Should I be concerned?
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 6
Should I be concerned?
My husband has been sober since early September (Sunday will mark 5 months!). I made the mistake of going to a comedy club that was inside a dance club a few weeks back. He was uncomfortable the entire time but made it through the 2 hour show without a drink. I didn't drink either. However, since that time he started drinking non-alcoholic beer. He is to the point now that he drinks a six pack of that every day after work. His drink of choice during his heavy drinking was never beer, it was always rum. But I don't know if I should be concerned about this and say something or just let it go.
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
Posts: 39,904
If drinking NA beer keeps him from drinking the real thing, then great. There is a lot of mixed emotions about NA beer here. The topic comes up fairly often. Some people avoid it like the plague, while others enjoy an NA brew from time to time. It's a personal choice and if it keeps him from reaching for real alcohol, then I wouldn't be concerned. I'm sure you'll get responses from others who feel totally differently, but each person's sobriety is their own.
Another thing, you might get more responses if you post your thread in our Friends & Families of Alcoholics forum, which gets a lot more traffic. Welcome to SR!
Another thing, you might get more responses if you post your thread in our Friends & Families of Alcoholics forum, which gets a lot more traffic. Welcome to SR!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
I am in the "NA Beer is OK depending on the circumstances" camp, for RECOVERED alkies... Though, I haven't even wanted one for almost a year.... they really don't taste all that good...
However, in your case, YES... I would take a look at that... Would he have a whole six pack of diet coke after work?... Also, he's not recovered yet if he still gets really uncomfortable at a comedy club... but 5 months is still early.
Mark
However, in your case, YES... I would take a look at that... Would he have a whole six pack of diet coke after work?... Also, he's not recovered yet if he still gets really uncomfortable at a comedy club... but 5 months is still early.
Mark
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 6
Thanks. Yes he would drink a 6 pack of diet coke. He has had a phobia since he was child about not having something to drink (by something I mean anything -- water, soda, kool-aid, alcohol). He drinks non-stop all day. It is nothing for him to go through 2 to 3 2-liters of diet soda a day. That is part of why I am not sure if I should be concerned.
He found an "amber" NA beer that he really likes, so I'm not sure if he just likes the taste of it or what the deal is. I know 5 months is early so it was my fault for thinking he would be ok at the club. I guess it will just take more time than I thought. I guess you cant spend 7-9 years in heavy drinking and then just shut it off after 5 months. He has done really good and I am so proud of him, I just dont want this NA thing to set him back if that is what it is doing. But if it is helping ...... I just do not know, lol.
He found an "amber" NA beer that he really likes, so I'm not sure if he just likes the taste of it or what the deal is. I know 5 months is early so it was my fault for thinking he would be ok at the club. I guess it will just take more time than I thought. I guess you cant spend 7-9 years in heavy drinking and then just shut it off after 5 months. He has done really good and I am so proud of him, I just dont want this NA thing to set him back if that is what it is doing. But if it is helping ...... I just do not know, lol.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,947
Some here are so disapproving of the NA that we run the risk of getting posts pulled if we get too specific regarding brands...
OK, well... he always has to be drinking something... Maybe see if you can steer him away from the NA and turn him on to, hmm... different teas... That's what I do in the evening now, brew a pot of some exotic (read expensive
) tea... white is great at nite, low caffeine, or oolong is interesting... and there is, I guess, a little "snob appeal" LOL...
I was good at a club like that at around a year, but I was slow and everyone is different.
Welcome to SR
OK, well... he always has to be drinking something... Maybe see if you can steer him away from the NA and turn him on to, hmm... different teas... That's what I do in the evening now, brew a pot of some exotic (read expensive
) tea... white is great at nite, low caffeine, or oolong is interesting... and there is, I guess, a little "snob appeal" LOL...I was good at a club like that at around a year, but I was slow and everyone is different.
Welcome to SR
Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 818
Amber N/A beer is my favorite and it's probably better for me that a 6 pack of diet soda. My experience with it has been that after a while it becomes awfully filling, and that bloated sensation caused me to cut back. I seldom drink it now for that reason. Your husband may have the same experience after the thrill of the N/A wears off.
And it's probably better to stay away from people, places and things that make your husband uncomfortable. Five months isn't enough time in sobriety for him to be exposed to temptation. He's still on shaky ground.
And it's probably better to stay away from people, places and things that make your husband uncomfortable. Five months isn't enough time in sobriety for him to be exposed to temptation. He's still on shaky ground.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Ontario
Posts: 806
Originally Posted by kher 
my husband has been sober since early september (sunday will mark 5 months!). I made the mistake of going to a comedy club that was inside a dance club a few weeks back. He was uncomfortable the entire time but made it through the 2 hour show without a drink. I didn't drink either. However, since that time he started drinking non-alcoholic beer. he is to the point now that he drinks a six pack of that every day after work. His drink of choice during his heavy drinking was never beer, it was always rum. But i don't know if i should be concerned about this and say something or just let it go.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 336
If a sober friend of mine were drinking NA beer, I would be concerned and let them know about my concern. I wouldn't so much be concerned about he alcohol content of NA beer, but more the psychological side of it.
