I Am Trying To Quit Drinking For Awhile. Would Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer Be A Good Idea?
I have been drinking a little more than i should have for the past few months (probably getting drunk 3 times a week) and i want to stop for awhile. However, after drinking fairly regularly, i am obviously somewhat addicted. I haven't drank for about four days but i am starting to get that temptation. Since i only drink beer, i was wondering if drinking non-alcoholic beer would be a good way to diminish those temptations to drink.
Of course non-alcoholic beer has alcohol, i figure it is negligible. With that said, i wonder, would it help, would it do nothing, would it be a bad idea? Thoughts?
Anonymous2008-06-10T19:40:10Z
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that would probably make things worse...i cant speak from experience but all i know is that if im craving chocolate but i dont wanna eat it so i eat a substitute or some chocolate flavored something, it makes me want the real stuff that much more...i would say find some other way
When I tried it, it was about the same as not drinking. I didn't find it really had an impact on the urge to drink, but on the plus side it meant I wasn't drinking alcohol. So it was cool for hanging out, but it isn't really the best stuff. Of course the alcohol is negligible, so if you crave or have urges it probably won't help. But if you just drink because it's there, having some non-alcoholic beer might help. Especially if you're a beer drinker - my alcoholism tends towards harder stuff, so it may be more helpful for someone who tends to drink beer. Obviously, it can't hurt to try, and even if you slip back into regular beer it might be good to mix and match. I can say it won't be a bad idea - you'll have the urge to drink real beer either way if you're going to have it. It may do nothing, and it does have the potential to help. You have to figure out the reasons why you drink, though. If you're drinking mostly to get the feeling of alcohol, you may have the most success if you convince yourself that's what you're doing. It's a good stop-gap measure, at the least, and you may learn about yourself. If you can't cut drinking out, then at least cut it down - harm reduction is the way to go, it ensures you don't end up drinking every night... jeopardizing friends, family, work, your ability to drive etc.
NA beer actually has way less alcohol than Nyquil. And most doctors say an occasional glass of wine for a pregnant woman is ok. So I would think you'd be fine. But maybe better safe than sorry ? You know you're safe if you stick to the sparkling cider.
NO! If you really want to stay away from alcohol, stay away from it completely. drinking non-alcoholic beer would only stimulate your mind to say something like: "Hey, this isn't doing any good. I'm not feeling tipsy either. I think I'll have the real thing." or something like that. Believe me, I did it & I failed. But when I turned myself on other drinks like fruit juices, more on water, health beverages, I succeeded! Now, I'm sober for 5 years and I didn't have one single drop of alcohol. They say that wine is good for the heart, right? But I stayed away from it and still have a healthy heart- I just exercise it and balanced my meal. even in quitting tobacco, an anti-smoking gum can't help nor a nicotine patch, get the point? if you want to stay off on alcohol, don't let any temptation fool you. a non-alcoholic beer is a temptation to try again alcoholic beverages.
Oh gosh, it is so hard to stop. I stopped cold turkey. Sometimes i would really be craving one and then i'd end up pretty much messed up. The best way for me was to just not be around it as much or be strong enough not to do it. Best of Luck to you.