#o'doul's

[contac]

[shirtoid]

Ol' Ben's Mind Trick Brew by WarbucksDesign

[sipandsink]

O’Douls: To drink, or not to drink?

I can drink O’Douls if i’m in recovery, right?

“It’s just an O’Doul’s, it’s OK. Relax, it’s no big deal. You are overreacting; I’ve been in recovery for two years now.”

This is a common statement to hear from people new to sobriety. How often does it really plague people with lots of time in recovery? For many, this is a dilemma after treatment: Whether or not to drink so-called ‘alcohol-free’ beer.

Addiction Manipulates

So you completed 90 days of alcohol rehab and think that you have this thing beat. Now what? You return home to the same friends, bars, parties, and lifestyle. But you feel different, you are going to be able to withstand temptation and drink a non-alcoholic beer. Even though you heard from staff at the rehab center that you should stay away from old behavior patterns, you decide that you are not the same as those other alcoholics.

You’re having fun now. You are hanging out with old friends in old places, but feel as if you still have things under control with your O’Doul’s. This false sense of control creeps back into your life. Then you start to miss meetings and instead meet your nonalcoholic friends at the bar after work. Addiction manipulates you into believing you are in control.

Some recovering alcoholics continue to drink O’Doul’s feeling justified in their behavior because it is alcohol-free beer. They will remain dry drunks, behaving like those in active addiction. Some may eventually go back to their alcohol of choice requiring drug and alcohol rehab once again. Be careful of this trap and understand what it truly means to be in recovery.

Rules of Recovery

You will eventually find what works best for you in your recovery program. You should know that the O’Doul’s brand contains 0.4 percent alcohol, according to the Anheuser Busch website. This means that even though you believe that O’Doul’s is alcohol-free, it actually has some alcohol in it. When you are in recovery, socializing around alcoholic events should not be a priority, nor should you drink alcohol-free beer.

Some simple rules to live by when in recovery are:

Don’t pick up.

Change old people, places and things that are part of your alcohol lifestyle.

Attend meetings regularly.

Have a support network for dealing with temptation and be honest.

Don’t get fooled by addiction letting you think that you are okay just because you are not using your drug or alcohol of choice. If you or a loved one have fallen off the wagon, there is no shame in admitting that you need help.

- Lakeview Health Addiction and Recovery

I decided to look up O’Doul’s via Google and found this enlightening article. I have often thought to myself that if I were to drink O’Doul’s, a “non-alcoholic” drink, it would remind me too much of how I felt drinking beer. I don’t plan on ever drinking it, but I have heard of other people in recovery drinking it. Personally, I think it would be triggering. It would send me back into my old thinking patterns. I honestly think it could cause me to relapse. I think it’s fair to say this is something people in early recovery probably see as a solution, but I do believe it’s linked to addictive thinking-patterns. Like it says, you can be sober, but that doesn’t mean you’re in active recovery.

[thepeacockangel]

One Of My Straight Edge Comrades

Who’s been edge since he was like 16 hits the O’Doul’s when he’s stressed... and I just find that really amusing.

[womendrinkingbeer]

Dare To Dream: Guy Tries To Get Drunk By Chugging 30 Non-Alcoholic Beers In An Hour (But Pukes After 28)

This is a video of Tim Janus trying to chug 30 non-alcoholic O'Douls in an hourto see if he can break the legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08. He fails. After (amazingly) managing to put down 28 beers (336 ounces -- more than 2.5 gallons!) he only blows a 0.02, then pukes hard. So the next time somebody tells you they heard you can get drunk on non-alcoholic beer I want you to tell them 1. no you can't and 2. why would you want to anyways? Two $2.29 forties will get you right where you want to be just fine. Now shut up and let me borrow 60 cents for another one.

[theroadkillbros]

Just the Sip: O'Doul's 

A NA Beer... Why? Well, some folks don't want to drink alcohol for one reason or another. Our cameraman is currently a non-drinker, so this was the perfect beer for him!

[oldpeopledontsmell]

Wow. I am so drunk.

A resident after drinking 3 O'Doul's

[oldpeopledontsmell]

O'Doul's Rules!

One major difference between assisted living and nursing homes is that some assisted livings allow for an actual happy hour.  This may only occur once each month, but this is better than not at all.  This is better only if you mind the taste of O'Doul's.  Pregnant women are familiar with this stuff.  Feel free to comment on your experience with O'Doul's. 

One thing I I learned by watching the men's group consume O'Doul's is that even the non-alcoholic beer becomes an event.  With dietary restrictions related to health and dosage of meds, anything out of the ordinary (e.g. a soft pretzel) falls under the heading "special."  You begin to crave donuts.  You yearn for the days when you could drink your hot chocolate instead of spoon it.  Alcohol is not as much of a priority as simply breaking your routine.  O'Doul's was special only because it was a break from the norm.

Residents break their routine by going out of the building when possible.  I remember one resident would go out for hours only to get some ice cream and spend time with her children.  That is all she wanted.  Another resident made going out for lunch or dinner a monthly event.  She would go out to eat and make sure to drink a vodka martini, the dirtier the better.  If a monthly outing did not occur, you knew it.  Her usual break from routine had her clawing the walls and yelling at other residents.

Many people thrive on routine, but when that routine is filled with no's and restrictions, a person gets dragged down.  Cognitive behavior therapy suggests that one can change negative emotions by either changing the behavior or changing the thoughts.  Seeing residents show a large number of depressive symptoms reminded me that getting stuck in a rut is toxic.  We need to change the toxicity by changing our norm.  For some, this can be as simple as leaving one's room.  Others need to grab that vodka martini once a month. 

O'Doul's rules because it is that change that may add a pep in your step.