When I was in the bathroom this morning and was getting "ready", I noticed on the back of my deodorant stick that the first ingredient was "alcohol denatured"...also on the back it said "Warning, may be flammable"...and the stuff smells strongly of alcohol (or maybe my alcoholic nose is just sensitive to it or something. This may sound silly, but can the alcohol in the deodorant stick be soaked through the skin and get into my system? Is this a viable issue? As long as we're talking about this- what about cologne? Should an alcoholic stay away from that? Just would like to see the board's thoughts on such things..
Hey dodsworth,yeah its in a lot of things,I remember in 1966 being out to sea for weeks(VIETNAM ERA,Navy 65-70)meeting in forward compartments and drinking sea ration water mixed with Aqua Velva cologne and after shave to catch a buzz,Corpsman could also input their goodies from sick bay as we got whacked!!!We also would trade $1.00 a carton American cigarettes for Liquor candy IN PORT, ,break them open out to sea, and off to the races!!Man AND I WAS PROTECTING THE WORLD!!!!(well at least the mediterranean 6TH FLEET)Praise God for relief from the insanity huh!!!You know its funny today ,I wouldn't eat veal marsala or any foods made with any kind of alcohol,OBVIOUSLY NO DRINKS ETC, but i do use cologne,I just no longer DRINK IT!!! YIKES :)
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Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
I "have" to use a mouthwash with a small percentage of alcohol in it, for a medication I take...the ones that contain no alcohol do not work for the purposes I just mentioned. Have used for several years, no problem.
If you have some serious concerns, I would recommend that you take the time, get your glasses on, (if you need them :) ) and just spend a lot of time reading that tiny print on the labels. Almost everything comes in an "Alcohol FREE" catagory these days, in the US they have a brand called "Tom's" that carries just about everything you could want to use, mouthwashes, toothpastes, deoderants, more stuff, just can't remember.
As far as the colounge, don't think any come in Alcohol free, but a thought, just put a little mini finger touch to the inside of a collar, so you don't have to put on your skin, thats is if you are that concerned.
Also, perhaps buying all these misc. sundries, if you took the time to shop at a health food store, they have a section for all the toiletries, and usually a nutritionists that manages that section, so you could talk to her/him, and say you want only alcohol FREE items. Lots of people like these products a lot and are not especially Recovering Alcoholics, just enviromentally more consecentious.
Toodles, and so happy you are doing so well these days.....Great work, my friend..
Toni- I'm not concerned that I would abuse these products in any way. I"m concerned that maybe the smell and or the product on my body will in some way unconsciously trigger me or something. I'm probably just being paranoid. As for my sobriety, I'm not that far along- about 50+ hours since my last drink.
That was my thinking, that you would be concerned about a "trigger" effect.....NOT that you would want to drink the stuff.
And Dods, 50+ hours is 2 hours over 2 days, and that my friend is Good Work, are you getting to a meeting.....today... What happened to that sponsor you had?
You have not been around here lately, filling us in on how you are doing.....I for one have been missing you....you are a big part of us here......and you are loved. Remember that, ok??
When you have the time, let us know how things are going, ok?
A Big Hug, Toni
-- Edited by Just Toni on Friday 19th of February 2010 01:34:26 PM
I am going to a meeting tonight. I just flunked out of IOP program because I was drinking and failed a drug screen. So, now I have to have another plan. I'm not sure what that plan is. Currently I'm living with my parents, which is a toxic environment- not that they drink or use because they don't and they've actually removed all the booze in the house months ago when they found out I was drinking it. It's just they enable me and they refuse to take my ex-sponsor's advice- Kick Him Out!
I simply cannot stay sober while living with them. It's not their fault, I'm not blaming my drinking on them, but the environment is not conducive to sobriety. There is a place called Recovery House here in town which is a two week inpatient program which would give me some sober legs to stand on until I can get into the halfway house (if they will take me). Staying with my parents and going to meetings hasn't been working and waiting around for the perfect mind-set isn't working. I think a drastic change is needed or else nothing will change.
