Old Bags No More - The Brave Babes & the Battle with the Booze

[MoominMags]

Well, here we go ladies (and MIFLAW)! The new thread to follow on from JWN's 'me and alcohol have ruined my family'. I hope no one minds that I decided to go with 'brave'? I just think that it describes us!

As a quick recap, I am 33 and on day 22 of sobriety (on this occasion!)

Hey JWN - always love to hear about how much better things are for you. Totally agree with nor being able to say 'forever' with regards to not drinking. It's a daily reprieve.

algee - believe it or not I am really reserved in RL too! My friends love me because I am a 'great listener' - it's actually because I hate talking about myself and my feelings so I am very skilled at turning the focus back onto them! Despite all this I have become more and more open and comfortable at talking at meetings. It has taken a long time and (apart from here!) I am still the same person in RL who hates to talk about that stuff. It's great that you can be open here!! We are all lucky to have this thread, I think.

*NOT being able.

Moomin...SNAP! seriously, I know so many things about people I have no right in knowing, just because I'm soo good at listening and asking questions rather than find similar experience to share. Forthright enough when it's business (or as is the case now teaching) but that's not personal..

Sorry ignoring individual posts today, signing off now.

Thanks you bunch of fairies!! Good luck gloup!
Good luck all...

isn't it funny how differant we are while still having such huge simarlarities?

i am a total show-off , i have bags of self-confidence, will yap on about myself for hours at a time if given half the chance - the funny thing is, the meetings actually make me think before i launch in with 'my very important share'! - i am becoming far more aware of the needs of other people to be able to have 'their' moment iyswim?, i have noticed that for a lot of people in the meetings it is the only place that they feel comfortable enough to be properly truthfull and open, not everyone has the kind of support network which i am lucky enough to have.

Totally agree with JWN - we are all different and yet the same! And algee I also know things about some people in my life that could cause serious damage if I passed it on - I don't go looking for it honestly! People just feel compelled to tell me stuff! Thank God I managed to keep 99% of it to myself even when totally pissed. Argh!

As always I am (almost) signing off now. I hope that everyone has a good evening. Looking forward to catching up with our growing band tomorrow!

at this rate Mumsnet will be sober by Christmas!

just checking in, ok here, a little stressed, going to go to the doctor actually.
i have such a short fuse, a couple of people have said they think im depressed and should seek help so...

the children are ill, rare for us to be ill, toddler has very bloodshot eyes (hayfever said doc) the eldest has sprained her foot and cant walk / put weight on it.
i feel like im running on empty.

going to go now, a pile of laundry, dishes and a million other things to be done.

bye!

Hi all,
Welcome Gloup from another new member, I'm only 2 days ahead of you, and if I can do it . . .
It's been a busy day on here.
I am not going to drink today/tonight even though my DD has put me in a furious mood AND I got a lecture off my mum on her behalf(why do they always have the ability to make you feel 5 years old?). It dawned on me about 1/2 an hour ago - I think - no I know, I drink to escape/forget the general shittiness of life. Also ran out of catfood but absolutely didn't dare to go any buy any because I just knew I would come out of the shop with wine, so the cat had to stay hungry till DH came home. Trying to think of something calming to do, but have to go out and take minutes at a meeing tonight.
God, I do sound like a whinging cow! I can be pleasant and cheerful, honest!!!

ahh wrinkly - have you stolen my mum? and my dd by the sounds of it! bloody infuriatng arn't they!! the thing is though, ime, the general shittiness of life only gets worse when i drink!

nice to see you kate! dont it all just go wrong all at the same bloody time! see what the doc says - dont forget too, you have been stuffing a depressant down yourself for ages - it may take a while to feel normal again.

well, its chucking it down here, i havent done half of what i set out to do today, didnt get to a meeting either and wont be going tommorrow, i am seeing my friend and her new baby for lunch, im looking forward to seeing the baby, its always nice to sniff a new one! (that makes me sound weird, but i just love they way they smell)

so tonight i am not drinking and tommorrow

I WILL NOT BE DRINKING!!

must go and do a few jobs, dh is taking me out somewhere on saturday (a surprise!) so i want to get the housework done so i dont have to think about it over the weekend, makes me sound a bit sad i know, i just have got in the habit and it is so nice to come home to a clean and tidy house.

back later.

btw - am on the count down now to EIGHT WEEKS SOBER!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Hi all !! Well tonight I didnt drink !! I had an early bath and then some food and I'm now in the front of the telly with dd.

