The Brave Babes Battle Bus - New Year, New Start And With A Firm Resolution In Their Hearts.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse and I have an ever changing relationship with alcohol.

This is the Brave Babes Battle Bus, it's a support thread for those who feel their drinking habits are not what they should be, or even those of another.

Sober, drinking or somewhere in between, come take a seat.

And for those who would like to know where this all started, HERE is a link to the threads before this one.

Make THIS year THE year that you change your life, for the better.

Have a Happy New Year, full of memories to treasure, not to forget.

Afternoon. Tis me, Tinselly .

Just checking in to wish all the brave babes a happy, healthy and peaceful new year. There have been some amazing posts on here. Truly inspirational. Thank you to everyone who takes the time to post. Good luck to everyone on the bus.

New year, new start etc etc!

I need to write a list of lists I need to write

Ooh, list of lists. Now there's an idea.

Taping it to the inside of my wardrobe really works for me as well. For starters nobody else goes in there, so no one else sees it. And I see it ever morning, as an affirmation of the choice I've made, and every time I'm getting dressed to go out, to remind me why I need to keep making that choice.

I heart lists.

isinde I suspect the list is the same, or variations on a theme for almost everyone. Let's face it, we're all much the same when levelled by drink. So feel free to adopt and adapt with pride.

TTM

TheBoss - I'm good. I feel very positive about this year, life is after all, what you make of it. It really is great to have you back with us, familiar faces are just as nice to see as new ones.

I'm with you on the empty carbs and chocolate. It's easy for me to put weight on because I can't exercise as much as I should. I've not been to the gym for months.

So, I'm going to go with the flow in terms of diagnoses for my MRIs etc and see what happens. I'm not going to worry about things that are out of my control. I will, however, try to control the things that I can...... for example, my drinking.

And I guess if we're all in this together, then my resolve will be even stronger.

I need to go and pack for the journey home. I'll be back later. xxxxxx

Just coming back to my seat as I didn't have time to type much last night and would like to explain my reasons for de-lurking and climbing on board. The following is to get it clear in my own mind as much as anything else, so do feel free to ignore if you so wish!

I have an uneasy relationship with alcohol and am not quite sure what to do about it.

Like countless other 40 something women I know, I simply drink too much wine and I drink nearly all of it at home between the hours of 6pm and 9pm.

I almost never get drunk (but I have a high capacity so can drink a bottle of wine without any noticeable effects) because I cannot stand feeling hungover and also I am emetophobic so have a built-in off switch where alcohol is concerned. If it made me throw up like it does some people I would never touch a drop!

Shortly after I gave up smoking 3 years ago, I decided to make the withdrawal from tobacco a little easier by giving up drinking. I fixed on the idea of doing 6 weeks and I did exactly 6 weeks, but had a drink as soon as I legally "could" iyswim.

To be perfectly honest I did not notice any enormous health benefits in giving up. I actually gained weight! (but then I had just given up smoking) and found myself replacing wine with sweet things like ice cream and soft drinks.

Since then I have generally drunk less than I used to (but still more than I would like and definitely more than 14 units a week). I try not to drink at all Monday to Wednesday and usually succeed without too much trouble - but do find it very hard sticking to this if I am stressed and I have just had the most horribly stressful year of my life, so have failed on this a few times. I generally feel I have drunk too much this year.

I am toying with the idea of giving up altogether but don't really know if that's what I want so I am hoping that posting on this thread will make this clearer for me.

I have read bits of your thread on and off over the months and feel I can just slot in if you are happy to have me.

Wecome on board Baubley:) always room on board the bus and this definitely is the place for good advice, hugs, sympathy and many times a kick up the backside when needed:)

Obrigada
obrigada!

I know you are a well established group so I will try not to be too "in your face" but I do need somewhere to come and have a think-out-loud about this whole drinking business.

Bobbity no need to worry about this group being cliquey, it is established, but many, many people come and go, drop in, or lurk, and newcomers are always welcomed, post as much (or as little) as you like. Every post is useful to someone as well as the actual poster.

Hello babes.

I was onboard for a short while back in summer 2010. In short, i wasn't ready to give up and sloped off the bus

For the last year I have continued drinking heavily and now I've had enough. I've had enough of feeling shit all the time, I've had enough of the hold that alcohol has over me, I've had enough of being fat and bloated.