A large part of the current problem is the lack of confidence I have- I'm 27 and living with my parents is a trigger for me, as in "Look at me I'm a loser, 27 and living with mom & dad,etc"...My sobriety would be MINE if it wasn't subsidized by my parents' money, roof, food, etc...
That's where I am right now.
How is your sobriety going, if you don't mind me asking..?
PS- Thank you for the support. You and others on here are a true blessing.
:)
-- Edited by Dodsworth on Friday 19th of February 2010 01:52:07 PM
I use a cleanser for my face made by a certain company. Anyway they brought out a new one and I thought oh I'll give that a go - sounds good.
Got it home - used it on my face and it was lovely. BUT, I felt strange about the smell. Couldn't put my finger on it - not unpleasant smelling - just made me feel odd/uneasy.
Anyway I realised why, after smelling it from the bottle a few times, it truly smelt like vodka with a slight orangey tinge to it.
I felt a bit shaken. I got rid of it not because I thought I would drink it but because I didn't want reminding of my drinking every morning and evening when I used it.
I don't use mouthwash or cough syrups that have alcohol, but I can't say I've ever though much about topical use products. I took a swallow of balsamic vinegar one time, though, and I had that "warm all over" feeling used to get with my first drink. funny thing, though....mixed with olive oil it doesn have that effect.
Personally I think some AA members can overdo it. Unless the smell of something were to make me want to drink I'm really not concerned with it in my health & beauty products. I don't bother to read the ingredients on anything & so far I haven't gotten drunk using anything that has alcohol in it. JMHO
-- Edited by Tessa on Friday 19th of February 2010 09:35:58 PM
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God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Rheinhold Niebuhr
Halfway houses are not really bad...saved many people's lives.
Re: Alcohol in products and food, I don't eat Flombay or Marsala either...but I use hand sanitizer at work and it reeks of alcohol. I like the smell and it does trigger something, but the fact that I like the smell of alcohol just confirms that I'm whack to me.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
In the begginging I didn't like to use mouthwash with alcohol in it, nor use after shave etc. But I would happily have Tiramisu or Cranachan!
Times change. I don't get out of bed over the mouthwash, just refer the alcohol free version, the aftershave and deo - no problem, the hand sanitiser at my Mother in Laws care home I use but it stinks like vodka, again I'm washing my hands in the stuff, not drinking it.
Tiramisu and cranachan is out the window unless I've made it myself and KNOW there is no alcohol in it (traditional Cranachan has a double measure of malt whisky in it).
I'm OK with cooked alcohol, but prefer the non alcoholic version - cold tea is a good substitue for wine and sherry etc.
I do check the ingredients of stuff I buy, I figure it pays to be careful. I also 'examine my motives' before I eat anything with cooked alcohol in it - am I eating this because it's a way of getting alcohol in me, therefore I can excuse myself for getting hammered (it wusn't me it wus the brandy in the sauce on the steak) or am I showing bravado (look at me, I can eat a steak with a brandy sauce!) or do I actually like a brandy sauce on a steak? (actually no, being a traditionalist, I figure if the steak needs a sauce, it's a crappy steak.)
I understand (now) completely the worry over the trigger effect of smell.
Good topic, I've enjoyed it and it's enabled me to review my own actions.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Hmm...interesting topic. I use "liquid rock" deoderant because I avoid the aluminum stuff (caused enough voluntary brain-damage without inviting alzheimer's). Hand sanitizer...doesn't bother me. Mouthwash...I still use listerine, but not the 'toned down' type. I use the painful stuff and I can't WAIT to spit it down the drain! I have NOT tempted fate by marinating a cheaper cut of beef in beer to make it more palatable. I use the money I saved from not buying booze to buy better cuts of meat.
I hated it last fall when the neighbor s l o w l y took a gas hedge-trimmer to his juniper bushes. My yard smelled like Tanqueray all damned day.
