I want to ask if anyone has experienced something similar. I’m 2 years (741 days) sober after dealing with binge drinking for years, and although I’m in a pretty good place now, I’m so terrified of accidentally consuming alcohol.
The other day I went out with some family for dinner, and I was worried my dessert had alcohol in it based on the taste/texture. I had to excuse myself to go to the ‘bathroom’ and went to check that it didn’t have alcohol in it. Normally when ordering I double check and ask the server, but I haven’t told my family about why I quit drinking, so I didn’t ask. It was terrifying and I felt sick and unsettled the rest of the night even though I knew it didn’t have any alcohol in it in the end.
I’ve been dealing with this for a good while, always watching my (soft) drinks being made and double checking everything and asking if my food/drink contains alcohol because I’m so scared. It’s also been a huge focal point/common theme in nightmares.
I know logically if I accidentally consume alcohol it doesn’t change my sobriety, I haven’t made that decision to go back, but it still makes me so scared.
Has anyone else dealt with something similar or have any advice for dealing with this?
When it comes to food - personally I don’t worry about it. The vast majority of food has no alcohol in it, and if it does and it’s cooked, there’s only trace amounts of alcohol remaining if anything at all. the only things I can think of are boozy deserts, which are easily avoided.
Do what you can and be as careful as you can, but seriously don’t obsess over it. Falls into the category of control/influence what you can, but let go of what you can’t.
If you’re ever unsure, now you know to google it before you order it!
Or if you aren’t comfortable sharing your sobriety yet, find a way to ask a member of the waitstaff away from the rest of the table. A quick “bathroom trip” is sufficient to get away and ask someone while you’re up.
Many people working in restaurants are aware of and sensitive to these things and will generally reciprocate efforts to be inconspicuous about it.
There are a few foods out there that I will only eat if I make it, because traditionally they are made with what was my “favorite” alcohol. Avoiding a few foods when i am out, is cheap peace of mind.
Im very concious of what i order. Lots of restaurants have fancy mocktails and i annoy my hubby but i stress NO ALCOHOL and confirm with waiter before taking a sip. I call it due diligence. Hubby calls it overkill but my sobriety is very important to me.
@ejbrown03 what you reference sounds alot like anxiety even with it seeping into your dreams. Ive experienced it. You arent alone. Sometimes sharing about the fears take the power away. If you find you fixate or worry about other things like this it may be worth a chat with your doctor
There are numerous foods that are prepared with some type of alcohol, and there are plenty of medications and OTC stuff like mouthwash that contain different types of alcohol. There was a book called “Living Sober” that gave me tips on how to deal with this exact issue.
When in doubt, I would abstain and avoid these in early sobriety. Sometimes I had my wife taste a mocktail just to be sure it was alcohol free. I remember a time on vacation in Jamaica and I thought I was quite clear with the waitstaff that I wanted a virgin, alcohol free drink, but she saw the bartender put rum in the glass, so we questioned it immediately and refused that serving.
Today, at 40+ yrs I still stay aware of what I allow to go into my system and avoid having an issue with accidently swallowing something I shouldn’t.