I can't post as often as I would like to as I work FT, but will try to get on as often as possible.

Tomorrow I am starting the Jason Vale 7 day juice detox, so here I am; looking for help and advice

hi all
bobbity welcome to the bus. Everyone is welcome here, new or old, drunk or sober.
silver way to go on the boing - I'm impressed. this is Day 3 for me, a notorious wobble time and still a few hours before bedtime...not feeling boingy yet but at least not waking up hungover, so I'll try and keep at it.
Am getting bloody sick of being at home and cooking endless meals for the family. Why does everyone eat so much? This Christmas/New year holiday has been far too long.

I second that dementedma. During term time kids have school meals, DH cooks our tea and I just have to do beans on toast or similar for DCs. We hardly eat any meat except at weekends. Even when just me at home with DCs we have a sarnie or somethng for lunch but with MIL staying have had do do full scale production every day involving far too much meat and ergo washing up.

Still MIL is off home tomorrow and we can get back to our slobbish/ baked beany ways. Yipee.

trying day with DD who has had terrible constipation (probably brought on by all the meaty diet). Cannot face another pair of pooey pants.

No open booze in house so am looking forward to early night.

Well I'm having a beer tonight as a hair of the dog

Today will be my last day of drinking.

Msbojo - I had the same problem with DS2 this week. Have you got any lactulose???

Industrial quantities of lactulose. Bathroom looks a pharmacy. Its been a bit of an ongoing problem but everything was on an even keel till the hols started and usual routines went to pot. She is so miserable and making us all miserable too. Poor thing.

confession - i can't wait for ds to go back to school and be eating school dinners again. i loathe the constant food thinking, preparing etc etc. with ds at school it's just breakfast snacks and tea to worry about. as for me i just grab something if/when i need it.

i've eaten more meat over the last week or so than i have the rest of the year probably.

normally just keep seafood in the freezer and will make myself soup, noodles or fried rice or such with seafood and lots of flavouring - fast fresh easy and not to heavy on the digestion. thank god we've just been for turkey stew at my mother's and i believe that's the END of christmas eating and festivity though there is a houseful of chocolate to contend with.

tonight i just fried/scrambled some eggs and cheese and it was delicious. i'm used to making and eating such simple food. will be a relief to escape all these heavy meals even though they've been delicious.

totally irrelevant post

couple of glasses of wine at my mum's and now a wine and soda then enough.

i'm not ready to stop (need to wait for withdrawal/side effects malarchy to be over) but happy to cut down which will be much easier without all these dinner tables with wine on them.

when are you off home mouse?

We've had to resort to glycerine suppositories in the past

Briefly traumatic but very very effective

lots of jasmine tea to sip on and you'll be grand x

well that's day 3 achieved. this is bloody hard work isn't it?

keep going ma you've made a great start. Make a plan for tomorrow, although you are looking forward to getting back to work, it may prove stressful, get some non booze rewards sorted.

not back until Wednesday bproud but yes, that will be a test. coming in from work and not reaching for the bottle.
I feel so proud of my 3 days that i want to tell everyone but realise in RL not drinking for 3 days is considered fairly normal. Why aren't there fanfares and people applauding where ever i go?

did you see what I did there ....did you....did you.....

You are doing fecking brilliant woman - stay with me tomorrow - full chemo day in hospital with Mum - I will be very vulnerable by the time I get home/out.............

So Ma - I need your support ( and all of you) tomorrow.

Keep that as your focus Ma cos BY God I am struggling tonight.

Contact may be intermittent as new Iphone and hospital etc.

But you can do this for me Ma..... and for you

Night Night Sweet Babes xxxxx

thanks silver
stay strong tomorrow. i will be thinking of you and your dear mum.
we can do this!
and so can you isindie obrigada faire munky mouse saf and all the newbies who have bravely joined us.
thurso what gives, dear girl? Getting any?

We can do it Ma:) and you are right it will be worth it! We will all help each other along, both old and new passengers!
Silver well done on 7 days booze free.

Stupid phone . . Wrote long post and then lost it. Gist of it was that yes Ma we can do it and it will be worth it: both old and new babes:)

Please excuse double post, long post lost, thought second short post lost but oh no when I finally manage to post third one second one magically appears!
End of Day 2 for me:)