O'Doul's?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Posts: 123
O'Doul's?
Hi everyone, my wife and I are having company over tonight and everyone will be drinking except for myself. I was thinking about picking up a six pack of O'Doul's just so I can enjoy the taste of a beer. Do any of you ever drink non-alcoholic beer from time to time, or do you think drinking non-alcoholic beer is a bad idea for someone new to sobriety? Just curious. Thanks!
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Here, Now
Posts: 4,268
For me I don't drink NA beer and for me I don't think it's a good idea no longer how long I've been sober. To me it's like keeping a picture of an ex that I had a terrible relationship with, in my wallet. What's the point except as a painful reminder. Look at her long enough I might just call her up.
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 583
Why hold onto the old? Embrace the new and have some Cokes, or other sodas you like on the ready and plenty of them. If you have to be drinking to be friends with someone or them you do you really want that more than your sobriety.
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: « USA » Recovered with AVRT (Rational Recovery) ___________
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Most, though not all, NA beer has a small amount of alcohol in it. I wouldn't mess around with anything but the 0.0% ones early on. O'Doul's has 0.4% if I recall correctly.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,373
My experience is I don't drink NA beer because it looks like beer it tastes like beer and in comes in a can like beer.
As a former beer drinker I know that ticks all the boxes for me, and opens the door to old behaviour and old thought paterns.
Other people may have different exoeriences but when I was trying to moderate, I'd slam down can after can of NA beer, get annoyed 'nothing was happening' and find myself drinking real beer soon enough.
Ask yourself why would you choose NA Beer FHB when there's so many other things to drink, though?
Rhetorical questions - but is it the taste of a beer you want, or perhaps they're other things happening here?
D
As a former beer drinker I know that ticks all the boxes for me, and opens the door to old behaviour and old thought paterns.
Other people may have different exoeriences but when I was trying to moderate, I'd slam down can after can of NA beer, get annoyed 'nothing was happening' and find myself drinking real beer soon enough.
Ask yourself why would you choose NA Beer FHB when there's so many other things to drink, though?
Rhetorical questions - but is it the taste of a beer you want, or perhaps they're other things happening here?
D
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Posts: 123
Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'm just going to stick with sparkling water and lime 
My continued sobriety is more important than the taste of NA beer. I don't know what I was thinking.
My continued sobriety is more important than the taste of NA beer. I don't know what I was thinking.
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 30
For me - I have not had any problems drinking the NA beer...I am over 9 months sober now, and still enjoy the taste of a beer - the NA beer has allowed me to do that without the laundry list of complications that the real thing brings with it....it works for me.....
I started a thread about this a while back, and there are tons of varying opinions here - all good and valid points of view that helped me weigh my options.....it is one of the things that I love about this site....there is not one simple thing that works for everyone - or else we wouldn't need each other...we would all just have that one simple thing.....drinking the NA beer has been helpful to me so I though I would respond. Good on you for the sparkling water and lime though.....
I started a thread about this a while back, and there are tons of varying opinions here - all good and valid points of view that helped me weigh my options.....it is one of the things that I love about this site....there is not one simple thing that works for everyone - or else we wouldn't need each other...we would all just have that one simple thing.....drinking the NA beer has been helpful to me so I though I would respond. Good on you for the sparkling water and lime though.....
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: "I'm not lost for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost ..."
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I've had "near beer" and wine. It didn't cause me to relapse, but I quickly became bored with it. It doesn't taste good and to be honest it is a little silly to me...like those candy cigarettes they made when I was a kid...
I know people who drink it and it works out fine for them. I think if you really wished you were having a real beer, it might not be a good idea though.
I know people who drink it and it works out fine for them. I think if you really wished you were having a real beer, it might not be a good idea though.
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Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: I'm exactly where I should be.
Posts: 1,889
I think part of the problem with near beer is that you aren't changing your habit. Part of recovery is changing things so you don't want to drink, changing your thoughts, changing your ideas. I feel that by drinking NA you aren't changing anything but the alcohol content. I steer clear of NA or anything even remotely resembling beer/wine/booze.
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Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 5,285
Originally Posted by soberlicious 
I've had "near beer" and wine. It didn't cause me to relapse, but I quickly became bored with it. It doesn't taste good and to be honest it is a little silly to me...like those candy cigarettes they made when I was a kid...
I know people who drink it and it works out fine for them. I think if you really wished you were having a real beer, it might not be a good idea though.
I know people who drink it and it works out fine for them. I think if you really wished you were having a real beer, it might not be a good idea though.
I have found this great Ginger stuff that I add to my sparkling water or tonic. Explore some of the alternatives
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,410
It's not the low percent of alcohol in there you should worry about. It's the experience of drinking something that acts like a beer. Your mind will treat you to think that your okay now to drink regular beer because you don't relapse on NA beer.
I have try NA beer and it just don't take the same. I wouldn't drink it before I had a drinking problem. It just don't not take good. Just drink coke or water, it's not the end of the world.
I have try NA beer and it just don't take the same. I wouldn't drink it before I had a drinking problem. It just don't not take good. Just drink coke or water, it's not the end of the world.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Los Angeles, CA.
Posts: 123
Thanks for all of the excellent advice! Well, after reading some of your posts I decided against the O'Doul's. I made it through the night drinking soda water and lime and ended up having a great time!
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Desert Southwest
Posts: 292
This is something that is good to bring up. It is tempting when craving a beer to look for a NA beer as a replacement. However the question is...are you able to control yourself enough to where you are 100% positive that you will not go back to drinking because of it. If you have to think even for a moment about that, imo it is not a good idea. In fact last night I was in the same situation. Just over 70 days sober and I was CRAVING a beer most of the day and looking for an alternative. O'Douls came to mind, but at the end of the day I am glad I decided not to have it. It sounds like you feel you made the right choice..and that means you did. Deep down everyone knows or will know what they think the right thing to do it. Sometimes though it can be hard to do the right thing for any number of reasons.
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