What is Non-alcoholic Beer? Is There Any Alcohol in It?
When you hear the term Nonalcoholic beer, many would say that it is safe to assume that it is a beer that has zero alcohol content. While the marketing for this beverage would say that this is the case, there are some nonalcoholic beers that will actually have a content of .05% alcohol content within them. While there is a significantly lower percentage of alcohol within a nonalcoholic beer, there is still in fact alcohol content within the nonalcoholic beer.
Is Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer After Completing Rehab Safe?
For many individuals that have attended rehab for an alcohol use disorder, once you return home and back into your day-to-day life, you will begin to navigate what life will be like in sober living. While you want to remain true to your goals of abstaining from alcohol abuse and living in sobriety, there are often questions surrounding whether it is appropriate for someone living in addiction recovery to drink nonalcoholic beer. Although nonalcoholic beer does not contain alcohol, there are still concerns and debate over whether the nonalcoholic beer is supportive to a person’s long-lasting recovery and acts as a good sober alternative. There have been many concerns about how nonalcoholic beer can become a trigger for alcoholics living in addiction recovery due to the fact it tastes and smells like alcoholic beer. However, there are some that may argue that they are able to drink nonalcoholic beer without being triggered, and provides an option that will allow you to be within a social setting and eliminate the concerns of peer pressure by having a non-alcoholic alternative. The decision is ultimately up to you and your comfortability and self-security to be able to remain true to your goals of living in addiction recovery.
Can Drinking Non-Alcoholic Beer Cause You to Relapse?
There are some concerns and relapse risks that are often associated with recovering alcoholics drinking non-alcoholic beer. Some of the risks associated with drinking alcohol-free beer are:
- The smell of beer- Alcohol beer and alcohol-free beer carry the same smell. For a recovering alcoholic, the smell of beer can create internal trigger cravings and flashbacks to drinking alcohol which can trigger your brain and thought patterns to want to return back to your alcohol addiction.
- Drinking nonalcoholic beer in recovery can pose a risk to a person’s sobriety as there can be low alcohol content. If you are wanting to completely abstain from alcohol, nonalcoholic beer contains some alcohol even at a low alcohol percentage
- Peer pressure- If you and your drinking buddies are together and you are attempting to drink nonalcoholic beer while your friends are drinking alcoholic beer, they can create temptations to return back to drinking alcoholic beer to experience the same effects that your drinking buddies are experiencing.
Find Freedom From Alcohol Addiction at TruPath Recovery
At TruPath, our team of dedicated addiction counselors and medical professionals have created an addiction treatment program that is designed to meet your specific needs for addiction recovery. Within our recovery center, you will be provided with a continuum of care including alcohol addiction treatment, drug and alcohol detox, intensive outpatient treatment, and an extended care program including our alumni program that will support you every step of the way in your alcohol addiction recovery. Through our comprehensive treatment programs, you will be provided with the leading evidence-based therapy methods including behavioral therapy, dual diagnosis treatment, holistic treatment, family program, relapse prevention methods, and life skills development to support you in creating a healthy, balanced life as a recovering alcoholic. Our team is waiting to hear from you today to help you overcome your alcohol addiction and find a new way of life in recovery where you can safely and confidently overcome any triggers to stay on the road to recovery.
