End of Summer Beach Party - 3 Weeks.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Galveston TX
Posts: 42
End of Summer Beach Party - 3 Weeks.
Today is three weeks. Last night was the first night that I truly wanted to have something to drink. I wanted a beer. We had a end of summer beach party and before we left I was feeling fairly anxious.
I am not sure why I had the anxiety. It was a good week at work and class, I had slept well, my wife was happy, bills were paid.
I told my wife I was feeling anxious so we laid on the bed for a few minutes and talked. After about 10 minutes I felt better. We loaded our truck and I felt better by the minute.
We went to Specs because we were in charge of alcohol....go figure. While we were in the store I told my wife that I was really wanting a beer and that I thought it was a safety blanket for my anxiety. We packed up the basket and I decided to go see what the non alcoholic section looked like. They had about 7 different n/a beers - nice!
I got a six pack of Beck's and we were off to the beach. Our friends were already out and setup and quickly washing the week away. As we were unpacking, this crazy storm started rolling in. Everyone was trying to ignore it saying, "It will go around....drink! It will go around....shots!"
I popped open a Beck's and I honestly have to say I felt like I was having a beer. It tasted like a beer, it smelled like a beer, it was in a beer bottle...but hey...NO ALCOHOL!!
We were only at the beach for about an hour before the wrath of a South Texas Summer Storm sent us scrambling. Our end of summer beach party became a neighborhood garage party...and I, with a tipsy wife and drunken friends....was happy as can be, drinking my Becks. Success.
I am not sure why I had the anxiety. It was a good week at work and class, I had slept well, my wife was happy, bills were paid.
I told my wife I was feeling anxious so we laid on the bed for a few minutes and talked. After about 10 minutes I felt better. We loaded our truck and I felt better by the minute.
We went to Specs because we were in charge of alcohol....go figure. While we were in the store I told my wife that I was really wanting a beer and that I thought it was a safety blanket for my anxiety. We packed up the basket and I decided to go see what the non alcoholic section looked like. They had about 7 different n/a beers - nice!
I got a six pack of Beck's and we were off to the beach. Our friends were already out and setup and quickly washing the week away. As we were unpacking, this crazy storm started rolling in. Everyone was trying to ignore it saying, "It will go around....drink! It will go around....shots!"
I popped open a Beck's and I honestly have to say I felt like I was having a beer. It tasted like a beer, it smelled like a beer, it was in a beer bottle...but hey...NO ALCOHOL!!
We were only at the beach for about an hour before the wrath of a South Texas Summer Storm sent us scrambling. Our end of summer beach party became a neighborhood garage party...and I, with a tipsy wife and drunken friends....was happy as can be, drinking my Becks. Success.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 544
Friend-
If you keep going to the barber, eventually you're going to get a hair cut. In my opinion, especially after only three weeks, that is very dangerous game that you're playing.
Remember,
Denial produces discipline.
Good luck and God Bless
If you keep going to the barber, eventually you're going to get a hair cut. In my opinion, especially after only three weeks, that is very dangerous game that you're playing.
Remember,
Denial produces discipline.
Good luck and God Bless
Mini Novel Post Writer
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,649
Hi Solosweat,
I could almost copy and paste a post I entered last night on this same subject.
Although I understand your elation when you post something like this be mindful that people here are going to give you their own experience and it might not be positive. Try to remember that they are trying to look out for you and forewarn you because they've been there before. Sometimes you get hopeful that you found something that makes you feel like you're not missing out. The chances are, those who have gone before you on sobriety road have tried the same and have some insight.
When you're in the state of mind that you are right now these posts can come off as sounding like "NO NO NO, you CAN'T GO THERE".
Not many have had success when drinking NA beer but that doesn't mean that it won't work for you. Just be careful that you're actually drinking NA and not low alcohol percentage beer.