But once, a few months ago, it was the wierdest thing...I filled up a clean glass with water and took a big swallow. The after-taste was EXACTLY like a mega-swig of high-end vodka! I was...scared, surprised, a bit naughty-feeling ("does it count if I didn't KNOW it was vodka in my tap?") and then despite all empirical evidence to the contrary, I actually waited for the...y'know...I don't want to describe it, but you know what I was waiting for, and when it didn't come I finally believed it was water. Nonetheless, I washed out the glass, refilled it, and drank again. This time with no Absolut after-taste.
It may not have been cunning, but it was certainly "baffling & powerful."
I haven't worried about alcohol in products or food much. After all, I serve the stuff at work and live with drinker. However, the other day, I was waiting on someone in the program and caught myself mentioning that the special had wine in it, even though that wasn't in the description given. After wards, I felt bad, like maybe I unconsciously singled the guy out.
However, the other day, I was waiting on someone in the program and caught myself mentioning that the special had wine in it, even though that wasn't in the description given. After wards, I felt bad, like maybe I unconsciously singled the guy out.
So mention the contents to everyone - there are plenty of people out there who would wnat the information offered due to religious, health, lifestyle or other reasons.
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It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got. BB
Hey dodsworth,yeah its in a lot of things,I remember in 1966 being out to sea for weeks(VIETNAM ERA,Navy 65-70)meeting in forward compartments and drinking sea ration water mixed with Aqua Velva cologne and after shave to catch a buzz,Corpsman could also input their goodies from sick bay as we got whacked!!!We also would trade $1.00 a carton American cigarettes for Liquor candy IN PORT, ,break them open out to sea, and off to the races!!Man AND I WAS PROTECTING THE WORLD!!!!(well at least the mediterranean 6TH FLEET)Praise God for relief from the insanity huh!!!You know its funny today ,I wouldn't eat veal marsala or any foods made with any kind of alcohol,OBVIOUSLY NO DRINKS ETC, but i do use cologne,I just no longer DRINK IT!!! YIKES :)
That sounds familiar, when we were on long deployments at sea we would sneak booze on board, once that was gone we'd try to ferment Bug Juice...then we discovered Robutussm DM cough syrup.
-- Edited by LastOneLeft on Sunday 21st of February 2010 08:03:59 AM
Yes Jerry I also am very proud of serving my country during a ridiculous period but thats what we did,ASKED NO QUESTIONS!Lot of my hommies didnt make it....I still fly Old Glory on my porch in my neighborhood 24/7, 365 days a year..It was a time as a young kid,barely 18, making friendships that you just can't explain unless you were there!!Be proud man!!!!God got us here for a reason,so lets continue to "do the work" no questions asked!!!
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Selfishness-self-centeredness! That, we think, is the root of our troubles.
Right on mike. Its crazy to think at 18 yrs old the crap we were doing Over Seas and out in the middle of the ocean...lol.Great friendships ,with not much in common outside of bieng in the same crappy place and going thru the same crappy experience together.I'd do it all again, but Sober this time. I fly my flag 24/7 365 too.
-- Edited by LastOneLeft on Monday 22nd of February 2010 06:53:40 AM
I am not one to check anything and everything for alcohol except for food. There seems to be 2 'camps' in recovery, those who believe that alcohol is completely cooked out, but havin known a number of chefs in recovery, I don't touch anything edible which contains alcohol.
As for alcohol in deodorants, mouthwash etc. I never even thingk about it, BUT just recently, I was told by a detox/rehab centre worker that anyone taking antabuse is warned not touse anything containing alcohol oin their skkin, especially some hair treatments, which can cauase a bad reaction to antabuse.
I dunno, but generally speaking, I never did eat my booze, so why start now? Any recipe can be made sans alcohol (I do a lovely alcohol free tiramisu)
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Serenity is Wanting what you have, not having what you want
Always remember non-alcoholic beers are for NON-ALCOHOLICS
Odd!