The Brave Babes Battle Bus - New Year, New Start, The Journey So Far.........

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

Welcome. There are all kinds of lovely Babes on board this Bus, drinkers, non-drinkers, part-time drinkers and those who have no idea what they are when it comes to drinking. Some are newer posters and some have been here forever for a little while.

Come and say hi, there are no rules, no 'must haves', just plenty of open and honest support.

You can talk about whatever you like. Your life, your love or even your laundry. We've seen it all!

The important thing is that you can post if you want to, or not if you don't. There are posters in AA and posters who are using medication to beat The Booze and of course posters who are just trying to cut their drinking down with the support of The Bus and the people around them.

See where we've been so far by following this ---> LINK TO PREVIOUS THREADS HERE

helpyourself I wasn't knocking AA for others: I was recounting my experience within the rooms. It may not have worked for me, but it does for others.

And please don't call me Babes. Thanks.

Whoops, please ignore Babes comment. For a moment I forgot the thread title.

Nah no knocking of AA going on. Just talking in what I hope is a safe place about what is going on for me.

It saved my life. I believe in God, many don't. Doesn't matter whatever works for you is what matters....

I'm just excited to have found my voice - can't shut up now, am all over the place posting.

My poor child needs a bath, must go, but will be back!

Agincourt - don't disappear XX

I do feel like I have come in posted a few times and upset everyone :o but I have laughed so much at the 'don't call me babes' as I thought the same and then realised what the thread title was before posting similar! anyway i have a much thicker skin than that and wont be going anywhere babes

Glad to hear it Agincourt.

no knocking of AA from me, just talking about my own experience of it, i go to meetings, find a great deal of support, help and friendship, i just dont believe that it should be talked of in hushed tones as the be all and end all, there are good bits and bad bits and we should all take from it what we can use and give back what we feel may be helpful to others.

btw, im usually 'darrrling', in craig revel horwood kind of way!

hi agincourt - welcome.

Agincourt and sunny - you haven't said anything that hasn't already been discussed on here, so don't worry! MIFLAW is very good on separating out the God bits of AA but I can't remember what he says We all discuss different types of support - everyone's experience is valid.

Faire glad to hear you are better - I am feeling a bit brighter after my morning napping today. DD however, shows little interest in nursing me. So far she has told me she doesn't want my cold and stroked my leg once saying poor mummy. She has scant concern for me sometimes.

Hello Ducky agincourt and anyone else that has one or two problems with AA. I am 12 years sober, and I couldn't deal with it either. It's fantastic if it works, like any other method, but one size doesn't fit all.

There are different types of drunks too, I have found that out over the years, some in recovery really are not very happy with or without booze, some are smug in sobriety, others well, I would never have got on with them drunk or sober. Sharing is really important and I started my own network where I live, all ladies and it works very well. We are all recovering alcoholics, some with big blips in their journey, some like me with a background in medicine who should have known better, and others who are just in a big mess emotionally.

btw I prefer dahhling too.

Hope everyone is coping.

Hello dahlings and babes

I was around the rooms for a fair while, and I met some amazing people - my first sponsor in particular. It's a shame it didn't continue to work for me, but that's okay. I have changed over time, and it makes sense that my needs have done too.

I'm feeling better tonight (especially now the hangover is receding) but I do realise that I have ishoos to deal with, which I'm medicating 'away' with booze and food.

Big hugs and strength to all xx

Evening babes!

Hope everyone is well and happy tonight, I feel that the thread is passing me by a little at the moment, using son's laptop atm and currently not getting a look in! Still inbetween homes and jobless but at least I'm doing more exercise and not drinking! Not craving it or anything. It causes far more evils than it solves. I drank at the weekend because I could, simples but the self loathing and lethargy did not even remotely compensate for the fleeting sensation of having a few.

Hi to ducky and Agincourt ducky you sound like you have a wealth of advice to share. Hope you find the bus as useful as I do!

silly you really do write the most lovely and considered posts to everyone. I really enjoy reading your sentiments.

Loving the poetry too! We should try to write a brave babes limerick ( goes off to ponder a decent rhyme scheme...)

If any babes are struggling! Nearly bedtime and another day chalked off

Night babes and sleep well :) xxx

Welcome to

Ps sarah like your post about different types of drunks.

