The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Giving Up Booze For Lent.

[Mouseface]

Hello.

I'm Mouse.

We are a Bus load of posters with various relationships with the demon booze. Some are sober, some are not and some are inbetween.

So come say hi and meet the rest of The Babes, there's always plenty of room on the Bus, the doors are ALWAYS open.

No judgy pants are worn on this journey, pants yes and even the odd Tena Lady but always of the non judging variety.

Previous Threads

Hi Hammy - welcome aboard. Hope the run goes well.

Have just come on for a quick resolve-stiffen (ooe-er missus) and job largely done, so thank you. Am having a bit of a down day, and have definitely noticed the tendency which Miflaw (I think) described last week as "Poor me, poor me, pour me another" kicking in a bit. I know that the wine is going to be yelling calling to me as soon as I've got the DCs to bed and come down to cook, which is my real trigger time, so I'm trying to plan my strategy so that I don't give in. Strange, I got through a family "do" yesterday with loads of booze without having a drink, but this is proving more tricky.

trist, its funny how it gets you like that - the number of times i have been at some kind 'occasion' and not struggled is amazing (to me anyway!), i find the voice kicks in when im least expecting it! - make sure you have something long and cold and delicious to sip at while you are cooking!

Thanks JWN - the posh squash is chilling in the fridge!

Hi. I've been for a run. Only covered about a mile as I'm so unfit but at least I didn't go to the offy! Thank you for all the positive messages. I'm struggling to learn everyone's names and how you're all doing as I'm so new to this thread but I'll catch up soon. One thing I find with this addiction is that my mind-set is so familiar with patterns of behaviour that I have to make a conscious effort not to act on them. For example, in the past, if DP was going to be home late, I would sneak a drink/pop out for a bottle etc. I know this isn't going to be easy but I am so determined this time. Hammy x

Does it count if you run from the kitchen to the living room if you think your going to miss your favourite TV programe Is that classed as exercise?

Hi all. Just checking in. My dd has been very poorly but starting to improve so I am feeling a bit more relaxed. I am shattered though.
Hi Hammy nice to 'see' you on the bus. It is a brilliant support for me and I'm sure you will find it helpful.
I am so tired I can't think straight. So off to get some shut eye

Hi Zany yes, that's exercise but you'll need to run backwards and forwards for over 10 mins.
Have you been away somewhere and is it your bday today or am I making that up?

Zany - I'm glad you had a fab weekend btw, meant to say earlier.

Ruby - sorry about your DD hugs to you both xx

Hammy - well done on the run and resisting buying that bottle

Right Babes, I'm off to bath Nemo and to try to get him settled. Soooooooooooooooo tired now.

IsinDe - if you are about, hope you are okay.

And you Rose.

Take good care Brave Babes. xx

PS - Red's not so great of late. Will keep you all up to speed.

Bye for now

Hi Hammy - I'm Ma and I'm demented.
DH and I have made a pact to have drink free nights this week as he is off all this week and we can't afford for him to be necking back the beer in his usual vast quantitites, and for me to be necking wine. So tonight I have had lime and tonic and he has had lime and soda. its all very dull but healthy. Now he's asleep on the sofa - talk about the bloody high life!
hammy, i am trying to train for the Race for Life and ran about 10 minutes tonight without stopping which I think (hope) is about a mile. nearly killed me.
hey mouse how's nemo tonight?

Oh well, today wasn't the day after all and I've had a drink, again. I somehow convinced myself I'd start tomorrow, why I keep doing that I don't know. Will tomorrow ever come?

I just love the numbness and fuzziness and not being able to think straight too much to face clarity and clear headedness.

I also love that fuzzy feeling of "not caring" for a while.
Not as much as I hate the feeling of anxiety, panic, shame and self-loathing that comes along with the hangover.

Snap! luci

Morning glorious Babes, and Miflaw

Horrible day here, grey and raining.

Hammy well done for last night. I had (have) to be very concious of changing patterns of behaviour. DH and DC out? wine, ..bad day? wine..., good day? wine, ... no work tomorrow? w..., well you get the picture .
All the tactics that people mention on here, do work, and I find, especially Miflaws one of "seeing the film through to the end".
Not always, I haven't been as straight and true, as say, JWN (you star, you ), but hopefully getting there.

