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

just checking back- having an early night, fennel tea in hand. actually skipped dinner as didn't feel hungry / couldn't be bothered cooking for myself (maybe subconsciously because I didn't want to be tempted by hanging around in the kitchen?). Will leave that habit to be broken another day. best wishes to all...

Early night is a great idea legalalien. Well done, see you tomorrow.

Well I watched the Panorama programme, but I wasn't impressed much. Most of the people they showed were drinking colossal amounts - made me look like a lightweight. I'm pretty sure that if I'd watched that when I was drinking heavily I'd have compared my drinking with theirs, normalised mine, and carried on. I'd have compared my life in a 'nice house' with the guy who lived in a cave, and thought that I was doing OK. I'd have reassured myself that I haven't had a drink induced trip to A&E for about 20 years. But all that would have completely ignored the real fact of the matter which is that I know that (at the moment) if I drink, I have a big, big alcohol problem. It's just dressed up a bit differently.

checking in quickly. Day 2 again. Harumph.

Drank on friday, was nice. Had 3 glasses of wine, was ok. Drank Saturday, lost count of glasses but I was drinking more than anyone. DH let me lie in on Sunday and was a grump all day because he didn't get his lie in. So I was SO cross at myself (I don't need a lie in if I don't drink, in fact I would rather DH lie in and I have a useful DH all day, instead of have one hour in bed and a grumpy DH all day). I digress.

I did not enjoy it at all. Well perhaps 10 minutes out of 24 hours but really.... the brain space it takes up is exhausting ... the, can I open another bottle, have I left it long enough since the last top up, why has she more in her glass than me ... all of that. Its not much fucking fun is it. Then the feeling rough, the guilt, the being useless all day.

Pah. Its shit really drinking isn't it. There was I thinking it was a necessary hardship not to drink and really there isn't much to miss. There is a compulsion I need to beat but drinking isn't fun. Not for me. Its hard bloody work.

So there, well done those for not drinking, strength for those battling (as we all are).

mouse and thurso very pleased to read about your positive weekends with DHs. Lovely news. Welcome to new folks. Will post more tmrw when I am all refreshed from a good night's sleep. Night babes xxx

Sleep well msgee

Wasn't it Phil Collins who sang 'just another day in paradise'.

Hi...

I'm Schtum and I have just had my first alcohol-free day for as long as I can remember - inspired by Stoopidbint on another thread.

Gosh!... Feels REALLY peculiar but in a good way.

Hi Schtum welcome and congratulations on Day 1

How did you find it today? Not too bad I hope.

hi all - popping in to whinge. I thought I would wake up feeling amazing this morning, instead I had very little sleep (obv I rely on wine to knock me out) and I feel really crap. I don't usually get hangovers so am quite resentful about this. Withdrawal symptoms?

Still - up and on - I am NOT going to drink today. I am going out to dinner with friends but have purposefully invited a friend who doesn't drink. I think perhaps I need more friends who don't drink to make it seem more "normal".

Hi to the other newbies - MissBehaved and Schtum - still too new to feel comfortable commenting on established posters!

Morning all, saf you are so right. Must retrain brain to remember that its not all that. I have an image in my mind that I drink and its all lovely, like normal people do and it really isn't.

Day 3 here. Feeling positive, I have my work plan for the day (week and month!) set up, so feeling organised. LittleGee was up feeling poorly last night so I am tired but very pleased I am only tired and not hungover too.

legal it can take a few days to feel better, I find the first couple a bit hazy, then by day 3 or 4 I start to feel much clearer. Can you come up with a plan for night, driving as saf said or deciding on what your first drink will be? I find ordering a soft drink before anyone else orders helps -then the words "ooh i'll share a bottle with you" don't leap from my mouth.

welcome to Deeli and MissBehaved.