Anyone awake? I'm sleeping on the sofa tonight.

My 'D'H got absolutely bladdered tonight. He lied about how much he drank, has fallen all over the place (he'll have massive bruises - not for the first time), kept trying to cuddle me in bed (despite me asking him not to / pushing his hand away), accidentally elbowing me and finally fell off the bloody bed. I am slightly amused that by doing so he managed to pour a pint of water over his head, but he barely noticed. He's a stupid, clumsy, boorish drunk. He's so intelligent and kind and sweet when sober, but a crashing idiot when he's had a few.

My first H was an abusive alco. It seems I've picked another H with drink problems. I love him dearly, but have almost reached the end of my tether. I'm scared to walk away from another marriage, but I'm thinking about it. And that, my friends, is why I've been self-medicating so much recently. I just haven't wanted to admit it to myself. But somehow sitting here on the sofa trying to sleep has given me a big fat dose of reality.

I'd love to cry, but I can't seem to do so these days. I'm so tired - I have a hectic job (DH doesn't work), I'm trying to study and have a uni interview next week. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed, tbh. It all seems too much, and I spend rather a lot of time not actually facing it.

Sunny this is a great place to mull over your thoughts instead of blotting them out with alcohol. No one will tell you what to do, or judge you or your family, but we will all listen and share our thoughts with you if you would like that.

Taking a peek at what you think you want for yourself is a good start. When you are ready, you can have a harder look and see what you can change to make it easier. You know you can't change anyone else. You can't control what others do. But you can control what you do. You can change your circumstances if you want to, when you are ready. We are always here for you.

Welcome Agincourt

Thanks for the biscuit ma, I love virtual biscuits, I can have as many as I like on my diet .

Laters x

Morning ... am getting some of my boinnng back. I am on Day 4 - or is it Day 5? Not sure. Not getting the drinking urges but we shall see how I feel when I am all better.

sunny - I am sorry, that sounds tough. As Faire said, focusing on your own reasons for drinking and sorting that out is good. All I know is that when sorting your life out its easier to do without the booze.

Huey - don't think we've 'met' but your post sounds so positive, despite what sounds to be a difficult situation. This really struck a chord with me: > "the self loathing and lethargy did not even remotely compensate for the fleeting sensation of having a few". I might write that down...

Hope you all have a good day. I have half a day's work then DD wants to go to soft play. Where I will be resisting the cake.

Morning Faire and MsGee, and all the other babes. Thanks for your support.

After I posted, I tried hard to sleep. Then I heard crashing from upstairs. He fell over again, and passed out on the loo. I could hear the snoring from the sitting room. I left him to it. The phone, the main bit of which is on his bedside table, is ruined so the phone downstairs has been bleating all night.

I woke him up at 830 and kicked him out of bed so I could sleep. Unfortunately, one of our neighbours is having new windows put in, so I'm awake. H is on the sofa snoring.

I'm really, really angry. Fuming. But anger is good - it makes me act in my own interests. I don't want to drink or binge eat. (It's funny that now I'm looking my problems square in the face that I don't want to blot them out.) I'm looking at flats locally and considering my options.

Thanks for listening. :) I hope you all have a good day. x

Typed this once and it disappeared! Ah well.

Morning to everyone.

Glad I found this and my husband is glad too!

Sarah - thank you for speak about different types of drunks. I hope I'm not one of the miserable/sick kind. I certainly didn't used to be!

Well no comfort eating yesterday, so it worked for me to speak up about my niggles.

Anyway busy bee morning will call back later.

Have a good day everyone XX

Sarah, i like the idea of your group! :)

onesunny, that sounds really hard :( has he always drank so heavily? is his lack of work due to his drinking?

Morning babes

Welcome Agincourt and Duckety. I'm looking forward to getting to know you :) Duckety, you've been sober for 7/8 years?? Woah! Well it sounds like you're doing pretty good to me! Please keep posting and sharing your experiences/wisdom. I love hearing how being sober has changed people's lives - in small ways as much as the bigger, more obvious ways. I'm glad to hear your DH is benefiting from the bus too :o. My DH knows nothing about it. He's walking around with an almost permanent expression! He still hasn't really mentioned my not-drinking or the resultant lack of grumpiness, moaning or bitch-like behaviour...I guess he's not really a talker .

