The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Carry On Past The Vineyard.

[Mouseface]

Welcome to the Bus!

I'm Mouse and you'll find me snuggled sat at the back where it's warmest!

If you're sober, drinking, or somewhere between the two, you are more than welcome on board.

No judging, no cliquey groups and no closed minds here, oh no! Chances are, no matter how bad you may be feeling right now, one of the Brave Babes will have been there too!

So, come say hi.

And, to read the last thread and other journeys so far, follow this link

desire - It should be DesiRedHasChanged [smiled] because you have. In lots of positive ways.

desire - do it! That's why I changed my original name on here. I will be dying mine nice and bright red on Sat too. (It's a bit dull and the moment and the grey is appearing, grr.)

Definitely going to do it:)

Think I need to lurk/post on here a bit more often, sitting at work having a rubbish day (nothing specific just PMT) thinking ah I should have a drink later as I'm having a bad day!

Zany - why not have a nice piece of cake or treat yourself to a new 'whatever' if you are having a bad day? Why does it need to be a drink?

If you treat yourself to 'a' drink, you can bet your backside you'll treat yourself to 'a' hangover in the morning because it won't be 'a' drink, will it?

Go for something else.

Get yourself a big bar of Green and Blacks Butterscotch instead zany!

Wichety - how are you today? Brighter?

Would a drink improve your PMT or aggravate it? Will you feel better in the morning, or will you feel shitty Zany??

Hi mouse and Red. I'm feeling much brighter today thanks...Some days I just feel totally overwhelmed, and others I have so much energy and I feel like everything that is ahead of me is possible.

I'm sure this isn't anything new...but not drinking makes me much more aware of my emotions. I have been on AD's for a while, but get very frightened of my mood dipping. Last summer was really bad, and in the past when I have crashed it has been very sudden.

But maybe not masking how I am feeling with drink will let me have a more accurate picture of how my mood is.

Sorry I feel like I am navel gazing here and I should just get on with life...but last summer I had about 3 weeks when I honestly didn't feel like I could survive it...not actively suicidal, but every minute of every day was agony.

Talking of agony mouse are you happy with the 'treatment' you are getting from your dentist? Would you be able to get a second opinon?

Witchety we use alcohol to suppress our emotions and not drinking forces us to confront our feelings and emotions which is probably why you are finding it so difficult at the moment.

I don't think I would feel shitty as in really hungover just that I had let myself down by not being able to go just one day without alcohol. Am out at DD gymnastics till 6.30 so hopefully it will be better if I'm not home at the golden hour (5-8 for me). Just can't imagine chilling out in front of the TV without a glas of wine. I like the idea someone posted the other day (sorry forget who) abou brushing your teeth so the wine doesn't taste the same, not that it has stopped me before.

That's what I meant about feeling shitty Zany, hangovers have never been a problem for me really, it's the way you feel about yourself after drinking.
Can you try delaying your first drink after you get home from gymnastics, maybe make a cup of tea, put on a wash, have a bath, read a book etc ??

Zany - we've all said to each other about brushing our teeth! I used to brush mine twice!

Take it easy tonight. One step at a time, an hour, minute, second etc at a time okay?

Witchety - the early days of sobriety release all kinds of emotions. You start to feel again. It's like someone has release the inner you that has been suppressed for months or years on end.

You may suddenly burst into tears or laugh out loud, all normal reactions to the release. Just take your time. xx

Oh and re the treatment for my tooth, now the pain is easing, I am happy to wait and see how long they take to sort it.

Yay to easing of pain Mouse:):)

mouse so glad that the pain is easing!

witchety just to basically repeat what other have said: when we stop drinking the emotions can be overwhelming. For years we have drowned them - whether we were sad, happy, angry, jealous, scared, whatever so it's really odd and frightening to feel again.

For everyone - a really useful phrase from AA is 'This too shall pass.' And it's so true. No matter how we are feeling or what's happening it won't last forever.

Not trying to ram AA down everyone's throats but the Serenity Prayer used to close AA meetings is also really useful and calming:

(God) Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Hello me lovelys, just thought I'd hop on and say hi. Hope everyone is well :)

Hi loopy, not too bad here. How are you?

Red we used to say that prayer at school - I always loved it...thanks for reminding me of it.
x

I think it's just lovely too.

Hello everyone
Massive quick dash in hi red and witchety

Absolutely no time to talk as DH is very bad just wanted to say hello, still here, still alive, will catch up with y'all when I can

Hi christi, great to hear from you. Hope to hear more soon!

Hope things improve for you and DH soon christi

Echo Red and Witchety, hope things improve for you Christi