In recent years, accessibility to nonalcoholic beverages has surged, and perhaps for good reason. The COVID-19 pandemic alone brought in a new wave of sober-curious people, amid a rise in alcohol consumption during the isolation of lockdowns.

To meet this shift, drinks like CBD-infused seltzers, zero-proof liquors, nonalcoholic wines and more have filled the shelves for those who are looking for party options without the buzz.

CBD drinks, for example, promise to take the edge off after consumption thanks to the properties in cannabidiol, a nonpsychoactive part of a cannabis plant that may promote a sense of relaxation. Nonalcoholic, or NA, beverages give sober folks a substitute for the drinks that many may have previously relied on in social settings.

But for those who have a difficult relationship with alcohol, are these alternatives really a solution? Or is the need for them a sign of something greater? Speaking to HuffPost, substance misuse experts and people who are sober shared a few questions to consider if youre turning to these beverages when you give up drinking:

1. Whats my motive for drinking nonalcoholic beers, wines or cocktails?

A recurring topic that occurs in 12-step substance misuse recovery meetings is motive. What is your motive for doing X vs Y? The spectrum of answers may range from attending a wedding to visiting a bar with nonsober friends.

Some may feel uncomfortable around their peers who still drink. It is hard to socialize without booze when youve become so accustomed to having a drink in hand to feel normal. Some may find solace in nonalcoholic beverages to put on the facade that they are still drinking, perhaps because they havent fully disclosed the change to friends. Others may insist that they are just taking a break from alcohol for health reasons.

Whatever the case may be, it is important to acknowledge what the motive is for wanting to indulge in nonalcoholic drinks in the first place and to address that. Those in recovery need to examine whether the motive behind drinking the nonalcoholic beverage is potentially detrimental to their sobriety.

I feel as if you should be fully abstinent for the first two years of sobriety, said Ashley Loeb Blassingame, a co-founder of an online substance abuse counseling program named Lionrock Recovery, noting that these kinds of problems arent substance-specific.

Then, check your motives to see if the desire for an NA beverage is still there, she continued.

If the desire is still there and you decide to try an NA beverage, think about why you are doing it. Is something missing in your sobriety? Is your recovery checklist in order?

How much do you like the taste of a NA beverage? Or do you like it because it tastes similar to alcohol? Blassingame said.

If drinking a beverage that tastes similar to alcohol could be triggering, it is important to have a plan in order. In recovery, the idea of a true nonalcoholic beverage is alluring, and with so many new options becoming available, it is OK to wonder about them. Just make sure you are valuing your sobriety more than anything and not becoming a victim of surreptitious marketing.

If youre sober-curious but not dealing with an addiction, full abstinence might not be totally necessary right now. In those circumstances, practicing moderation tactics like drinking NA beverages is a good entryway into the recovery world.

For both those in recovery and those who are sober-curious, it is important to have a network in place people you can rely on in a time of need or bounce questions off without fear of judgment, according to Blassingame.