The Brave Babes Battle Bus - We're All Going On A Sober Holiday!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

Welcome to the Brave Babe's Bus. This is a bus full of drinkers old and new, sober and not, and those who are somewhere in between.

We are all at different levels of sober so you can bet that one of us has walked in your shoes.

If you want advice and support then you're in the right place.

Come take a seat or just lurk, we're happy to have you along for the ride.

And here is a link to the last thread so you can catch up on the journey so far HERE

Decision made so SAF , no alcohol Friday night.

Friday and Saturday nights seem real hurdles for some of us. For me, it's almost like, phew, got through that one. It really is best not to project. Each day is exactly that. One day. Don't give it a name. Don't treat it any differently to any other day.

Also, arranging a sport or fairly active 'activity' for each day is a great incentive to avoid drinking and will make you fitter and healthier if you can keep doing it

saf my experience has been that 'aiming' not to drink or 'hoping' not to drink has not been very effective for me and I've needed some mcuh more active strategies for going out. Here are my favourite:

• have something to eat before you go out, and also a big glass of water (I used to go out very hungry and my first way to meet that need would be 2 very big glasses of wine ) - doing this will make you feel much more able to stick to your chosen strategy.

• know exactly what (non-alcoholic) drink you are going to ask for for your first drink, and what reason you are going to give for having it - e.g. "Oh I think I'll have a big glass of orange and lemonade, I'm so hot and thirsty"

• ditto for your second drink "ooh that was so refreshing, I think I'll have another". This prevents you from dithering at the bar and taking the easy option of just joining in with the bottle of wine that other people are having. It also means that by the time most people are 2 drinks down, they've stopped noticing / caring whether you're drinking or not - this continues until they've had about 8 drinks by which time they're desperate to persude you to join them! This approach also means that your tummy is full of liquid so you're much less likely to want to guzzle any drink.

• have an emergency reminder in your handbag e.g. print out pages form this thread that have inspired you, or write in graphic detail about you last hangover, or have a big post-it note that says "DS's KARATE". Anything that will remind you of your own personal reasons for not drinking / drinking less.

• have an emergency contact number, AA (even if you don't go), local alcohol advice number, good friend, someone here...

• have an escape plan, and practice it. If you feel overcome with temptation, or if you're tempted into one drink and fear that the next six are likely to follow rapidly, or if you find you're bored out of your mind... have a way of getting out of it, e.g. "I've got a bit of a headache, I think I'm going to head off early" / "Just had a call from babysitter, ds has had a nightmare, I feel I'd better get back to see what the problem is". And remember that even if you have to fork out for the whole taxi fare on your own, it's still probably cheaper than paying for all the booze you might have had

Hope that helps. Think like a venus

Great advice venus

Also, the important thing is getting it straight in your head before you go instead of thinking, well I might have just one, or two . . .

You're not actually going out are you SAF, you are going to your friend's house for dinner? Or did I read wrong?

It is an achievement SAF

Every day without alcohol is an achievement and you've done bloody well

SAF

counting is brilliant, keep doing it - as long as you only count the days you've done, not the days you're GOING to do!

S

Well done saf

Evening all. I counted madly, days, then weeks. My 6 month mark was Jan 1st it really kept me strong through Christmas and New Year. One year arrived while I was on Hols in Crete and saved me from temptation. it's different for everyone, but I needed to count, it really helped me. I have relaxed a bit now, I just know Jan 1st will be a year and a half, I kind of have it logged.

Evening MissP

Yes, once you get those dates in your head, they can stick. Especially if they have some personal relevance (mine is 26th June). I have drunk since then but that is the day that I admitted to myself recognised that my drinking was a problem. That was the first day of the rest of my life and I'm not sure if I'll ever forget it (profound eh?)

28th October, for me, remember Mouse or should that be .

I have never got on a better bus in my life.

I have to say girls, and Mif that I am struggling mighty badly at the moment. I feel so down that I know a glass of wine would make it better, well obviously not, or I would have done it. I have that horrid "go on, you haven't in ages" going on, but I know that I want to be the best I can be before DC2 goes away.

Kill me, but I still think I would feel better with a glass of wine, or do I mean help me!

Ok this has helped, going to get some peppermint tea.

Sorry for the manic post, but felt very bad.
xxxx
Bit better now [thanks icon] xx

Oooh well done thurso hope that peppermint tea is going down well.

Try to take it hour by hour this evening (or half hour). Have you got something to do to keep you busy?

Thurso

LISTEN TO ME

Don't do it

IT'S NOT WORTH IT

you know that xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yes Fair both profound and amazing, once you admit it to yourself it's like letting a genie out of the bottle. I cried like a baby when I admitted it to myself, then sulked like a teenager. I guess knowledge is power, when you know something is true,you can't unknow it, IYSWIM. How was that for profound and I think I made up a word.

thurso take it minute by minute if that is what it needs. Or phone me. You know my number x

Thurso I hope you don't mind me asking but do you mean a glass? I often try to tell myself a civilised glass of wine will be fine. It's bollocks of course ( in my case) no less than a bottle would ever really do.

Bless you, silver, where have you been? and faire,

I just got into that mood where I just don't care, if you know?

I don't want to undo the changes I have made, and so I do have peppermint tea, but still do very much want to drink myself to sleep .

I am so glad that I have talked it out on here, Dh due in, in half an hour, and I can't drink as much as I want to, in that time, so, maybe all will be ok.

fucking hell goodness me, I am seriously miserable!!

Am I the only one really fancying a peppermint tea now?

Other fruit teas I like are

Orange, mango and cinammon

Lemon and grapefruit

Camomile and spearmint

(but not camomile on it's own for some reason)