I’ve used this app before when trying to quit but was unable to stay dry. However a couple of months back both my wife and I made the decision to quit. It was planned with the guidance from the doctor and meds we have both been able to stay dry for 3 weeks now.
I am waiting to see a counsellor I am booked for the 9th Feb. Earliest it could be arranged. Sadly in aus we don’t have meetings or groups you can Goto for support.
However my question is … Are zero alch drinks acceptable. I have had a couple of 0.0beers on the absolutely terrible days. Is this classed as breaking the streak or on certain events/timelines (personal memory days) is it ok to have 1-2 to celebrate or commiserate the occasion?
Thankyou everyone for being here too. I read about of your stores and it helps me keep going.
If the beverage contains no alcohol it technically is not a relapse or alcohol consumption. Although I have never met a person for whom drinking NA beer didn’t end up with them drinking the real thing.
Non alcoholic drinks are kinda taboo topic here. Id be careful if you are drinking those nonalcoholic drinks in the same habit you would with alcoholic drinks. The key to success is to break those habits and start newer, healthier habits. Plus theyre just unnecessary carbs
That said i make myself mocktails sometimes as a treat but dont rely on them to celebrate or commiserate.
Glad youre here. Do whats right for you and your sobriety.
Congratulations on your 3 weeks sober and beginning your new path, this is wonderful!! And welcome to the forum, I’m glad youre here.
For me, most of my meeting experience has all been online. For over 2 years with Covid, all of my meetings and meeting with my sponsor all happened via zoom meetings. In person support and connection can be great but what an amazing time that we live in where we can connect and work our recovery right from our own homes online too.
My sponsor actually just celebrated her 20th anniversary this week. Her date is set from her last n/a drink. When she looked at her motivations for drinking them, it was her alcoholism speaking to her and she was trying to get back that familiar feeling. Which can be a VERY slippery slope so she got honest and reset her date. For me, I personally don’t swim in those waters as I’m not willing to risk my sobriety by drowning in those old habits and parterns that I want to break. Nothing changes if nothing changes and if I’m romanticizing a drink and using those replacements, I’m working my way back to the real thing. I want as much distance between me and that drink as I can possibly get.
Keep doing whatver it takes to end your day sober. You’ve done this now for 21 days and you can continue to keep adding another day, one day or even one minute at a time. Being here really helped me in the beginning but as I’ve progressed in my sober journey, it’s taken needing many avenues of assistance and staying in the solution to keep my days adding up.
Congratulations on your 3 weeks!! I don’t consider NA beer a relapse or slip, but I know for myself, I had to separate myself from mocktails or NA wine in early days because I needed to really change my associations …like a burger needed a beer…no, a burger is great without a beer. Or weddings = champagne…no, they = relationships. I had to find new ways of looking at life and change old ways of being and thinking. Idk if that helps you at all, just my experience.
Congratulations on 3 weeks! For both u and ur wife! When it comes to 0% alcohol beers, i wouldnt say that drinking them would be breaking ur streak but i would just be very careful that it doesnt trigger u to want the “real” thing. I personally can not be around or have anything that reminds me of alcohol or any other substance ive done. Drinking 0% alcohol for me would be too close for comfort, even tho theres no alcohol in it. But thats just me.
For me I wasn’t drinking for the taste, I drank for the feeling so I personally stay away from NA drinks because my brain would be firing off because it knows the taste but isn’t getting what it wants and id be scared this would lead me to a relapse.
Everyone is different, but I would not call it a relapse or a slip unless it’s alcohol you have consumed.
Thankyou everyone for your kind words and support.
The main reason I was asking is, I was shopping solo at the supermarket with the liquor store attached. I was down the soft drinks isle and saw the 6pack there and grabbed them off impulsive habbit. I didn’t want to cave and go into the bottle and buy something.
Mostly I would drink spirits but towards the end I’d drink anything I could get my hands on.
My wife had 2 of the cans I had the other 4 but over two different occasions and 2 cans only each time.
I have to admit by the time I got half way through the second can I was done. It just didn’t taste right and I felt bloated and just blergh from it.
I am on acampasol which I believe is helping. The cravings are dying down. the weekends are the hardest as that’s when I used to drink really heavily. Ie 3bottles of bourbon over 2days plus anything else that was around. I do try and keep myself busy gardening cars exercise but at this stage it still feels like something is missing to round off the day.
Congratulations on your 3 weeks ! Sounds like you are working hard and have much to be proud of. Coming here and asking is the best thing. I asked the same question in the beginning and someone said to me, if it feels like cheating or like it’s “wrong” stay away he also said, if it’s helping keep you away from the real stuff than use it as a tool but be sure it stays at 0.0. For the first 6 months I stayed clear. Mostly, I think it’s awesome you came here to ask and even more awesone you are clicking away each day. It just gets better and better as you’ll see.
Congratulations, my brain won’t let me drink non alcohol drinks as it is a trigger to me, it is a bit like drinking water from a wine glass, my brain says get the real thing, wishing you well.
Was on a pod cast last week young girl not long sober ? was promoting NA stuff ,people who know me here im a old fashioned guy sober means sober like everyone here has said drinking this stuff will prob lead back to the real stuff . talking of pods was on another one last week and the lady was on her 4th step and she was writing a book on recovery 15 month sober ? . rant over everyone have good week end
Sounds like you are working hard and have much to be proud of. Coming here and asking is the best thing. I asked the same question in the beginning and someone said to me, if it feels like cheating or like it’s “wrong” stay away he also said, if it’s helping keep you away from the real stuff than use it as a tool but be sure it stays at 0.0. For the first 6 months I stayed clear. Mostly, I think it’s awesome you came here to ask and even more awesone you are clicking away each day. It just gets better and better as you’ll see.