Day 1 into sobriety.

aaaaaagh! I really, really want a drink! Walked back from meeting and had to virtually drag my feet in the opposite direction to the off licence. Managed it, but am still fighting the compulsion to go back out, only the thought that dd will scrounge half the bottle anyway is stopping me. If I can just make it through the next 25 minutes it'll be closed anyway. How long does it take for this to ease? Anyone???

Yahoo! Made it - the off licence has closed and I'm still at home and sober! Just knowing that I can't go and buy a bottle has taken the desire away, feeling good! I WILL NOT HAVE A DRINK TODAY!
We can do it.

oh well done wrinkly!!! and you too gloup!!#

i really really want a drink about 20 times a day - i find that ignoring that 'voice' is becoming easier and easier (sometimes i just tell it to fuck the fuck off!! ) another good side to all this is that dd is drinking a lot less at home now aswell, with out me funding it, there is no way she would go and buy decent wine herself,(use her own money! perish the thought! grin]) so, if you look at it like that, we are doing the nation a favour by not funding teenage binges! ha ha! what super responsible parents we are

Wrinkly, well done. That is what it is all about - getting through the few minutes / hours and holding your resolve. However you feel when you wake up in the morning at least you will not be hating yourself for drinking too much.

Just want to say hi and welcome to devil / gloup. You have read the stuff on here, you've decided to post. Now just keep coming back.

Feel so much empathy with algee and moomin about the 'good listener' stuff. I have heard so much that people probably shouldn't have told me . Yet I can also switch over into the extrovert (even without alcohol). One of the things I am enjoying now is experiencing the balance between the listening me and the talking me, and being able to choose which mode is best for me and best for the person I'm with.

Indie. FAB NEWS. Can you tell us the names?

Please stay sober, your little babies will so appreciate it x

hi venus - im assuming indie is in bed right now building her strength up to get ready for a 'few' sleepless nights!

Made it and feel good this morning - better night's sleep, I CAN DO IT! YAHOO!!
Off to work now, actually feel energetic for once. Have good day everyone.

Good morning. Who is feeling fab today? Who is glad they don't have a hangover? Who is not going to have a drink today? Me.

Good morning everyone!

Well done to all for getting through another evening. Tomorrow (all being well) I will have been sober for 1 whole month, yay! wrinkly and gloup well done for getting through the early days. It's tough but you know you can do it. We all can!

I am also very pleased not to be hungover! The sun is shining, I have money in my purse and all is well!

Today, we will not be drinking!

fantastic to see the newcomers getting over the first day/s.

i remember the feeling of, God, ive done it!
unbelievable! enjoy the high, very well done.
lets do it again today!

slept well, feeling loads better today, dont know how i would have dealt with the last few days with drink in me, the sober me dealt with it well, the children are absolutely taken care of.
im with venus, feeling fab, not hungover, not going to drink and might just take on the world

Hi wasindie,

Thank you for sharing their names with us - absolutely beautiful names for your beautiful girls! Feel quite emotional about the whole thing actually!

Enjoy your first days at home together as your new family. I hope that your dp is recovering well - she's a hero! Congratulations to you both again! x x

Morning kate! Glad you are feeling so upbeat and positive today. Have a good one.

morning lovely sober babes!! feeling fantastic here too!!!

at work now, off for lunch with friend later and then the weekend starts!!! hooray!

lovely names wasindie!!! (i reckon you and dp are bit posh!! )

back later fantastic babes!

Well done to all of the 'new' names, venus said something about the voice getting weaker somehow. I'd concur with that though as my strop on here of a few days ago evidences, I'm still prone to the most almighty gut wrenching wobbles. Styick with iot!

Thank you wasindie, beuatiful names, beutiful girls I'm sure! Can't wat to hear about your sober parenting antics...how wonderful for you.

Big day here, dds last day at her school, i've been swamped with pressies and cards, just been to leavers mass at school...lovely, but no tears. I seem to get through 'big events' without tears, but did wonder if this one might be different!

Picnic last night...funny how my perception is changing. to me, 'picnic' even with children means cold white and maybe a hula hoop. Obvious;ly yesterday I didn't pack any and had my excuse ready, but do you know, not a single person had wine with them! That to me is just plain weird, but through my booze goggles I was convinced that to picnic without plonk was unsociable, even rude...

Big shout out to all of you lovelies out there!