On one of my attempts to quit I started drinking NA beer. It didn't take me long to realize that I couldn't fool myself that as long as I had something that tasted like beer that was my ticket. I soon realized that wasn't true, that I wanted the effect of drinking beer. So eventually, to hide this fact from others, I started pouring out the NA and replacing the bottle with the real stuff. At first it was just 1/4 then it increased to 1/2 then 3/4. Eventually I was simply using the container to mask to others that I was drinking again. Getting sick of trying to pour a real beer into an NA beer container I just gave up and stopped trying to hide it much to the chagrin of my family.
At the end of the day you have to do what works for you. Just remember to be honest with yourself.
I could almost copy and paste a post I entered last night on this same subject.
Although I understand your elation when you post something like this be mindful that people here are going to give you their own experience and it might not be positive. Try to remember that they are trying to look out for you and forewarn you because they've been there before. Sometimes you get hopeful that you found something that makes you feel like you're not missing out. The chances are, those who have gone before you on sobriety road have tried the same and have some insight.
When you're in the state of mind that you are right now these posts can come off as sounding like "NO NO NO, you CAN'T GO THERE".
Not many have had success when drinking NA beer but that doesn't mean that it won't work for you. Just be careful that you're actually drinking NA and not low alcohol percentage beer.
On one of my attempts to quit I started drinking NA beer. It didn't take me long to realize that I couldn't fool myself that as long as I had something that tasted like beer that was my ticket. I soon realized that wasn't true, that I wanted the effect of drinking beer. So eventually, to hide this fact from others, I started pouring out the NA and replacing the bottle with the real stuff. At first it was just 1/4 then it increased to 1/2 then 3/4. Eventually I was simply using the container to mask to others that I was drinking again. Getting sick of trying to pour a real beer into an NA beer container I just gave up and stopped trying to hide it much to the chagrin of my family.
At the end of the day you have to do what works for you. Just remember to be honest with yourself.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,414
My experience is I don't drink NA beer because it looked like beer, felt like a can of beer, it smelt like beer, it had that same condensation thing on the can like a beer, the same fizz and foam when you pop the can, tasted like beer (kinda)....
Then I'd wonder why I'd go out everytime and get 'real' beer.
I was still knee deep in old behaviours, and didn't even realise it.
As a former beer drinker I know it ticks all the boxes for me, and opens the door to old behaviour and old thought patterns.
I don't recommend it.
Sounds like you might be there too?
D
Then I'd wonder why I'd go out everytime and get 'real' beer.
I was still knee deep in old behaviours, and didn't even realise it.
As a former beer drinker I know it ticks all the boxes for me, and opens the door to old behaviour and old thought patterns.
I don't recommend it.
Sounds like you might be there too?
D
quat
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: terra (mostly)firma
Posts: 4,823
What do you think the anxiety was about? Not drinking with friends and their reaction, or not be able to enjoy the setting and the company without drinking?
Staying with the NA all night sounds like a success and good for you for that, but maybe it(the wanting a beer, even NA) is something to think about.
Staying with the NA all night sounds like a success and good for you for that, but maybe it(the wanting a beer, even NA) is something to think about.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: California
Posts: 236
I thought those n/a beers still had alcohol in it, albeit a very low percentage? Idk, to me it's a bad idea. I feel as though that's almost the same as saying ill just have one drink. Eventually, it will progress. Just my opinion, though. Good luck.
Mini Novel Post Writer
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,649
Originally Posted by SoberHappyHour 
I thought those n/a beers still had alcohol in it, albeit a very low percentage?
Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 705
My Mom was a pretty heavy wine drinker most of her life...3 or 4 glasses a day. She never considered herself to be an alcoholic. Due to several tmi's (small strokes) she has vascular dementia. Her short term memory is gone, but not long term, so she still knows my sister and me and family, and lives with my sister.
Anyway, she still was adamant about drinking her wine. If she couldn't have it, she would get very anxious and angry. We secretly replaced it with this stuff called Fre, low or no alcohol wine, and she never knew the difference! She still has two glasses every day, she's completely happy, and we're glad it's not real wine.
