Alcohol Free Beers
 

A while ago I posted here asking whether people thought alcohol free beers were a good idea or not. I received a response of about 80% thinking it was a bad idea. I guess I was with the 20%, but I didn't drink any more of them until....

A few days ago I saw a killer deal on some in the supermarket. They were practically giving them away, so I got a 30 pack.

On the first day I drank 3. Second day maybe 4-5. Yesterday I finished the box.

This stuff is totally alcohol free (less than fruit juice...I've checked) so Im not concerned about that, but it was the way I drank them that worries me. If I had another box available when I finished the first, it'd probably be gone now too.

I have no desire to drink the real stuff. I even went to a bar 2 nights ago to watch a friend perform, and I didn't even think about drinking.

I don't know what my point is here, but I thought it was worth posting.

If anything, binge drinking the alcohol free beers killed any thoughts of moderation that may have been lurking in my mind. And I'm with the 80% of you now.

Thanks for reading.

I know a few folks sober for several years that occasionally will drink a NA beer. For me at my point it would be a trigger and just a reminder I don't need.

NA beer is not NA. There is some alcohol in it, not much but it's there. I don't not ingest anything that I am aware of with alcohol. Have a nasty bug right now and had to take some cough syrup. Remnants of some with codeine in it - no way.

Made certain what I took is alcohol free.

Good decision friend!!!
No reason to slip when you can see the wet rocks!!!

Peace
FlyN

That's interesting Changel. I've never tried that stuff, but your post has taken care of any interest I may have had. I'm afraid the ritual would reignite my not-so-distant old habits.

These things often devolve into alcohol content debates, but it's not the alcohol content for me so much as it's the behaviour....and sooner or later I'd miss the buzz...

Good decision for you to run with the majority on this one I think Changel :)

D

Hi Changel, and thanks for the post.

Same thing happened to me with NA beer and it scared the heck out of me. For the first few months of my sobriety, I would have an NA beer when out or have a few in the back of the fridge for cooking chili or whatever. One night I got myself worked up about something at work and went home and (mindlessly) opened the fridge and grabbed an NA beer. Then the other, then the last. After awhile, I got up and went into the garage and found myself standing there, confused about how/why I got there.

To look for the rest of the case of beer, of course.

There was none as I had only bought a six-pack but the fact that I slammed them and then, without even thinking, went on autopilot to go seek out some more showed me exactly what it showed you. I am an addict and even the presence/taste of "near beer" had me right back in the same behavior pattern as I had when I was drinking real beer and wine.

No thanks. I haven't touched it since then and now, actually, I find the smell rather revolting. But, yes, it proved something to me beyond a doubt: I am an addict through and through and there is absolutely no reason in the world to tempt fate when it comes to my sobriety.

Thanks for the reminder with this post, too :)

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

yet.

Do you drink 23-24 other types of non alcoholic drinks In a day?

Glad ya see the insanity of trying to drink NA beer, which from my understanding there is alcohol in iall NA beers from the process used to make it.

so I got a 30 pack. On the first day I drank 3. Second day maybe 4-5. Yesterday I finished the box.

So you drank about 23 non-alcoholic beers in one day?

I know it's non-alcoholic, but it would scare the hell out of me if I did that.

For me it probably wouldn't be long before I drank 3 real one's, than 4 - 5 real one's the second day. I wouldn't drink much more beer than that. Unfortunately, a fifth of vodka would then join the party and it would be off to the races for me.

If it looks like a beer, feels like a beer, smells like a beer, (kinda) tastes like a beer and reminds you of a beer.... it's a beer!

Glad you have changed your mind.

I tried it.
And before long I was pouring out the near beer for the real stuff.

well, its not an alcohol free can of coke or an alcohol free cup of milk with alcohol free cookies....its an alcohol free BEER.
There are many more knowledgeable than me in this area but it strikes me that remaining sober is more than giving up alcohol. It also about changing your life habits, rebuilding human relationships, becoming mentally free of the anxieties that alcohol induced and all those other little triggers only that an addicted person can relate to. I think that alcohol free beers will address only one of these and maybe even fuel the fire with some of the others. Fro this reason I choose now to never drink NA beers.....and I doubt there is a person alive today that loves the taste of beer more than I do. It just has to go, simple as that.

I was thinking about this with the sparkling non alcoholic apple juice, I LOVED champagne!
But then I thought "what's the use, just get on with your life Bodhi"

Yeah, think I ll stick to lime juice. Too dangerous, huh ?

You learnt and shared something valuable there, Changel, all for the good.

Like others said, binging on anything is not a good idea for people like us.

We tend to go extreme in multiple areas of our life's. The key is BALANCE in everything we do.

Personally, I have no interest in alcohol free beers. I just don't see the point. I really enjoy 1 to 2 sodas a day. I haven't felt the need to drink 12 or 15 Pepsi's either in one day. I say go out to the store tomorrow and look for a good deal on Pepsi. I have a feeling that I would drink the non-alcoholic years the same way you did. It would remind me too much of drinking.

i can remember many years ago, thinking to myself that if i drank shandy it wouldn't do me any harm as there is hardly any alcohol in them and it might actually help me

so i mentioned this good idea of mine in an aa room : )

i soon got my thinking sorted out like always when i have a good idea i should really check it out with others who are like me as they always seem to know the answer that i just can not see

i have no doubt in my mind anymore just how cunning alcohol is or how cunning my brain works in trying to get me back to drinking

just how long would it be before i would have another good idea ? lets say i would drink alcohol free stuff but just have one strong drink as well as one will not hurt me

on and on this thinking will go until before i know it i will be back drinking again and getting drunk and waking up with the guilt shame and remorse as no doubt i will have done something again i wish i hadnt

so its far easier and safer for me to just get all ideas of drinking anything that looks like booze smells like booze or tastes like booze out of my head altogether and have a soft drink instead, or my favorite tipple A NICE CUP OF TEA : )

i will not end up in a police cell or wake up with guilt shame or remorse after a night of binging on tea thats for sure : )