Changel

Hi

After a very long and stressful day yesterday, and the usual cravings associated with that, I decided to try sipping on a non-alcoholic drink.

I bought some 0% beers and consumed 2 of them. They tasted ok, but I found myself thinking "what's the point of this"?

What are your thoughts on these drinks? Am I playing with fire here and risking them leading to the real thing? Or are they a good way to relax after a stressful day without consuming any alcohol?

I found it interesting that I only wanted 2 of these 0% beers. Not so long ago I would easily down a 12 pack of the real thing.

Thanks

Dee74

They fed into a lot of my old behaviours. Same taste, same can, or bottle or glass...I'd sit in my drinking chair...

The only thing missing was the alcohol...and often that missing element led me back to alcohol.

There's a lot of non alcoholic drinks that won't remind you of your old tipple.

what factors do you think influenced your decision to pick NA beer?

Tetra

I have never tried them but I read a thread here a while ago saying that they might be risky.

Hopefully someone will come by with better advice.

Lusher

Personally I steer clear, as they are only teases to me. However, if it works or helps you steer clear of the loaded stuff, then perhaps it's a good thing.

Hawks

Some one once told me that those "non - alcoholic " drinks are very aptly named......

They are not good for alcoholics.

It normally ends one of two ways.

What's the point? I'll stop with these non alcoholic things and stop teasing myself.

What's the point? I may as well have the real McCoy.

PurpleKnight

I had the same thoughts when I tried them "what's the point?"!!

So I now opt for more tastier options, with so many different flavours out there, fruit juices, green teas etc, I couldn't get my head around sitting drinking something that didn't taste as great as other options!!

Hope4Life

Plenty of other things to drink.... that are 100% alcohol free. NA beer actually has alcohol in it (.5%), read the label. While it would be really tough to get even a buzz by drinking it, NA beer is a facsimile of the real thing and can cause a relapse in some people. It looks, feels, smells and (kinda) tastes like beer.

Changel

Dee, I was in the supermarket with my wife (who drinks but is supportive and is trying to cut back herself) and we decided together. We figured it wouldn't harmful to try it. So it was a joint decision.

brickthrowing

I tried them for a couple times and very quickly went to the "whats the point?" place. Theres so many other things to drink that taste better.

I had a very good friend of mine who was sober for 20 years start drinking non alcoholic beer, I noticed a personality change come over them when ever they had them, and two years later they went back to drinking.

Not a fan.

Tonymblue

Personally i like them. They work good for me. A couple and i am good. The price though is hard to swallow. I really like ginger beer. Na of course. They have a strong bite them. Very refreshing. Because for me i am used to drinking something, so something in my hand is comforting to me in social situations.

Changel

The front label said 0.0%, but later when I read the back label it actually said 0.05%

Changel

The price is unbelieveable. On my 'week one' I had to go to a restaurant with a client. I ordered a mocktail and when I got the bill I couldn't believe it...just under $20 USD (in my local currency) for some soda with a few herbs in it.

MIRecovery

Drinking beer NA or not was part of my old life not part of my new

MavisTheFairy13

I think they work for some people, one of my friends was sober using them. I like non-alcoholic mojito which you can buy here in uk in a large bottle, but having said that I didn't drink alcoholic ones so maybe I don't associate this lime and mint drink with booze. I think if it works for you then use it, if not try something different

Pipping

I never drank beer or wine for the taste so for me it would be about association. A step too far which I avoid like the plague

hokey

I'm on the "why bother?" team on this one ... I drank for the effect, not the taste.

goose333

I've never tried them before but drinking a "non - alcoholic" drink seems a lot like grilling some steaks and getting a starving man to just stand there and watch for a while. Just too much torture for me. I think this is your AV trying a hail mary pass. Don't fall for it.

Buggirl

Hi, whilst I love Non alcoholic beer, it was the reason I relapsed before! They just encourage me to want a real beer! I perosnally would steer clear and I was given this advice when I first joined SR, but I ignored it and it was to my peril! Never again! I was brought a sodastream for my birthday and I am also getting into my craft Sodas! So much out there to try! Fentimens Ginge beer is the best though!

Meraviglioso

I second what Hawks said, I once heard someone say " look, it says right on the bottle they are for non-alcoholics!" I think some people can handle them. I couldn't. I was surprised too because I was never much of a beer drinker, wine was my alcohol of choice. I thought that since it would not remind me of the wine I could partake as a treat. It led to a relapse. I'm now avoiding all alcohol and anything that mimics alcohol.

Meraviglioso

Also, as an aside, the non-alcoholic beers gave me an immediate, raging headache. Not like a hangover headache, but an intense migraine type pain.