Anyway, she still was adamant about drinking her wine. If she couldn't have it, she would get very anxious and angry. We secretly replaced it with this stuff called Fre, low or no alcohol wine, and she never knew the difference! She still has two glasses every day, she's completely happy, and we're glad it's not real wine.
Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Melbourne, Victoria Australia
Posts: 1,202
Take it from an old (I mean 'old', late 50s aged) alkie: I too tried the whole 'non-alcohol / virtually no alcohol' wines and beers thing some years ago. This was around a time when I was trying all manner of methods to cut down real drinking, including spending a few months seeing a harm reduction counsellor every week, keeping a drinking diary, etc etc.
At the time, I thought, yeh, why not? I didn't feel guilty, because I was buying this NA stuff in the supermarket (i.e. the main shelves, not in the liquor department). It was alongside stuff like soda waters, tonic waters, ordinary sparkling apple ciders and so forth. Even then, I used to think: 'why the hell would anyone who actually WANTED A REAL DRINK drink this crap?' It tasted weird, rather like decaf coffee does. This, despite me even researching online which brands of NA wines or beers might be better tasting.
But no, I persisted with it for a couple of months...and then decided, I simply and truly want to drink REAL wine. Not this weird tasting rubbish masquerading as wine. I've never really been a beer drinker, but even tried the 'near beers' as a laughable attempt to do the summer thing with less alcohol.
Fast forward to 2013. I'm now almost a veteran of rehabs and detoxes; someone whose sole claim to sobriety fame is six continuous months early last year, and all downhill again after that. I'm on my nth relapse, and in constant despair that I've somehow missed the boat on getting and STAYING sober again.
For those of you, like the OP, who try the whole NA drinks thing {and I've seen a few posts on this on SR}, may I suggest, as an old fart: simply don't bother with it. If you have to do that, then the companies that make this shite know full well that you, the customer, are almost certainly an alcoholic or severe problem drinker. They're trying to make a profit from your / our pathetic - though usually sincere - attempts to cut back our alcohol consumption.
Trust me, it doesn't make us cut back. As Dee pointed out (apart from the bit I've said about how horrible tasting most products are), the whole experience of drinking NA stuff is so close to drinking the real stuff, why not drink the real stuff. And then, find out where it leads you. The NA route is a mere hall of mirrors....you end up momentarily believing you're 'not really drinking'......until a short while later, when you're back 'really drinking'.
At the time, I thought, yeh, why not? I didn't feel guilty, because I was buying this NA stuff in the supermarket (i.e. the main shelves, not in the liquor department). It was alongside stuff like soda waters, tonic waters, ordinary sparkling apple ciders and so forth. Even then, I used to think: 'why the hell would anyone who actually WANTED A REAL DRINK drink this crap?' It tasted weird, rather like decaf coffee does. This, despite me even researching online which brands of NA wines or beers might be better tasting.
But no, I persisted with it for a couple of months...and then decided, I simply and truly want to drink REAL wine. Not this weird tasting rubbish masquerading as wine. I've never really been a beer drinker, but even tried the 'near beers' as a laughable attempt to do the summer thing with less alcohol.
Fast forward to 2013. I'm now almost a veteran of rehabs and detoxes; someone whose sole claim to sobriety fame is six continuous months early last year, and all downhill again after that. I'm on my nth relapse, and in constant despair that I've somehow missed the boat on getting and STAYING sober again.
For those of you, like the OP, who try the whole NA drinks thing {and I've seen a few posts on this on SR}, may I suggest, as an old fart: simply don't bother with it. If you have to do that, then the companies that make this shite know full well that you, the customer, are almost certainly an alcoholic or severe problem drinker. They're trying to make a profit from your / our pathetic - though usually sincere - attempts to cut back our alcohol consumption.
Trust me, it doesn't make us cut back. As Dee pointed out (apart from the bit I've said about how horrible tasting most products are), the whole experience of drinking NA stuff is so close to drinking the real stuff, why not drink the real stuff. And then, find out where it leads you. The NA route is a mere hall of mirrors....you end up momentarily believing you're 'not really drinking'......until a short while later, when you're back 'really drinking'.
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