The Sober Squad- Alcohol Free Living

donimfp wrote: »

I know AF wines and beers are controversial, and I certainly wouldn't want to suggest anything that triggers anybody. My only experience with AF wine was when I was prepping for a colonoscopy a few years ago. I don't like sweets at all, so the 7-Up, ginger ale thing was making me sick, and for my almost vegetarian self, the thought of drinking chicken broth grossed me out. So I asked my M.D. brother-in-law if AF white wine would be acceptable and he said yes, as long as it was white and less than .05 or whatever the AF cut-off is. I found it quite disgusting in taste and went back to water.

However, in her books, Clare Pooley (The Sober Mummy) speaks of really enjoying her AF beer. I've never been a beer drinker--maybe two per year on super hot Texas days. But I have been enjoying AF Becks and AF Heineken. Maybe it's because I'm not a connoisseur of beer, but to me they taste as good as the occasional "real" beers I would have. I totally understand that for some people, this would not be a good idea. For me, the AF beer (no more than one or two per week) tastes really good and helps me not even want anything alcoholic. Plus it's only 69 calories.

My HEB was carrying this Paulaner AF Weizen Radler that has natural lemonade effervescence, & I loved it.. barely even tastes like beer. Went yesterday & they don't even have a place for it anymore. Central Market doesn't carry it, either. At the same time, they've also discontinued my dark chocolate espresso covered almonds, so I'm totally disappointed with both of them at this point. You know Brookshires definitely won't have it, either. Haha

Good morning friends!! Wishing you a sunny sober day!

Two sober hotties for us! Happy 4th of July in America; I'm looking forward to watching Hamilton on Disney Plus. I would have seen it downtown but it was canceled this year. Have a great day!

Good morning! It's Sober Sunday in the midwest. So happy I didn't drink last night on Fourth of July because today I have a massage. Will not be going to it hungover! How's everyone's weekend?

@donimfp We look forward to hearing what the program entails. I imagine it will be quite motivating and eye opening. Please share any thing you learn!
@FeelinFooFoo Lovely idea to have a spa day at home. I feel for your brother. I was him many many times. Sundays suck when you're hungover. He will learn with your help and love. I agree with @donimfp seeing him suffer makes our resolve even stronger.

I remember about three years ago... or maybe four. I was in a fancy rooftop bar. The bartender kept bringing me drinks even when I didn't ask. I remember drinking down martinis like they were water. Then, I saw myself from above. I was having probably an outer body experience... and I remember thinking. "Who are you? Why can't you stop drinking? Why does he keep bringing you more? ...." It was one of several aha moments in my life. It was the realization that I am not like my friends. I am not normal. I have an addiction and the only way to stop is to just accept it I have no off switch. Not wish I could drink. Not hope I will be able to in the future. Just accept reality. I cannot stop once I start. So, it's a pretty easy decision for me. Do I want to live my life regretting my decisions, risking my life and organs, waking up wanting to die? NO No NO. I don't want that life. I am totally in control of my decisions. There is such peace in accepting yourself for what you are. Thanks for listening!

@RubyRed427 your comment re: No OFF switch, reminded me of watching The Fifth Estate on YouTube (Canadian news docu-type show) It was entitled, "The Pour ~ Treating Alcoholics with Wine" It is a residential treatment facility, The Oaks, for chronic alcoholics who have failed several attempts at conventional treatment programs. Every hour the residents line up to get their "pour" of a prescribed amount of homemade wine made on site...from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every hour on the hour. Being served up to 3 bottles of wine over the course of 14 hours...it was a very interesting account of how these people are actually regulated and able to have some kind of a life, keeps them off of the streets, they are dispensed their medications regularly, fed healthy food regularly and have a social life within the home. It is funded in part by the residents through whatever $$ they have coming in. The commentator asked the doctor who created and facillitates this program about the 3 bottles of wine that residents drink in a day...certainly that can't be good for a person? he says. Of course it isn't, says the doctor...it will kill them BUT this way they can die with dignity...death is inevitable for these ones, but it is how they die that is the difference between leaving them to their disease on the street and giving them a hand up to house & treat them...they also had a law enforcement officer talking about the drain alcoholism takes on emergency resources and how this program has actually eliminated the drain with some of these hard-core alcoholics being taken care of because they are off the streets and their drinking is monitored so they don't get crazy drunk and into all types of criminal behavior. The residents do not get intoxicated, if there are any signs of them being so, it is addressed by holding off their next "pour" longer....it just keeps them from being sick and allows them to function within their disease...as I watched this show it saddened me tremendously to see the toll that alcohol can have on people's lives...most of these people were at rock bottom in a big way, losing their families, friends, homes, jobs etc before they were offerred this treatment option, but to me their lives are still in the toilet...better than they were but not great by any means. YET, this is the hold that alcohol has on those of us who have a problem. As we know here, there are varying degrees, but it all leads to one thing...unhappiness in varying degrees and eventually it WILL kill us! sooner or later! and it most cases make us very sick until we die. The temporary escape & buzz is not worth it!

ON that note, have a happy, healthy AF day!!

This book may have been mentioned here before, but if it was, I missed it. I'm reading "Mrs. D. Goes Without" by Lotta Dann. I'm finding it delightful and insightful. It's her account of mostly the process of quitting drinking, with just a little of her background, which is fairly tame. She was a drinker like many of us--keeping it together well with job, kids, etc., but drinking way too much. I've read a good bit of "Quit Lit," and I'm enjoying this light read very much. I bought the Kindle version after reading the almost unanimous 5-star reviews on Amazon.