The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Carry On Past The Park Bench!

[HammerMouseOfHorrors]

Hello

I'm Mouse and one of the Brave Babes on the Battle Bus.

The bus is never full and you'll find a real mix of people on board, all with the same goal.

To take control of their drinking. Whether that's to stop completely or cut right down.

Everyone is welcome to get on the bus at any point. You will receive a warm welcome and plenty of support.

Some come meet the others.........

The journey so far.

JWN's original thread

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DTC I was just thinking about you, I've saved you a seat next to me, so glad you are back on board.

So in answer to your question loopy, no, just stopping will not be harmful to YOU.

Cutting down is fine. It does work for some people but most will tell you on here, myself included, that is you try to cut down, you will still drink more than you ought to.

Also, you may drop a drink per night, then two, three etc but at weekends, you'll 'allow' yourself more because you have been so good all week.

And if you only cut down, you will gradually need more to get ot the stage you were the night before.

So, you'll just have one or two, then you'll need three to relax, or four to sleep etc.

Do you see what I'm saying?

I tried that and failed big time.

So I stopped. I just stopped.

And, as you will see from my posts, I can have the odd glass. But I don't miss it.

I don't miss that out of control, what the hell happened last night feeling.

Or the physical symptons of alcohol abuse.

So, loopy, what is your plan to get your evenings back under control? [hsmile]

Thanks for saving me a seat BBB:)

oh goodness i'm not good at my daughter being ill. Been to doctor but still worried.

House isa mess, having trouble keeping on top of dh being useless, dd2 being ill, having to do everything. So tired. Sorry for moan. Wish i was still in kenya with a maid and nanny!

Hi mouse wish I was snuggled up on a bus instead of drowning in paperwork....on the plus side - I am very very lucky to have a good, reasonable secure job....I'll just daydream about the bacon rolls.....

Well done loopylou....the sleep will come. that's one of my main motivations for staying off the booze. I had terrible insomnia for years...I now sleep properly. I don't always fall asleep quickly but once I have, I stay asleep all night - I can't tell you how amazing that is. Are you sure you want to do the one night on one night off thing? You are just prolonging the length of time it will take you to shake off the "need to drink" feeling that you have in the evening. It is also unlikely that your sleep will sort itself out.

what would be the argument against just going for it until the weekend, then see how you feel?

sorry about multiple posts again

loopy i agree with mouse, i think you need a plan for your evenings. For dh too. In fact, it can be quite hard with two of you stopping at same time, maybe you should take it in turns, go out for a swim or a run or something on your own, less chance of enabling eachother? Maybe i'm being silly. Just an idea. I don't think drinking a bottle of brandy on your 'night onl sounds like a great plan.

I really dont know mouse, how do I go about having a normal night? Last night was spent clock watching and worrying how I was gonna sleep.

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you used to drink?

Hi christi - sorry things are tough for you just now. Is there anyone else that can help out thilst your DH is not firing on all cylinders?

Loopy most people on here will tell you that the clock watching is probably pretty inevitable for the first wee while. It's part of the work that has to be done to get to where you want to be....not much fun, but you can get past that stage.
x

Thanks witch and christi, I would love to leave it till the weekend but I also love to drink I feel like drinking tonight is my reward for not doing so last night, its self destruction really isn't it :(

loopy that's always my weak point...feeling like I need to treat myself.
The trouble is when you wake up the next morning any feeling of having treated yourself has gone and you feel like shit.

Can you plan some things for the evenings...just for the next few days....so much of what we do provides psychological triggers for drinking. it helps if you can change your whole routine.

sorry that was really unclear i meant you could maybe take it in turns to go out for a swim or something, not drink!!

witchety i could ask my mother but she is not very helpful, not very maternal. I need some money! Then i could have a cleaner. And some time off. I need a break it all feels like such a struggle.

loopy - what out about saying you love to drink, MIFLAW will tear that one apart for you. [hgrin]

I used to drink 90+ units a week. That's a whole 76 units more than the government recommends for a woman who is neither pregnant nor bf. Which I wasn't BTW>

I have no excuse for it. I just wanted to drink. I deserved a drink after a bad day. I helped me to relax, take the pressure of a SN baby off......

But of course we all know don't we that's not true.

It fucks you up big time excessive drinking. It pickles you on the inside, messes with you head and slowly takes over your life.

I mean your WHOLE life.

I would rather not go to an event so I didn't have to drive. I'd have stayed home and drank. I 'sncuk' drinks, hid empties, lied, and even got annoyed if I thought DH had more in his glass than me.

Pathetic.

My night started earlier and earlier and my drinks got stronger and stronger.

Don't ever kid yourself that you are in control. You are not. If you drink to excess, you are far from in control.

I don't do AA. I do Nemo. He is the reason I stopped drinking. I've posted this before but HE is the reason I stopped.

oh i used to 'love to drink' - i really enjoyed be smelly, aggressive, boring, fat, spotty, incapable of coherant thought, i used to love spending about nearly all my money on it, i used to love worrying about where i could drink next, i used to love the way dd looked at me after a night on the piss, i used to love the way dh would look at me when i tried to 'seduce' him, yeah, a bottle of brandy every night sounds like a real reward!! COME ON GIRL!!!, THINK ABOUT IT!! - that level of drinking is not normal, you are killing yourself!!

as you were!! [hgrin]

Sorry for typos, Nemo is v bad today tying one handed.

Or JWN will pull it apart for you loopy!! [hgrin]

JWN - what shoes do we have on this freezing cold day?

Christi today I am feeling exactly like you that everything is such a struggle and believe me if I could afford it I would have a cleaner too
Had a quick read through and just want to say a big well done to Lucil:)

Loopy

If you love to drink why don't you just drink?

What is it about this thing that you "love" so much that is biting you hard on the arse and making you seek help to control it?

I've always loved running. When I've done enough of it, I just stop.

How is your "love" of drinking any different?

mouse so sorry nemo so bad today. I'm sorry for moaning about dd2's asthma i know it's nowt in comparison, i'me sending lots of strength and brightness your way

one thing i feel is so different when not drinking loopy is that i don't need to write every evening off. If i need to pop out to buy some milk at 9pm i can. I can catch up on ironing or emails, or do some yoga. And as a lifelong insomniac after the sweaty horrid nights pass quicklyand you sleep like a dream. Alcohol is a poison.

loopy - told you!!! [hgrin]

Just to add: that feeling of rewarding yourself for not drinking by drinking is one of my themes as well - it makes no sense and just adds to the feeling of self loathing.
I am trying other rewards instead - chocolate, facepacks, planning how to spend the money I'm saving...

Christi - not at all. Hope DD is ok. x

And that last line, 'Alcohol is a poison', I'd say alcohol abuse is a prison.

today i am wearing my slippers as i am working at home, dont be too dissapointed though, they are agent provocatuer ones that dh gave me last christmas, they look great with a pair of his socks on with them [hgrin], cor, its bloody cold here!!

Went to Gok Wan book signing on Saturday morning, absolutely love him, couldn't wait to meet him and what did I do . . completely froze and just stared at him like something let out of a zoo for the morning