Faire are you back to full fitness now? Hope so.

Huey . I feel an almighty urge to point out all the omissions, insensitivities and self-absorbed ramblings of my posts...but where will that get me?? Must stop beating myself up about every sodding thing... Well it sounds like you're doing great. I drank at the weekend too and your line about it not being worth all the self-loathing and lethargy etc was spot on. It seemed to affect me for days, and I hadn't even had that much! I'm not surprised I felt so incredibly awful when I was drinking every day. I didn't stand a chance of being anywhere near happy. So what are you aiming for now? Have you set yourself a goal eg not drinking for the rest of Feb? I can't decide what I should do. I struggle with the ODAAT thing, although that is what I would like to be able to do. Any developments with any of the legal stuff?

Ma, so did you just have the beer last night? I bet you feel loads better today, don't you? Hope so!

JWN, I absolutely agree that when it comes to trying to stay/get sober, we must all, for once, be as selfish as possible. Whether that's in the use of AA or the use of this thread, the most important thing is that each individual is getting as much as possible out of it. And anyway, if we don't put our own well-being first then we won't be able to support anybody else. I wonder how many people this thread has helped?

Isinde, come back when you can. You do sounds busy though. Hope the DTs are sleeping

Mouse, not heard a squeak out of you for a while. Hope all's well and you're just busy.

Saf how are you doing? Still got the headache and nausea? Hope not... Have you thought any more about the O.T. course by the way?

Onesunny...jeez. I'm not surprised you're fuming. Shit, you have a lot to think about. Keep talking to us, and hopefully you can make some decisions with a clear head. Has DH been drinking too much for a long time? Is that why he doesn't work? You must feel under a lot of pressure. Have you talked to him about his drinking? I know you can't change people, but do you think you could support him in drinking less?? You say he's a really nice guy when he's sober...what a shame. I hope he's appropriately repentant this morning! I hope you manage to get some rest at some point, too.

MsGee, I hope you're feeling better. Where is MIFLAW, I haven't seen him around for months.

Christi, how are you doing? DH OK? DDs better?

Well, I'd better get on with today's tasks. Looks like it's going to be another busy day here. Got a couple of things to do that I hate doing and I know will make me anxious and stressed but I will keep myself as calm as possible, relax afterwards and do whatever it takes to stop myself getting to the point where I feel I need a drink. Rewind a couple of months and, as much as I am embarrassed to admit it, I would have been secretly pleased that these stressful experiences would give me the perfect excuse to get leathered tonight .

Today I will not be drinking :)

Hey sssm dd1 on top form, dd2 a bit wheezy, DH ok but it seems he has something called cyclothymia (mood cycles thing) and I think he is going to be away for a while while the treatments are sorted out.

Hven't been drinking and it feels great

Hello to everyone else, will post more later

Did someone call? I am like the littlest hobo ...

hello you luvverly man! hows your boing?

I never stop boinging

MIFLAW how do you do that.... does MHHQ email you when we call for you on the thread?? Is it a mystical power? Or are you lurking all the time ...

Hi babes,

SSSM Feel like I am 'back in the saddle' regarding drinking. I felt like I had totally lost the weekend so have got my boing back as it were! I'm not really measuring it in days anymore. Went to the pub yesterday and was happy on the soft stuff. I'm finding that I'm still having fun and joining in with the banter without a drink. There is a night out in the beginning of March which will be pretty controlled so I'm aiming for that. It can only do me good. Before Christmas I was caining wine and vodka hard because I was so Miserable. I take AD's and now I have ceased drinking I can actually feel the benefit of taking them. I am also doing plenty of exercise as it is a cheap activity.

Next week is half term so I'm sorting out a day at the ski slope for DS and his friend. Usually this is when we go away skiing but sadly the lack of job has meant that we can't go this year. It's tough but he understands. I really want to be in a position to take him next year. So a good active week catching up with ds is on the cards. and I won't be drinking. :o

As for everything else in my crazy life, is a waiting game, will hopefully know more about the house by the end of Feb. Having my own bricks and mortar back with make sure a difference. I will never take being secure in my own home for granted ever again.

Hi MrsGee and all you other lovely lurking babes. xxxxxx