

TSM is based on decades of scientific research into how the brain’s opioid system reinforces drinking. Through targeted medication and behavioural change, this method empowers lasting freedom from alcohol dependence.

What Is The Sinclair Method?

As defined by Dr John David Sinclair: “The Sinclair Method uses the nervous system’s own mechanism, called ‘extinction’, for gradually removing the interest in alcohol and the behaviours involved in alcohol drinking. Therefore, the technical term for TSM is ‘pharmacological extinction.’”

Decades of research revealed that alcohol dependence is not simply about withdrawal or deprivation. Alcohol drinking is a learned behaviour, reinforced in the brain’s opioid system each time alcohol is consumed. For some, genetic factors and repeated reinforcement make quitting extremely difficult, even when the consequences are serious.

The breakthrough behind TSM is that by taking an opioid antagonist (such as naltrexone or nalmefene) before drinking, the reinforcement effect is blocked. This activates the brain’s extinction mechanism, leading to a gradual but permanent reduction in both cravings and drinking. Over 90 clinical trials have confirmed TSM’s effectiveness, with about 80% of people regaining control and transforming their relationship with alcohol.

The Science Behind TSM

Drinking alcohol triggers the release of endorphins, your body’s natural opioids in the brain. These endorphins activate the brain’s opioid system, which reinforces the desire to drink and leads to powerful cravings and compulsion.

The Sinclair Method interrupts this process by using a safe, non-addictive medication to block opioid receptors. When you take naltrexone before drinking, alcohol’s reward effect is blocked. This process, known as pharmacological extinction, retrains your brain over time so that drinking becomes less desirable and control is gradually restored.

Just like Pavlov’s famous dogs learned to stop salivating when food was no longer paired with a bell, TSM helps break the link between alcohol and reward, offering a modern, effective route to lasting recovery.