79 days sober here - my friends and family are all being super supportive. It’s been pretty successful and haven’t had cravings or withdraw symptoms.
I was watching football at my family’s house this weekend and they purchased some Heineken 0.0 (Non-Alcoholic beer) and I read online it contains potentially up to 0.5% alcohol. My question is, does drinking these count as a relapse? And if so, how do I tell them in such a way as not to offend them? I know they are trying to be supportive of my sobriety and were trying to be considerate of me.
Any advice / experience would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your reply! It is the ‘triggering’ of wanting the real thing that I am afraid of. I think I’ll steer clear of them. I really really don’t want to screw this up or make it harder on myself.
I tried the n/a stuff before and it just tastes to much like beer it became a trigger. I never got any kind of buzz or tipsy from it though. Besides they dont taste that great so id rather have something better anyway: tea, soda, kiddi cocktail (my fav!), juice, kombucha, smoothies, or some good ol fashion water haha
Depends Seth.
I drink them without any problems. But, over here (netherlands) 0.0 ís 0.0. Alcoholfree means alcoholfree as opposed to alcohol low, which can indeed contain 0.3 - 0.5%. Which I don’t drink.
Some may argue alcoholfree still contains 0.03% which is correct, however a ripened banana has more alcohol content.
Main risk with alcoholfree beer can be, that your addict mind still thinks of it as beer.
Stay aware of that. Don’t drink 6 of them one after another for then you still drink them as if they were beers.
On the other hand, most don’t seem to use that argument when it’s about mocktails, so kind of double standard.
But in any other way, it s just another alcohfree drink though I must say I spit out an Heineken 0.0 for it tasted too much like real beer to me.
In the end it’s up to you. Can you drink it without wanting another one ?
Contemplate on what goes on in your mind when you drink one.
I think zero alcohol options have had a place for me in my sobriety. When I’ve felt comfortable being sober but wanted to participate in a celebration, I’ve enjoyed a zero alcohol champagne. But I wasnt too early in my journey, I wasn’t unsure of my choice not to drink, at those points I knew I would be able to enjoy a substitute without craving the real thing.
Everyone is different
Depends are you looking for that effect again with NA beers then your on a sticky wicket try a soft drink soda water and lime is a good one . tell them your happy with a soft drink , im afraid social drinkers havnt a clue about our addiction wish you well
Just look at the content Non-Alcoholic( which can contain up to 0.05%) is different from 0.0%. In my experience thats the same level of alcohol that certain beverages like orange juice, mouthwash, etc contain. So its moreso if the taste or the act of doing it, triggers you.
For me, i actually like the taste of Heineken 0.0. I make it into a michelada.
So its an individual choice. Test it out and see for yourself.
The non alcoholic beer to me is like playing “just the tip!” Budweiser zero is delicious but it just tastes to much like real beer I want the real thing.
My savior has been a gallon of black decaf sun tea every evening. I never drank during the day so evenings are when I needed to satisfy that oral desire. Zero calories and I love iced tea. With the decaf I fall asleep perfectly at night.
One side benefit too is at parties (get togethers, football etc) I put tea in a pint glass and everyone thinks I’m drinking some micro beer.
Well, I tried the NA Beer and it totally made me desire the real thing. NA beer was not good for me, just my thoughts. I relapsed many times afterwards too. Ugh! 25 days sober and I’m ok.
There are two things that bother me most about sticking out that I’m not drinking.
First, if I’m drinking tea or soda water and lime I’ve fooled myself that I am drinking because of the constant act of drinking a non alcoholic beverage. When someone points out “he why aren’t you drinking?” It brings me back to the mental state of feeling like I’m giving up something or not having something I should be having.
Secondly, not drinking isn’t some phase, some two week detox or some juice cleanse I’m doing. It’s sobriety and I don’t necessarily want to start thinking about sobriety and explain the whole reasoning etc when I haven’t thought about alcohol for three quarters of a football game.
Anything I can do to blend in Shasta really helped me and I hope it helps you too.
It was suggested to me to simply answer, “I don’t drink,” if asked. And honestly not many people asked me except those who were mostly just wanting to drink themselves.
It wasn’t bad advice! Every time I’ve said “I don’t drink” out loud, especially to someone else, I feel stronger in believing it myself. Somehow still sober!
They ask why? Cuz I just don’t drink. Ain’t no business of theirs, honestly. But I’m stubborn.
It’s not bad advice to be holding a beverage though. Even a glass of water. Otherwise basic courtesy has everyone around offering you something.
I agree with @Piglet86. I was never a beer lover (I rarely, very rarely drank it), but, if there was a non-alcoholic vodka, I would stay away from it. It probably would be a trigger or, better, a temptation that could lead me to wanting the “real thing”.
But it is, as said, a nice thought and gesture from your family.
Personally, I stick to sparkling water, ginger ale or virgin mojito (I didn’t like cocktails either, so I don’t see it as a non-alcoholic version of something, just a refreshing kind of juice).
Oh, and I wouldn’t count it as a relapse in no way; it’s that I would avoid it in order to avoid getting tempted.
Congrats on your 79 days.
