Pixie30f

I’ve been ok about giving up wine - getting to the end of Day 4 - but I felt this evening that I’d like a zero alcohol lager, which I genuinely like. Please tell me that doesn’t count!!

Pix

RAL

People have very mixed feelings. Some alcohol free beer still has low levels of alcohol in it.

Personally I cpuldnt as it looks like alcohol tastes like alcohol but doesnt give me the buzz. But it will only be a matter of time before I want that buzz.

Plus theres so many delicious non alcohol drinks out there that imo are much more refreshing.

But others will think differently

Pixie30f

I’m not really a beer drinker so it kind of does taste like it to me and it definitely has no buzz and I don’t want the buzz. It seemed like something I could do that was close enough but not harmful. Not sure wanting to get ‘close enough’ isn’t harmful though. It certainly isn’t something I’d be tempted to overdo!! For now, I’m still looking at this as Day 4 and maybe I don’t want to go into territory that in any way resembles alcohol. You’re right, there are other drinks that are more refreshing. Any recommendations? It’s not something I’ve done much of. It’s always been either wine or water - or coffee - for me.

RAL

I m strictly sparkling water and coffee 😀 but there are some lovely flavoured waters out there. Also fruit teas .

Anna

I don't think it's a great idea. Since you're not a beer drinker and it has no buzz, why drink it? There are hundreds of options out there which are refreshing and delicious that don't mimic drinking alcohol. I love Cranberry Juice and sparkling water in the summer.

Hodd

Only you can answer that, Pixie.

I swapped my beer/wine addiction for an AF beer addiction. For a year and a half, I had quite a few cans of AF beer a day. I was in a better place but obviously all wasn’t quite right. Luckily, that habit fizzled out, which let’s face it doesn’t happen with real beer. I think I was lucky as many AF drinkers try the real thing. Maybe ask why you want an AF beer?

Well done on 4 days 🙂

SoberLeigh

I wouldn’t risk it, especially not so very early in recovery, Pixie.

DriGuy

I may have gone overboard in setting boundaries for myself. Overboard or not, it has served me well for 28 years. One of my boundaries, at least for the first couple of years, was to avoid alcohol environments, no parties, no bars, no walks down the wine isles of grocery stores. I put fake drinks in the category of alcohol environments. I see them as training wheels for the real thing, and something that would keep me thinking about alcohol, while not thinking about alcohol is a much healthier goal.

Was this the right choice? It was for me. My plan was to avoid walking on the knife's edge, and to stay well away from the edge of the cliff. Also, if I wondered about how risky something might be, I just avoided it if at all possible. I would always err on the side of caution. Some here who have achieved successful sobriety have used fake drinks a bit, mostly in the beginning. How good or bad the idea is may vary from person to person. I'd say stay away from them.

As for alternative drinks, I favor orange soda, or orange flavored mixes, zero calories. That's hardly exotic enough to be a substitute for alcohol, but you asked, so that's what I like. Oh yeah, I like iced coffee with half milk, and a dash of vanilla flavor.

RecklessDrunk

As a former craft beer drinker I wouldn't be caught dead with fake beer. Kind of like decaf coffee, its one of those things I just can't understand people even thinking of in the first place.

My go to is seltzer, club soda, sparking water. Doesn't matter if I'm home, at a bar, wedding or something. Sometimes if I'm drinking it around people who are drinking the thought that my glass doesn't contain alcohol slips my mind.

SnazzyDresser

The benefit is negligible, and the potential cost is huge. That's a foolish risk to take so early in your sobriety.

Dee74

Hi Pxie,

I have to agree with the flow here...you're not a beer drinker so you're not drinking for taste...
NA beers etc can be one way the AV tries to keep the door open a crack - you drink some, miss the buzz, start obsessing...

Not sure if this applies to you if you're just drinking at home, but NA beverages can also be a crutch to make us feel less self conscious about not drinking....but the dangers the same..miss the buzz...wake the AV up...

I think being loud and proud about being a non drinker is the way to go.