Faire ... where is the hot tub? Can we have a sun deck too?

legalalien you may find your sleep takes a couple of days to settle down. Although we think we sleep well after a drink, it is not the right kind of sleep and alcohol actually disrupts sleep patterns. Many of us notice a big difference after about 3 or 4 days when you sleep really, really well and remember what natural sleep was all about

unfortunately I don't drive and in any case am in London so will be training it. But I do have a plan: (i) not to have a couple of quiet glasses of wine before going in order to boost my social confidence ( - this is my usual problem) and instead to drink plenty of water so that I'm not thirsty; (ii) to cry off alcohol on the basis that I have a bit of a chest infection at the moment (this is actually true, so no faking required); and (iii) to concentrate on the quality of the food for a change. None of the guests is a particularly big mid-week drinker.

Not ideal for Day 2, but if I start making exceptions on Day 2 ("no drinking Mon to Thursday unless it's an organised social event....) it would definitely be the beginning of a slippery slope, for me...

I joined the bus yesterday. One day on.

Good plan

Morning all

Another beautiful day in the Faire household. Today we (as in me and the DCs) are going to do - housework! YAY.

I have noticed a lot of people here use cleaning as a distaction, or exercise. So, here is my thought for the day. Would you rather clean to avoid going running or run to avoid cleaning?

We do ponder some deep stuff here

MsGee the sundeck is on the top, up the spiral staircase. I hear Mouse is giving out cheese flavoured ice lollies

Today I will not be drinking.

legal it sounds like a good plan!

Faire enjoy your cleaning ... I don't use cleaning as a distraction at all... I do however like 'pottering' so I like to tidy up the kitchen of an evening instead of pouring wine. I tend to plan to work of an evening so I don't drink. I then tell myself I can do something nice during the day when I should be working ... like read!

I would rather run to avoid cleaning but I am more likely to work to avoid either . I should have gone to the gym this morning but failed to do so...

Morning Ladies, and Miflaw, where are you, are you ok?

I've been busy this morning. Out shopping (not an interesting shop ), then back to do the housework, and change the beds. What a very glamorous morning .

Now, I've just made a pot of coffee (to stave off eating lunch at 11.30!), and am going to sit in the garden with my book.

I don't like cleaning, and the only time I could run, would be if a bear was chasing my children . I think coming on here when I'm if I'm wobbly of an evening is my distraction!

xxxx

I'm fine - who can I scare today?

mif!! you norty boy! btw, have you got over being called 'babe' yet? i roared with laughter at that one!

Can I pop on for a moan. One neighbour is chainsaw crazy with his trees and the other is creosoting his fences. Grrrrrr. I feel like I'm in a torture chamber designed to assault the senses.

As you were ...

Hi everyone,

Great to 'see' new people, welcome to all.

legalalien Sleep takes a while. Last night I had a bad, entirely sober nights sleep. It took me more than a few days after my relapse in June - to be honest it's only the last couple of weeks that I am sleeping.

MIFLAW far too much hilarity around here

Today I am just keeping it in the day, and I don't need or want a drink, just for today. Anyone who is struggling, just try and keep going, and talk about it, because that's the only way to get past it. Love to all, x

Hi All, thank you for the welcome.

Thank you venusandmars; my use of the term 'friend' was, in hindsight, cras. What I meant was large glass of white wine which seemed to curiously fillup when I wan't looking.

I haven't had a drink since last Wednesday, when the stark realisation that I may destroy my 22 year old marriage, came head to head with my relationship with the bottle. To be honest, I didn't think (or admit) that I drank too much - yes, I do drink most nights, my first 'phew' one on coming hme from work. However, the last couple of months have been a challenge, in particular the realisation that my primary role as a mother will soon change, as my only child departs for university. The feelings of loss and worthlesness have sometimes been overwhelming and the wine has been a 'soother of anguish' - sounds a trite corny, but I hope someone is feeling the same?

Hi legalalien - on the sleep front - I can' switch my brain off! any tips? or from anyone else?

Take care all.

Hi all old and new babes and Mif... I was sitting under a tree in the garden, covered in mud with twigs in my hair, dripping with sweat and feeling knackered, when I suddenly realised I was smiling and feeling really happy for no apparent reason. Just a natural high from out of nowhere, now that rarely happened in my drinking days. Today I am loving the fact that I no longer drink, I feel free. Perhaps I should add that I was gardening, not being ravaged by Alan Rickman, mores the pity!

Hello MissBehaved, bring on the Little Misses! x