Here is a thread I found here at SR on the topic of non-alcoholic beer:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...olic-beer.html
Here is a thread I found here at SR on the topic of non-alcoholic beer:
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...olic-beer.html
Stopping the Train...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Sevierville, TN - in the valley of the Great Smoky Mountains
Posts: 978
For me - I was never a beer drinker, don't like the taste and didn't give me the effect I wanted fast enough - though I've drank my share. Same with alcoholic "dinner drinks" - but hard liquor was a huge downfall along with the dope. Near-beer is still taking the action of. At the holidays my mom serves sparkling cider - in a wine glass. This starts my psychological process in what I used to do. The obsession quickly takes over. I had to ask her not to serve it that way...and I don't need to have the bottle sitting at the dinner table.
Non-alcohol beer STILL CONTAINS ALCOHOL. Less than 0.5%, but it's still there. The body knows it's there.
Non-alcohol beer STILL CONTAINS ALCOHOL. Less than 0.5%, but it's still there. The body knows it's there.
Stopping the Train...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Sevierville, TN - in the valley of the Great Smoky Mountains
Posts: 978
At least snorting flour doesn't contain any of the drug that helped get me here, but it is still taking the action. My last white keytag was actually from doing just that...taking the action of. It was a pretty serious action...
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 108
The slogan "non-alcoholic beer is for non-alcoholics" is a nice play on words, but it doesn't appear to have any hard evidence behind it. We might suspect that it could cause someone to slip back into old habits, but we also might suspect that it could help someone extinguish the danger of environmental cues (i.e. extinction in classical conditioning). Without any hard evidence, though---and remember, anecdotes are not hard evidence---it's impossible to say what if any effect drinking non-alcoholic beer will have.
Personally, my bets are on it being helpful, not harmful. But, again, that's just a suspicion based on my best guess.
Personally, my bets are on it being helpful, not harmful. But, again, that's just a suspicion based on my best guess.
Stopping the Train...
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Sevierville, TN - in the valley of the Great Smoky Mountains
Posts: 978
Originally Posted by vinepest
but it doesn't appear to have any hard evidence behind it.
Non-alcohol beer STILL CONTAINS ALCOHOL. Less than 0.5%, but it's still there. The body knows it's there.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Merritt Island, Fl
Posts: 1,164
Originally Posted by vinepest
Personally, my bets are on it being helpful, not harmful. But, again, that's just a suspicion based on my best guess.
Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The Great Outdoors
Posts: 1,992
I have to tell you...I tried it. Even tho I did NOT like the taste of it (who are they trying to kid-near beer my ***) it did plant "time for a beer" idea in my head. I did not act on the thought..but was very aware of it. I spose it is different for each person..but I don't mess around with it any more at all. I will stick to iced tea..club soda with grapefruit juice..my favorite new drinks.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,432
Originally Posted by vinepest
The slogan "non-alcoholic beer is for non-alcoholics" is a nice play on words, but it doesn't appear to have any hard evidence behind it. We might suspect that it could cause someone to slip back into old habits, but we also might suspect that it could help someone extinguish the danger of environmental cues (i.e. extinction in classical conditioning). Without any hard evidence, though---and remember, anecdotes are not hard evidence---it's impossible to say what if any effect drinking non-alcoholic beer will have.
Personally, my bets are on it being helpful, not harmful. But, again, that's just a suspicion based on my best guess.
Personally, my bets are on it being helpful, not harmful. But, again, that's just a suspicion based on my best guess.
Drinking NA beer did lead me back to the hard stuff....more than once....as a beer drinker I was drinking something that tasted like beer, looked like beer, came in a can like beer, drank it with my mates socially like beer...and it had a little bit of alcohol in it...but not enough...
Looking back I really set myself up.
I don't universalise my experiences - other people mileage may indeed vary but it's not much good me sharing other people's experience...
D
Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 108
Originally Posted by whiskerkissed
I did the research myself - just like you can. Google it...:-)
RIP Sweet Suki
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In my sanctuary, my home
Posts: 39,904
This question comes up here quite often. I really wish they would make a stickie thread out of the best one so we could just refer people to that.
Most people here feel that non-alcoholic (actually, most contain 0.05% alcohol) is a bad idea because it's flirting with disaster. Many feel it will cause them to crave the real thing. Most say they drank beer to get drunk and not because the especially liked the taste. Of course, those people should definitely stay away from it.
On the other hand, there are those who will have a N/A brew occasionally. While it doesn't taste exactly like beer, it's close enough that it satisfies wanting that beer taste with certain foods, etc. I am one of those people. I would never suggest anyone try it if they were in the least bit fearful that it could cause them to crave the real thing. That has never happened with me and I have 2 1/2 years sober. I don't drink it that often; in fact, I haven't had any in a couple of months. I keep planning to buy some, but haven't done it yet.
In other words, it's a very personal decision.
Most people here feel that non-alcoholic (actually, most contain 0.05% alcohol) is a bad idea because it's flirting with disaster. Many feel it will cause them to crave the real thing. Most say they drank beer to get drunk and not because the especially liked the taste. Of course, those people should definitely stay away from it.
On the other hand, there are those who will have a N/A brew occasionally. While it doesn't taste exactly like beer, it's close enough that it satisfies wanting that beer taste with certain foods, etc. I am one of those people. I would never suggest anyone try it if they were in the least bit fearful that it could cause them to crave the real thing. That has never happened with me and I have 2 1/2 years sober. I don't drink it that often; in fact, I haven't had any in a couple of months. I keep planning to buy some, but haven't done it yet.
In other words, it's a very personal decision.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
