The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Carry On Past The Offy!!

[Mouseface]

Well, this is our tenth thread so we are throwing a little party!

Everyone is invited! No booze of course, soft drinks and mocktails only!

I'm Mouse, hello.

There are all kinds of drinkers on board the bus. Come and join the journey, whatever stage you are at, drinking, cutting down, wanting to stop or sober already.

Everyone is welcome to post here. Come say hi.

The journey so far is below.

JWN's original thread

Thread two

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ILBB

Tall Joe is a failure.

He was an acquaintance of mine and would have been a friend if I'd seen him more often and in better circumstances. I liked him.

At 40, he had ended up sleeping rough.

And then he died.

I was surprised - I thought it was the winter that would finish him off but he didn't make it that far.

Until they nail you shut you have a chance not to emulate Tall Joe.

Keep on trying - all the time you are alive, you are not a failure, you are a problem drinker (and perhaps an alcoholic? How do you feel about the "A" word?) If you stop the drinking, the problem will stop too.

LRP

There doesn't have to be a big dip.

In my first year of attempted sobriety, I had several slips, some of them horrific.

At the time, I would have given you a different reason for every one.

Now, I know that they were all for the same reason - namely, that I was not taking my drink problem seriously.

It, on the other hand, was taking me very seriously indeed.

Keep taking your problem seriously and there is no obligation to slip ever. That's how it goes for lots of people - I only know about the ones in AA but presumably the same is true outside "the rooms" too.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRINK!

FTVLT

You may be right about the AMA - I don't know.

Personally, I find it very useful to treat it as an illness and, perhaps paradoxically, I find that that allows me to take MORE, not LESS, responsibility - getting drunk is not something that "just happens" (because i never set out to get drunk, yet always did, and couldn't work out why) - instead, I now feel I have a clear set of symptoms, and precursors of symptoms, that it is my responsibility to manage, just like a diabetic.

Also, illness or not, it has a long history of requiring the intervention of doctors, for physical and mental health - this was well established by the time Alcoholics Anonymous ("The Big Book") was written and Jung himself features in it as someone who tried to treat alcoholism.

"It is simple. Don't drink, and if you do, don't get drunk." If it really was that "simple" - I am talking about reality now, rather than theory - then none of us would start threads like this.

this is a message for Bigfoot - you posted and withdrew - come back and talk to us - only Mouse bites and I have brought her a shed load of cheese from France so she is currently stuffing her face and can't get to you.

You made the first step come on.

JWN What can I say - the shoooooo shops en francais - even I spent over £100 on irresistable boots . God you would be in seventh heaven....

Red Big hug and welcome home.

Mouse - hope all geting better with Nemo and the hospital goes OK

Luci, Venus, everyone I am Sooooooo Glad to be back on here.

xxxxxx

Forthe, Diabolik, Desire (fancy a fag!!). - missed you all so much.

Gerald is raring to go - so get comfy in your seats - we are in for the long haul babes

And to anyone new or who I've really tried not to miss off - here's your open ticket - look after it - it's very prescious (sp?)

xxxx

Hippy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Give me 2 mins Silver and I will join you for a fag:) Hoping to get to France next year and have started brushing up my french with language cds my sister gave me. Have only been there once and that was in 1979 but I loved it.

Christi - i have your fromage and fois gras here - didn't half cause a stink coming through customs!!

xxx

Desire - France is fab - and I have found over the years that they do not get as snobby if you just 'have a go' at the language and at least try to speak it.

Although DP who goes much more still come across french people that pretend they can't understand you if you get one of 6 feking tenses wrong.

Why do they need so many tenses? Why is that por quoi.

J T'aime

xxx

Pourquoi they can:):)

English has more tenses (or at least constructions replacing formal tenses) - we just don't notice it.

What kind of cheese silver? My favourite is a bit of chevre but don't say no to anything runny either

Silver

I've found it's only Parisians who are like that btw - people elsewhere are just grateful they don't have to expose their own (equally ropey) English!

Auverne Blue my lovely - delicious with some fresh out of the oven French bread xxxx

very true Milflaw - no -one I spoke to this time was remotely snotty - I do have to say that a lot of them had a much better grasp of English than I do of French but we were in Alpe D'Huez so lots of holiday trade I suppose.

Much more dignified way of life though IMO

xxxx

hello all - just wanted to pop in and say hi!, tbh, im feeling a low today, seem to have lost my mojo - dont worry, not going to drink, just not in the right mood to be positve and helpful, so, i will be back later when ive given myself a bit of a rocket!

Hello you halloweenies. I was up till 4.30am partying so I am too tired to think up a new name. But at least I am just tired, not tired and hungover. I got really irritated with someone this morning who assumed that because I was up late, I'd automatically been drunk.

I am so happy that Moomin is back. Sorry you are having a shit time, but I am glad that you are here.

Silver

i guess if their English is genuinely better than your French and it's not done in an arrogant way then fair enough - but in Paris, their total lack of ability does not stop them patronising you if they detect so much as a whiff of a British accent. VERY annoying.

afternoon everyone. I can't really say welcome back as I don't know you all having only just jumped on the bus, but nice starting to talk to more people.

day 5 here.

Dh very proudly managed 2 glasses of wine only last night and then declared that it was because his wife wasn't behaving all drunkenly and pouring it down his throat. made me feel pretty shit tbh.

anyway, got through another evening and thursday is normally the start of it for the weekend so doing ok.

Silver did you bring back any reblochon? my fave.

Daddy congrats on Day 5! at your husband.

daddy sorry that your DH said that. Hmmmph.

Stay strong for the weekend. Take it one hour at a time if you need to.

Gaaah I'm feeling down again. had row with DH, I am so sick of him just worrying about himself, his work, it really grinds me down.

I'm meant to be meditating this weekend, but I am feeling so grumpy! Do you think it'll sort my mind out?

venus it is cold and grey here!

Daddy

Unless you are married to a child, your drinking is your responsibility and his is his.

Tell him that from me.

Hi silver - I've been transformed into witchetychicky - suits me much better!
How was the croissant and coffee?

MIFLAW he acts quite often as if I am married to a child... unfortunately, his dad and his mum have the same relationship that ours is developing into - need to change that, however, one thing at a time.

TAC definitely go for the meditation - it will really help soothe and calm you. And it can help with perspective as well.

Am taking away a tiny little bit of my temptation this evening by not putting any white in the fridge, and have stocked up on elderflower sparkling water so I have something decent tasting to drink this weekend.

Red you still there? You are very quiet today.