MalkavianEmily

I've had a couple of... unpleasant moments over the last three months. Like going to the corner shop for energy drinks, looking in the next fridge along by mistake and seeing it full of Special Brew... Or queuing at the checkout at the supermarket and trying not to look at the cheap bottles of vodka.
And yes, I've slipped as a result of going into a particular supermarket chain and them having cheap vodka behind the checkout on one occasion, and the pharmacy just inside the main doors on another...
But yes, mostly, it doesn't bother me. It's just when I'm feeling vulnerable...

Kza

Special Brew for those who dont know is a UK high strength beer nearly 9% proof that along with its rivals is the drink of choice for a lot of street drinkers. A charity recently described beers and ciders like this as being worse than heroin for its impact on people in the UK. If you watch 'the wet house' on youtube you will see almost all of the m drinking Tenents Extra which is like Special Brew. Nasty tasting drink but its cheap, easily available and gets the job done.

SlimSlim

Like EternalQ, I live in one of those states that still has blue laws.

Supermarkets can only sell beer. Recently the law was changed to allow package stores and grocery stores to sell on Sundays for limited hours.

Prior to the law being passed, the liquor store owners were against its passage. They figured the increase in sales would not be offset by the cost of being open the extra day. They projected their sales would be mostly half pints and beer.

For me, the grocery store is not associated with booze and we don't have flashy displays or strategic locations to tempt us.

So as archaic as the blue laws have been, they may help those with drinking problems.

Natom

Bad memories of Special Brew, Tennants, Skol Super and K Cider. Bloody ridiculous how powerful and cheap that stuff is. The cheapest yet most alcoholic beverage you can get in any corner shop.

DisplacedGRITS

do you stick your arm back in a bear cage and see if it still bites? don't battle with the Beast. the best way to deal with alcohol is to not engage it at all. you don't pick up a beer and see if you can keep it away from your face. it's just torturing yourself. it's like being on a diet and going to a casino just to look at the buffet. why would you do that? avoid it when possible and don't engage it when it's not possible.

SnowDaisy

Supermarkets don't sell liquor in my state. And liquor stores were closed on Sundays, until they changed that law on my 21st birthday a few years ago. I thought it was so cool at the time. Now I'm wondering where my 20s went and why I'm still alone.

Sasha4

I avoid the booze isle.

If I have to go down it or find myself there my automatic thought is 'I don't belong here, there is nothing for me here, I need to get away from this isle as quick as possible'.

Bit's on the end don't bother me.
The red wine makes me want to puke.
aThe white wine tuens my stomach. I still have a great fear from looking at a glass, bottle of white wine.

I don't know if this is healthy or not, but it's how it is.

choublak

Why would you dare yourself to do something like that? There are other, better ways to challenge yourself.

DoubleBarrel

I am so grateful to my wife right now. I don't have to set foot in the store ever if I don't want.

soberbythesea

We have alcohol in our house, my husband still drinks. There are bars and liquor stores everywhere. Bottom line if just walking by it was a problem for me, I'd have to stay locked up in my bedroom or something 24/7.

I'm not sober because I don't know where the booze is. I'm sober because I made a choice to stop drinking it. As long as I can remember that, walking past it is no problem.

nonblondechef

I rarely shop for more than groceries. Yesterday I went to Target looking for cat litter and when I came around the corner there was all kinds of alcohol, as well as coolers full of beer. I kinda laughed and shook my head (I'm sure if security watched me they would think I was a bigger goober than I really am! LOL) and thought Wow, where was all this when I was drinking my life away? Who knew?? Even the Dollar Stores in Joplin and surrounds have the cheap, low end wines that back in the day would have filled my basket. And Walgreens - used to be my favorite stop on the way home from work - didn't close til midnight so I could whip in and buy my wine and something ridiculous like kleenex so I could keep face - you know, at all costs, we must keep up appearances, right? Sobriety = freedom and a much bigger bank account. Love it!!!!

YVRguy

I am grateful where I live sales of alcohol are still confined to stores licensed to sell the product and its not in grocery stores. I can only imagine how the community here would suffer more if it was as there are currently no lack of alcoholics.

Toss

Like others have said, where I shop, beer is stacked all over the store. Funny thing is, I do all the family shopping mainly because it allowed me (in the past) to buy beer (did alot of shopping!).

The last week of sobreity, hasn't even phased me. After 9 days, I have saved $100 and 10,000 calories!!

The best bargain is just not to buy it...

Toss