I drink sparkling water or zero sugar soda

D

Pixie30f

I think some of this is hitting the spot I was a bit worried about. I thought zero alcohol - which, despite not being a beer drinker really, I quite like, although I totally get the decaf (why???) comparison - would be a good way to cope with situations where everyone else was drinking and I might be in danger of a bit of FOMO. I haven’t really found a substitute that I actually like but I’m planning to conduct a bit of a search. I love the way being alcohol free makes me feel but I don’t feel safe yet. Thanks for all the concern, as ever, and the support and advice.

Px

Zebra1275

I agree with what SnazzyDresser posted above. ^^^

DeplorableDog

Personally Pixie I was a whiskey/Bourbon drinker. I never cared for beer with few exceptions. I did not like any of the more common beers Therefore I would not drink anything that tasted like beer. Would I drink a non alcoholic drink that tasted like whiskey? I am not even aware of the existence of such a thing but I would not. Why? Because I don't drink. I would not want to tempt myself with something that tasted like even my favorite whiskey. Look at it like this, if you had a child that was allergic to peanuts would you feed them artificial peanut butter with no peanuts? Some parents would. I would not, a child could love the taste of the peanut butter and the risk would always be there of someone not knowing they have an allergy and offering them real peanut butter.

ToughChoices

For me, approximations of alcohol are an outward expression of an inner belief that I am “missing out” by electing sobriety.

They reveal a desire.

If you are just beginning in recovery, it is very normal to feel that FOMO. As you progress, it will naturally wane. It is a false belief that alcohol provides peace, fun, or society, but it takes a bit of distance and work to see the illusion and change your mind.

I don’t drink zero beer just as I don’t drink poison-free pesticides. For me, alcohol is spiritual poison. No point in mimicking that.

jagrnaut

All it did for me was make my tongue white from all of the yeast and did make me ponder real beer instead. It also costs just as much or more. I would personally say save your money and if you need the bubbles there are tons of sparkling/mineral waters out there and for far cheaper. I did the NA beer thing for way too long at one point and it felt like I wasn't truly ready to ditch the habit. Just my honest opinion.

Evoo

Let me give you a recommendation that has helped me a LOT.

This is your sobriety journey, and it will look different from other people's depending a great deal on their personal histories, their tolerances/cravings, their personalities... what matters is that you don't do anything that threatens your health and well-being and sends you back into a spiral of addiction.

For instance, I drink kombucha on a daily basis. Technically kombucha can have trace amounts of alcohol -- that is a no go for many people, and I respect that. I have had people tell me that my sobriety isn't "real" because I enjoy brewing/drinking kombucha -- at the time, it really upset me when my sobriety was still new. I craved validation from other people in recovery.

Today? I don't give AF what someone else thinks. I associate my ginger kombucha with health, wellness and sobriety -- and it settles my stomach and makes me feel good (and it's great with food). I also have Crohn's disease and I find it helps me a lot. These things have never affected me negatively in the years and have only contributed to my health and well-being. There are others who would avoid it, and that's OK.

Having said all that, I never drink near-beer or alcohol-free wine/liquor because I've find they make me crave alcohol... they don't taste very good and they are mostly empty calories. I so heavily associate the flavor/experience with heavy drinking, that it's not a good move for me. But I know problem drinkers who have been sipping on near-beer for years without a problem, so it's not on me to make a value statement one way or the other. Are they happy? Are they healthy? Are they sober? Then good, you do you.

The best advice here to know yourself and protect yourself. It's easy to slip - it's good advice to avoid anything that will put you in that danger - but ultimately the choice is yours. You don't need to feel guilt or worry about it if you're on a path that you're happy with.

SnazzyDresser

well put. (btw that's a cool Egon Schiele avatar)

Atlast9999

I personally don’t drink any of the non-alcoholic beverages because I would want the buzz. So that’s a no go for me.

I’ve become quite creative over the years with drinks. I enjoy sparkling waters mixed with fruit juices. I add real fruit to it in the summer months.

They are refreshing, what I anticipated, and I’m not chasing a buzz - real or imagined.

saoutchik

To answer your question directly Pixie no, it definitely doesn't count but I too think it is probably better to go for an alternative just for basic psychological reasons really.

Well done on 4 days!