I posted this into the ACa as well. Just thought I would keep in touch as much as possible. Thanks for all of your stories. It helps!! Today I surfed...took my kids fishing and focused on them. I too am on anxiety meds. I am not fond of them...but when I get soooo anxious and attacks come on, I would rahter prefer to drink if possible. The psych says...you need to take the meds as needed. Since I am not into pills...never have been, I am not worried about that. I had a really emotional day yesterday and the anxiety built up today really bad. Weird how that works. I got some non alcoholic beer (which I like anyway), and played in the pool with my kids. I didn't want to drink though. But it is like a habit...like smoking. so today, I am sober. I prayed the serentity prayer, read my ACA and AA 12 steps. I am here. I told two friends about AA. One was shi=ocked. She has seen me at my worst and seen me in my long sober periods. I told her...I think my bottom was hearing my son mention that I am drinking too much...which of course flipped me out into my own childhood with an alcoholic mom. I felt confident today. I have made a plan for the future. I will bring a cooler full of my nonalcolics beers and sodas, if needed. Funny, I love the taste of beer but not the effects. Thank you all again..I will post this on the AA site as well.
Happy Sober Day, Surfer. I tried a non-alcoholic beer once & though I liked the taste it still had a strange psychological effect on my head so I don't do it again. I found it quite near to teasing & I don't like the taste that much to indulge in any head twisting for me so I don't do anything alcohol flavoured today :) Love in recovery, Daniella x
-- Edited by Sobrietyspell at 20:25, 2008-07-28
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Progress not perfection.. & Practice makes Progress!
I say this only because I care........Drinking non-alcoholic beer (& it does contain a small % of alcohol) is not a good idea, along with sparkling ciders or juice in your favorite wine glass or cola in your favorite beer mug, etc - This is referred to in AA as "romancing the drink". Its a slippery slope as alcoholism affects (Effects?) the body, spirit AND mind. I tried that myself once, it only took about a week and I was right back to the REAL beer.......So, easy it does, gal.
(((hugs))))
-- Edited by Doll at 20:52, 2008-07-28
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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass... It's about learning to dance in the rain.
I agree with both replies, and your being new to all of this, it is understandable why you would want to "replace' the drink with something less "harmful". But alcoholism is a disease of not only the body, but the mind. Early in recovery, our minds still want to attach "romantic" or "fun" connections to drinking glasses, behaviors, tastes, etc. Alcoholism wants us back, and only wants us to remember those "good" and "harmless" times. It sounds silly, but it is a real phenomenon, and in order to get and stay sober, we have to walk away from all that stuff. We have to convince ourselves that no part of drinking works for us, and thinking about it or "pretending" won't help us stay sober. Just my opinion, and I hope it puts it into persepctive for you.
I think you are doing a great job of sharing and learning about sobriety. I am glad you are here, and I hope to see you continue on this journey with us.
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~Your Higher Power has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do.
Whenever I hear someone drinking "non" alcoholic beer I cringe in fear for their life! Not only does the taste mess with your mind and make you want the real thing but it DOES have alcohol in it 5% to be exact!! PLEASE dont drink it!! Love you! Allison
NA beer, (non-alcoholic), is not something I have ever tried. I remember one time when I was about 9 months sober, I went to a campgrounds. It was a beautiful place but my favorite spot of all, a spot that overlooked the lake and was on a hill with tons of trees and the perfect clearing was littered with bottles everywhere. I decided to clean it up and stay there anyway. I went and got a trash bag and started putting the empty bottles in it. There were beer bottles, whiskey bottles and tequilla bottles gallore. The bottles that had some in it still, I unscrewed the top and poured it out on the ground. The smell from one whiskey bottle took me back to my younger years when I was a whiskey hound. I caught the smell and held the bottle in my hand for a few seconds then dumped out the tiny bit left without taking a drink. The rest of them I held away from me and poured out. When I was finished I was glad I had done it. I thought that maybe it was my amends for any bottles I might have left laying around in my drinking days.
I have heard of some people being triggered by the smell of alcohol in mouth washes and cologne.
Just the tiniest taste can set some people off when it is in cooking or cakes. Speaking of cakes, one day I was at work and I went to the lunch room there to get a cup of coffee. There sitting on the table was a cake with some kind of sauce on it and in the bottom of the pan. I was hungry and thought about getting a slice but then had an odd feeling about it like for some reason I shouldn't. So I left it and got my coffee only. I later learned that cake was a rum cake and not only had rum baked in it but also had straight rum poured over the top of it when it was done. I had not smelled the rum because I had an sinus infection at that time. (Talk about God doing for us what we could not do for ourselves... He saved me again that day! Wheew!)
A & W Diet rootbeer is as close as I ever want to get to beer or alcohol again. Lord willing, it will be that way till I die.
Love & Hugs, Stephanie
-- Edited by Returned_Here at 21:07, 2008-07-29
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Today I will be handling All of your problems for you. I do Not need your help. So, have a nice day. I love you. ~ GOD *****
