On the way toward finding your Effective Dose, you might find yourself in The Gray Zone. The Gray Zone is the junction between the Titration Phase (Phase 1) and the Effective Dose Phase (Phase 2).

Like the name indicates, it’s a period of time when you might find yourself discouraged. You might think, “Hey, I’ve been on the medication for a few months, but I’m not experiencing changes, what gives?” But don’t worry, you’re not the only one to find themselves in The Gray Zone—it’s temporary, and there’s a good chance it’s not as grim as you think.

If you think you might be in The Gray Zone, there’s an important step forward you need to take—but first, step back and take a look at where you’re at with your drinking. Since you started taking baclofen…

Are you drinking as much?

Are you drinking as quickly?

Has your desire for alcohol changed?

Do you start drinking as early as you used to?

Drinking less, drinking slower, being more indifferent to drinking, and starting to drink later in the day are all signs that the medication is working, even if the change is small. Not everyone has a light-switch moment where, in an instant, they could suddenly stop drinking if they wanted to. For many people, the change is gradual, so it’s important to look out for those signs that the medication is working.

Remember that important step forward we mentioned? Whether you’re a “light-switch person” or a “gradual-change person,” it’s important that when you notice changes in your drinking you introduce healthy habits to replace unhealthy ones.

Baclofen is effective at disrupting the positive feedback loop that develops in your brain, but that loop isn’t the only thing that promotes alcohol consumption. Habits play a large role in drinking behavior, so counterproductive ones (that promote unhealthy drinking) need to be changed. For example, if you start drinking every day at 5:30 p.m., you need to replace that habit (drinking at 5:30 p.m.) with a new, healthy one (going for a walk at 5:30 p.m.).

You have to help the baclofen help you, so take some time to think about what good habits you could use to replace the bad ones. What could you accomplish if you put drinking off for an extra 30 minutes? An extra hour? An extra day? Be thorough—don’t be afraid to layer your habits (e.g., at 5:30 p.m. I’ll go for a walk—if it’s raining, I’ll call a relative—if they don’t answer, I’ll write in a journal—if I don’t have a journal, I’ll go get one—etc.). Replacing unhealthy drinking habits with good habits will allow you to clearly see the positive effects of baclofen as you transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 in the LifeBac journey.