One of the main problems that many alcoholics face, especially in the early days of recovery is in avoiding social gatherings because the temptation to drink just might be a bit more than they are strong enough to handle.
Many recovering addicts avoid social occasions such as having dinner at a five star establishment and the sad thing is, there is really no need to do so. There are amazingly tasty non-alcoholic beverages on the market and so instead of avoiding your next social invitation, why not join the fun and drink one of these amazing beverages.
One Not-So-Small Warning
Oddly, the United States, a country that is so focused on foods that contain no gluten or foods that use dangerous artificial sweeteners, is quite lax when it comes to labels pasted on ‘non-alcoholic’ beers. This appears to be the leading country in misleading advertising because most, if not all, beers labelled as non-alcoholic actually do have a small percentage of alcohol. For the alcoholic, even such a tiny amount can be lethal. Per Wickstrom of Choices Recovery advises that you always read the label before believing that a beverage is non-alcoholic.
Japan Wins the Prize!
When it comes to non-alcoholic beers, Japan has been voted the best of the best. Their offering of Kirin Ichiban and Kirin Light makes use of a yeast free brewing process and contains absolutely no alcohol whatsoever. Truly labelled as ‘Zero Alcohol’ this is one drink you can safely imbibe without worrying that a tiny amount of alcohol will kick in your addiction.
Virgin Daiquiris, Margaritas and Pina Coladas
If you are a newly reformed alcoholic or have never worked in the restaurant business, you may never have been introduced to the wonders of those tropical ‘south of the border’ drinks that are truly delicious. In fact, many recovering alcoholics actually admit that these yummy fruit drinks, such as virgin margaritas, are better without the alcohol they are in their ‘non-virgin’ state. Of course there is also the age old favorite that has been around since somewhere in the first half of the last century, the Virgin Mary. Unfortunately, tomato juice is an acquired taste and so few people actually enjoy this tried and tested non-alcoholic beverage whether they are a recovering addict or simply a person who doesn’t drink.
Those in the residential treatment program at Choices Recovery learn to enjoy life without partaking in alcoholic beverages. There are so many tasty and nutritious drinks out there that you could try a new one every time you go out to dinner and never repeat the same one twice. It’s all about knowing what is safe to order, but if you read the labels carefully there is no reason to avoid social engagements. No one will know you are drinking a ‘virgin’ drink and if you pull it off just right, you could still be the designated driver! Per Wickstrom says it is a mistake to avoid socializing so you don’t have to forgo it altogether.