using suposed non alcoholic beer like methadone
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 146
using suposed non alcoholic beer like methadone
I keep messing up. I go a few weeks then get cravings. So give in.
Recently when i feel desprate for a drink. Ive been drinking non alcoholc beer.
It kinda tastes abit like beer. But it has only got a very small amount of alky in it.
My mum said this reminds her of what heroin users do i.e methadone.
She thinks i should stay away from alcohol complely.
Whats your views
Recently when i feel desprate for a drink. Ive been drinking non alcoholc beer.
It kinda tastes abit like beer. But it has only got a very small amount of alky in it.
My mum said this reminds her of what heroin users do i.e methadone.
She thinks i should stay away from alcohol complely.
Whats your views
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,454
NA beer bought me back to the real thing - I was doing everything I used to do but drinking alcohol...it never took long for me before I added that final piece.
Forget about what I think or what your mum thinks tho - what do you think, boris?
D
Forget about what I think or what your mum thinks tho - what do you think, boris?
D
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,454
The way to do that is too kick away the crutches I think 
Think about what other support you could find, and what other changes you could make in you life.
do that, follow it through, and there's no reason why you can't be as happy and content as anyone else here, boris
D
Think about what other support you could find, and what other changes you could make in you life.
do that, follow it through, and there's no reason why you can't be as happy and content as anyone else here, boris
D
formerly IMHomerSimpson
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Connecticut,USA
Posts: 115
My experience with NA beer is the same as Dee74. I was just substituting NA's for regular beer. I actually got to the point of buying 12 packs and drinking them in one night just as I have done with regular beer. Sure enough I was back to alcoholic drinking soon after. You have to change so much more than just what beverage you are drinking to become sober, putting the beer down is the easiest part in my opinion but well worth it in the long run.
Patrick
Patrick
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: London
Posts: 7
I've not drunk any NA beer since I gave up as I was very much advised not to. I didn't consider if much of a loss because from what I remember it tastes absolutely disgusting!
A lot of my friends who do drink gave up for January and they were all drinking Becks Blue and other NA drinks. I think it might be more suitable for situations like that or if you're cutting down - alternating alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic ones and so on.
A lot of my friends who do drink gave up for January and they were all drinking Becks Blue and other NA drinks. I think it might be more suitable for situations like that or if you're cutting down - alternating alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic ones and so on.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 26
The analogy with herion>methadone sounds very striking. I found NA beer to be just postponing my usage. It made cravings worse and acted like a gateway to alcohol eventually. In outpatient detox we called it "dry usage".
I can even see how I still "abuse" other non-alcoholic drinks. Coffee (stimulant), soda (carbonation, sugar). I drink them in the tempo and quantities that I am used to imbibe alcohol.
As long as I notice these obvious behavioral patterns in myself I am reminded that I have a long way to go still.
But that's just me. Sure drinking copious amounts of NA beverages is 100x better than drinking a single sip of alcohol at all.
I can even see how I still "abuse" other non-alcoholic drinks. Coffee (stimulant), soda (carbonation, sugar). I drink them in the tempo and quantities that I am used to imbibe alcohol.
As long as I notice these obvious behavioral patterns in myself I am reminded that I have a long way to go still.
But that's just me. Sure drinking copious amounts of NA beverages is 100x better than drinking a single sip of alcohol at all.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 177
Just my 2 cents...
NA beer has the same amount of alcohol in it as orange juice. You would die from water poisoning from it long before you could get a buzz, so it is not at all like methadone. NA beer could never be used to ween someone safely off of alcohol any more than OJ could.
I drink nonalcoholic beer every day. I like it because it tastes good and has half the calories of soda. It doesn't trigger me any more than anything else in my environment.
Perhaps it depends on how you think of beer. When I drank, I considered regular beer to be practically nonalcoholic because I had to drink so many so fast for it to have an effect. It was basically a way to put off the shakes, not what I went for when I wanted to get drunk.
NA beer has the same amount of alcohol in it as orange juice. You would die from water poisoning from it long before you could get a buzz, so it is not at all like methadone. NA beer could never be used to ween someone safely off of alcohol any more than OJ could.
I drink nonalcoholic beer every day. I like it because it tastes good and has half the calories of soda. It doesn't trigger me any more than anything else in my environment.
Perhaps it depends on how you think of beer. When I drank, I considered regular beer to be practically nonalcoholic because I had to drink so many so fast for it to have an effect. It was basically a way to put off the shakes, not what I went for when I wanted to get drunk.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 8
NA beer may be a crutch yes, but its not even close to methadone. You can get high on methadone, you cant get drunk on NA beer. However, I do think it is just a pathway back to the real thing. I don't even bother with NA beer because it just makes me want the real deal. I've gotten sober a couple of times and unfortunately went back out, but what kept me sober was changing anything in my life that had to do with old habbits. Drinking / drugging buddies, old hangouts and bars. I found that getting into a hobby helps.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 106
The analogy with heroin and methadone doesn't work because methadone IS indeed a maintenance opiate meant to prevent withdrawal symptoms without the high of heroin and can be slowly tapered to prevent full-out heroin withdrawal.
NA beer has no (or next to no) alcohol, and you would get withdrawal symptoms if you cold turkey switched.
NA beer has no (or next to no) alcohol, and you would get withdrawal symptoms if you cold turkey switched.
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