Paranoid about possibly accidentally ingesting alcohol
 

Ok this is probably going to sound so stupid but I have to get it off my chest. I had 4 months sober yesterday. Went out with a friend to a coffee shop for espresso. I had one and it tasted kind of funny. Then I noticed an empty bottle of chocolate stout behind the counter. Now it's been a long time since I've had espresso or real coffee for that matter. I started flipping out in my head. I asked the guy at the shop about it. He said there was none in there. The place doesn't have a liquor license so I don't think he could sell it legally. You guys think I was flipping out over nothing?

Did you stop drinking it when you noticed the funny taste? I wouldn't worry about it.

Brian316, 4 months sober is FANTASTIC, rootin for ya. :egypt:

Congratulations on 4 months sober.

Don't worry about the coffee,I had exactly the same panic when I was 4 months sober,I was convinced a dessert in a restaurant had Alcohol in,despite reassurance from the waiter that it hadn't,I couldn't eat it! It is good to remain vigilant.

Wishing you well.

lol I even double checked their Facebook page to make sure no one posted anything about the great espresso they had that was laced with chocolate stout. I'm so sorry to bother you guys with this. I think being moderately neurotic is a character defect of mine.

Thank you for the responses people. I have a lot going on right now and my mind has been sort of disjointed the last few days. I've heard others say the 4 month mark was kind of crazy for them too.

relax and enjoy your sobriety

Mountainman

Thank you Mountainmanbob.

I know the fear, but it is irrational, Brian.

I used to watch things like a hawk...I avoid alcohol in my food and drink still, but now I know that even if I were to accidentally ingest alcohol I have the recovery tools and support to handle it.

places without a liquor license don't throw booze into strangers drinks...it just wouldn't be in their best interests :)

D

Don't sweat it, your just fine. My big fear used to be being in a restaurant and a waiter giving me a rum and Coke instead of just Coke. I had nightmares about this happening but today it doesn't bother me at all. It never happened but if it did and it was a mistake they made and I put down the drink as soon as I noticed booze I consider myself still sober. Don't sweat the small stuff, you'll be fine.

Thanks guys. And just to think years ago I would have been mad that there wasn't actually stout in the coffee and probably not left a tip if they wouldn't sell me carry out. I really have reached a point I never thought possible at one time. Where sobriety is one of the greatest things in my life.

You are welcome
I understand your concerns
it's a good thing for us
to stay on gard at all times
for we know what a
blessing sobriety truly is
congratulations on another day sober
Mountainman

Congrats on your 4 months. I think we all were out of our minds at that point. The ones who had it together, from what I recall, had other plans. I don't see them much these days.. but I heard the stories go around a couple years back.

I was sober about 4 or 5 months when I had a similar experience. One thing I did pick up with in sobriety was hygiene. I had acquired some rot mouth from vomiting and a diet that consisted of about 6000 calories of liquid. I was using mouthwash twice a day after brushing my teeth, still do, without any thoughts of it containing alcohol (drinkable anyways). One day I was gurgling and had some go down my throat. I can't say I swallowed it, because it resulted in a coughing fit that landed the contents of my mouth all over the bathroom. It stays with me.
I broke the entire thing down to how far down my throat, how much, it's absorbed I can't force a vomit to get it out of my body. It's a relapse, the past 4-5 months are a waste, I have to start over, have to share about it... Went on until I went to a meeting and told a few guys.

Exact words "When you're pouring that stuff over the rocks, we'll talk. Until then, keep up with your health how you need to. Relax, you didn't relapse." Some people may beg the differ, others have told me outright that they think it was. Some have shared similar "close calls", or even "direct hits". They've realized that with time, these things will happen to a few of us.

The biggest similarities between all these stories I remember hearing -- That we rejected it. Coughing, spitting, hacking, vomiting. Fear, panic, paranoia.

All in all, we were left with new paranoia induced idiosyncrasies' to live with since our experience.

I think the paranoia, although irrational, is pretty normal. I had a scare with some mouth-wash a couple weeks ago. I always get alcohol-free, and I'd bought a bottle that looked exactly like the one I usually get.

Went through my morning routine, put some mouthwash in my mouth and I IMMEDIATELY tasted the alcohol, it was crazy how I just knew!! So I of course immediately spit it out, washed my mouth out with warm water, and freaked out about what if some had been absorbed (in those 2 seconds it was my mouth?!?) lol. I am also super neurotic. My dad was there and calmed me down and said it was gonna be ok. I kinda laugh looking back on it now.

I'm super careful about reading the labels though!!

Thank God for the people we had in early sobriety.

I feel a little self-conscience about sharing the mouthwash story (first post, too). Fortunately, I was never one to consider drinking it, and can't seem to taste alcohol over the other chemicals and artificial flavoring. It was brought to my attention in AA that people would drink it (as well as hand sanitizer, and other household items). I worked in the chemistry field for a little while, and after a review of the ingredients realized that I'd be safer if I took a shot of a strong abrasive.

here's one way to look at this;

in all my life, I have never ever 'accidentally' ingested alcohol.

Have you?

Who here has? Raise your hand if you ever "accidentally" ingested alcohol?

NOPE... no our ingestion was pretty damn purposeful. lol

I'm not poking fun at you - just being light-hearted with a serious point; the chances of accidentally ingesting alcohol are ridiculously slim. You'll be ok.

And, congrats on 4 months that's awesome!

:c011:

ugh yes, at 4 months, i fell off my pink cloud. I started to feel all those emotions i'd been drinking away. by 5 months, I felt better, then it hit me again at 8 months, and now i'm back on anxiety medication and panic medication, i finally feel "normal".

Good on ya for being vigilant... i love the weird looks I get from waitresses, when i insist there be NO alcohol used in the meal, and NO i'm not pregnant (when they look at my belly)... but i just say if they ask, i have an allergy to it.

boom. shuts them up :-):c011:

accidentally..
 

I actually did accidentally ingest alcohol. It was some drink stand at outdoor concert thing. I had been sober for months..working hard. I ordered a lemonade. They gave me a Jack Daniels Lynchburg Lemonade in a plastic cup instead of plain old lemonade. I drank a sip walking away. I thought this is booze. I tasted it again..looked back at stand and there was a Jack Daniels sign. But they also sold plain lemonade. I thought should i dump it out? No i drank it all..and it started me on a binge when i got home. Then i went to liquor store because i took that first drink.

Tobiano 22
I'm having a hard time with the anxiety. I was taken off Zanex while in rehab because of the withdrawal I was having from them. Evidentially they can compound in your system. Anyway, my med dr has been increasing my dosage of neuron tin and it seems to be helping all if my recovery systems and then some, except for the anxiety. Do you feel like being on those anxiety meds will become habit forming for you? I'm scared because I don't want to have them as a crutch to check out when I can't handle a situation. I know everyone is different and take them for different reasons, it's just I'm almost at 6 months, warm weather is here, I'm trying not to have to take the Vivatrol shot, because that is another thing, I'm trying to get off of all drugs. I know this may be babbling but I wanted your thoughts. Thanks again!

Congrats on 4 months xxxxxx :You_Rock_