How is everyone this morning?
How is Nemo are his sniffles any better?
Indie What's occurring? sweetheart xx
Back in a bit
xxxx

morning!! bloody well done done hammy! , so, day one is under your belt, day two beckons and do you know what?

TODAY WE WILL NOT BE DRINKING!

thats only 24 hours!, not the rest of our lives, just 24 little old hours!, for those 24 hours WE are in control, the voice can fuck the old fuck offity and we are going to feel fucking fantastic! why dont you join us rose?, just 24 hours, no real biggy, no momentous decision, just 24 hours of ignoring the bastard voice!

btw, that fuzzy numbness is your life ebbing away, i used to think exactly the same, i 'loved' that numbness , i can tell you its not worth diddly squat compared to how i feel now!

Morning! Can I sneak back on the bus? I've been lurking periodically but know that I need to step back on. Back to drinking a bottle of wine a night. Every evening it seems to make complete sense and I use every excuse in the book, but by morning I know that I have conned myself again and feel crap.

Morning all

I had a horrible horrible wake up call last night, I was told by a friend that they're worried about my drinking, that they've seen a side of me they don't like and that I'm full steam ahead on self distruct. First time anybody's ever said anything about it to me, and what makes it worse is that he's a drunk and was drunk when he said it to me. I know its what everybody's thinking though and I'm so ashamed.

So what did I do about this? I had a drink with him. I didn't have much but I still drank and have a hangover thi morning and feel awful. My lifes just awful at the moment, I have no job, I can't drive, my house is a shithole in a horrible area and all my friends are drinkers. I don't know how I ended up living this life, I want out - I want to move away I wish I could go today.

Ain't that the truth, JWN! I feel great these days - life has taken on a whole new meaning, it's like a veil has been lifted and the world looks entirely different, which I wasn't expecting at all.

Some unexpected things have happened too, I assumed that life would be extremely boring sober, and I thought that I would be boring too but I was very wrong about that. If anything, the complete opposite is true

Today I will not be drinking.

I'm feeling very wound up right now - we are having family therapy sessions because of the problems we've had with our 14yr old. Except the 14yr old has decided that she doesn't want to do them any more, it's session three this morning. The rest of us are all up and dressed but she is refusing to get out of bed. She's refusing to go to school again too, she's on trial at her new school and likely to lose her place if her attendance is poor. Is it any wonder that I drank! There's not a lot else I can do other than leave her in bed and hope to god the school don't kick her out because if I confront her she'll go bananas (she has a habit of smashing things and hurting herself if she doesn't get her way - we have CAMHS support). Gahhhh.

Hi Golly - I'm a returnee to the thread after feeling smug that I had beaten the booze.

Just wanted to say keep breathing through the difficulties with your 14 year old. We have similar issues, I just try to focus on the things that I can do, and accept that I can't force her to do anything.

I do know though that when I had managed to stop drinking I felt much more confident about my parenting and the decisions that I was making, even if her behaviour was pretty much the same.

Hey everyone, name changer here (formerly desiretochange). Have been lurking but not posting.
Mouse wanted to pm you but computer playing up, seen your comment about Red, I have missed her on this thread and if you could pm me and tell me how she really is I would be grateful.

Meant Mouse I wanted to pm you

Today is number 3 for me. Not much else to say as its such early days but your comments are really helping me. I just didn't want to not post in case people thought I'd fallen off the wagon. All the best to you all.

Hi Hammy, day 3 is great. From experience, just don't feel complacent - that's always been my biggest enemy.

witchetychicky-I agree that this could be the stage to feel complacent. To think, 'oh, this isn't too bad, I can't have a problem'. I have been here so many times before that I know this isn't the case. I am going to AA tonight so hopefully that will remind me of the reality. I know that I am terrible for finding an excuse to drink; It's a party, something bad has happened, something good has happened, the day ends in a 'Y', etc. Hammy

...reading this and knowing I'm not alone

Taken a lot of courage to hop on the bus, had my first alcohol free day yesterday and I'm trying for another today. Trying hard.