Yeah same mate any alcohol makes me feel really irritable untill I have more
It’s a no from me
I once drunk 12 bottles on a camping trip in 45 minutes. Would I have done the same with bottles of coke or water? Definitely not- it makes me crave and romanticise drinking again
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Yeah I can see why this would happen I would do the same I think where you from in uk?
Welcome to the page bro! I’ve found this community very supportive and helpful, especially on some of the private thread that I was invited too by members here. Like anywhere else you’re going to have differences in opinion. Personally I work the Alcoholics Anonymous programme daily, and one of its core aspects is to “place principles before personalities”. If anyone has a serious problem with what another poster says it can be flagged for moderation, and the moderators are really good, but that doesn’t seem to happen often. Between this and AA I have a good network of people to reach out to, and here you can also 12 step others (carry the message to the addict/alcoholic that still suffers), which is a really beautiful thing to do that removes you from yourself for a moment. There’s obviously a bit of controversy on this topic, I suppose it comes down to what works for the individual. For me personally I’ve tried NA beers and they been apart of a process that has lead me to relapse in the past, however funnily enough I’m very confident I could have a sparkling grape juice and have no adverse affect on me at all. I’m a hopeless functional drunk when I drink, for me it’s a life or death choice when it comes to staying sober or drinking. I have enjoyed kombucha during my year off drinking, I’ve never once binged in it like I would with alcohol, and I’ve never felt the compulsion to drink it, I drink it more as a celebration or for enjoyment. Which for me is great because it’s a normal affair rather than my compulsive alcoholism, it makes me feel like a normal person. Ginger beer in moderation with a healthy diet too 
. Thanks for the question and hope to see you active on the page and doing really well.
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Thank you Duncan I am tryng the AA myself just started the big book audio on chapter 4. Chapter 3 really does relate too me so I’m going too keep going with it. I’m going too leave the non alcohol beers now anyway lol. Thanks for the welcome
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There’s heaps of zoom meetings going at the moment even a 24/7 one I’ll bump it up in the forum. I usually do 5 meetings in person a week and can go stir crazy between them so during lockdown the zoom meetings have been a god send. I’m on step for but barely touched my big book.
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i drink non-alcoholic beer because i like the taste it has nothing to do with alcohol for me 
i can also cook with alcohol without it triggering anything.
I think it depends on where the problems were / are. I myself always used 40% shit to numb my problems / feelings. I think that’s why alcohol-free and cooking works for me. It is also the case that I have the non-alcoholic drink at home but rarely drink it. I mainly take it for evaluation and events
from my point of view it should not be a substitute for the normal … because as a replacement the chance is too high that there are problems with it.
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Where do you get the steps from is this something you get in the meetings
The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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Aa third step prayer
Third Step Prayer
God, I offer myself to Thee – to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of Life.
THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
(SHORT FORM)
- Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon A.A. unity.
- For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
- The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
- Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or A.A. as a whole.
- Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.
- An A.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
- Every A.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
- Alcoholics Anonymous should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
- A.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the A.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
- Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
- Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
It’s recommended in AA to get a sponsor , someone who has worked the steps and has a sponsor. This is someone to work through the steps with you and call when you need them. Usually you can find someone in a meeting but I’m sure it’s possible to find someone in an online meeting too. There’s AA websites for many countries, usually each one has a contactable helpline in New Zealand it’s 0800 AAWORKS. Our helpline can direct you to your local group. It may be different in your area. There’s estimated to be over 2 million people in aa. You’re a member when you say you are, there’s no dues or fees for membership.
I can’t, won’t risk it. I hate beer so the only way I’d drink it was for the buzz. I’m afraid if I tried then the cravings would come back with a vengeance and I’d be downing a bottle of Captain or Jack just for that feeling again. I’d be digging my grave in no time.
But thats just my opinion.
All meetings tend to have banners that detail the steps and traditions. You will find the steps detailed in chapter 5 of the big boom and also in the book “The twelve and twelve”. I’m quite new to the programme but just by going to meetings, especially meetings that focus on the steps it starts to make its way into your memory, and then it’s matter of working the steps and the programme to the best of our abilities. It’s been helpful to me listening to those that have worked the programme and maintain a strong recovery. The longest period of sobriety in my fellowship is a man of 55 years sobriety. Even though I’m 25 and he’s 80 we get on like a couple of good old mates and I’ve been invited around for many a meal with him and his wife and always learnt something.
HOW IT WORKS
Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not recover are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of grasping and developing a manner of living which demands rigorous honesty. Their chances are less than average. There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but many of them do recover if they have the capacity to be honest.
Our stories disclose in a general way what we used to be like, what happened, and what we are like now. If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps.
At some of these we balked. We thought we could find an easier, softer way. But we could not. With all the earnestness at our command, we beg of you to be fearless and thor- ough from the very start. Some of us have tried to hold on to our old ideas and the result was nil until we let go absolutely.
Remember that we deal with alcohol — cunning, baffling, powerful! Without help it is too much for us. But there is One who has all power — that One is God. May you find Him now!
Half measures availed us nothing. We stood at the turning point. We asked His protec- tion and care with complete abandon.
Here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery:
-
We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
-
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
-
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
understood Him. -
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
-
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
-
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
-
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
-
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
(OVER)9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. -
Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
-
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
-
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
Many of us exclaimed, “What an order! I can’t go through with it.’’ Do not be discour- aged. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles. We are not saints. The point is, that we are willing to grow along spiritual lines. The principles we have set down are guides to progress. We claim spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.
Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas:
(a) That we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives.
(b) That probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism. © That God could and would if He were sought.
Hope that helps 
Thank you Duncan this is a great help I will look into all of this and gonna have a online meeting tonight. I’m in the uk. I love New Zealand went thear about 20 years ago when I was a merchant seaman
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P.S it’s a spiritual not religious programme not aligned with any religious sect. A higher power is simply something outside of oneself, it could be ones family, the programme, a parent, or something else. I’ve heard a story of one man in a meeting saying his higher power was a tree, and another smartly replied that his higher power was a chainsaw, and he could soon make fast work of the tree. For me I pray to a god of my own non understanding, a Christian god and for me that’s a great help to be able to hand things over and ask god for his will not mine.
https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/AA-Meetings/Find-a-Meeting/
Good in ya man I’ve got a friend in AA who was a sailor, bloody great guy he does a lot of service work for the followship here. If you have any trouble sorting the meetings out feel free to drop me a message or the link above has a contact number for the UK.
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There are always new people who ask questions, so yes indeed! 
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Okay, glad you are aware, just wanted to mention it for others as well, who might not be aware. Well done on your year!!
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Thanks so much for all your help !!
Just south of Manchester mate 
