The Brave Babes Battle Bus - On Their Way To Giving Up The Booze For Lent (or just for today)

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

Welcome to the Brave Babes Bus where you'll find a mix of drinker, non drinkers, those who has been sober for a long time, and those who are getting there One Day At A Time.

Come and say hi....... we won't bite

And if you want to know how this all got started, HERE is a link to the previous threads.

thank you

Thank you all for the welcome, it's made me feel warm inside:) Jammy, it's nice to have you here with me, let's give it a go shall we? Helpyourself, I've tried every strategy under the sun! Because I don't drink every day I still seem to be labouring under the delusion that I can control it but I think abstinence is the only way.

I keep telling myself to just drink socially and sometimes I can manage that for a few weeks, but that complacency sets in and I start drinking at home alone again. I've just ordered Caroline Knapp's "Drinking a Love Story" off Amazon -
has anyone read it?

Better to get it out here than try and drown it quietly - fantastic line venus and so true.

Jammy- not at all as I've said before, your own personal problems and worries are just as important to you as mine are to me. The support that I get from this Bus helps me to get through to them. I love this Bus, I love the people who make it what it is.

God i hope so because rl friends think im ok but im not, will have to go now

Ma I'm hopelessly late for the SWAT team, but hugs from me, I wish you peace of mind and happiness and I hope your plan to acheive this comes to fruition sooner rather than later.
X

Hello Babes, welcome Jane and Jammy

I hope you're all having a good evening?

Another sober night, had a tiny craving earlier but it passed. :)

Take care all, big hugs xxx

Hi Jammy and Jane
together you sound like a kids TV programme or reading book

I was just the same as you when I joined this bus 17 months ago. I felt so fed up with myself, ill, tired, ashamed. No-one in RL knew how much I was drinking, not even my DH because I was cunning at hiding it all.

I feel like this bus actually saved my life.

Neither of you have told us what you want to do NOW, what your plan is. How are you getting on this evening - drinking? or not?

Hi Jammy and Jane

I have read the Caroline Knapp, and again when sober!

It was recommended to me on a thread just like a this a while back. It's very good.

I too was a secret drinker- unfortunately I used the fact that no one knew to convince myself that everything was OK. But in fact I was isolating and very very careful what I comitted to with whom and where, .

And the local shop keepers knew of course.

Hello Jane and jammy, welcome to the bus.

I will be spending a week on holiday with my wonderful PILs in June and am so looking forward to it. This time last year though, I would never have gone because I would have wanted to spend my evenings drinking and would have been too ashamed to let them discover how much/how often I drank.

This time next year your lives could be so different. You can have the life you want, anyone can .

YY local shopkeepers (and pubs)

Faire, I know what you mean about being ashamed. It's horrible, isn't it. :(

welcome jane and jammy - your names make me laugh
mouse I'm so sorry things are so hard for you. sending you strength
Well. both phones have been checked and cleaned. About the stuff on the PC, told DH that despite his protestations, I know it was him. he is trying to turn things to say it was me!!! that aspect never even occurred to me. he is trying to mess with my head. I am reassured that there is no spyware on either phone now, but still not happy.

I will not have a drink today

Morning all. I've got a lovely day planned (I've already done loads of tedious admin work) - lunch with a good friend in a lovely place overlooking the sea, in the sunshine (ma you know where ), then a couple of hours with my delightful dd2, then a late business meeting which I know will make me happy, and then home for the last of the evening sunshine with dp.

And I know that today I won't be drinking - reasons to be cheerful, 1, 2, 3

Oh yes, I'm feeling a bit of 'boing' today

Morning all. Am off work sick; I came home early to work from home yesterday feeling rough and ended up asleep instead of working. On the up side, I haven't properly wanted a drink for a couple of days, so a win really.

It's lovely and sunny today, I hope all you Babes have a good day xxxx

5 days of not drinking & feeling good, but soon off for weekend away at brother's. Yikes!! Can I do it?

Morning [smile

Dare I say, I feel a bit of the "boing" too .

I have been to the supermarket (petrol queues ), and am just about to make a lasagne to freeze.

The week after Easter is Dh's 50th, and I have 20 people coming for Easter Sunday lunch, 8 on the Saturday night, and I am trying to get as much done in advance as I can. Both Dc's are coming home (yippee ), one Thursday, one Friday + Gf, so it will be a full house. I imagine I will be racketing off the walls at the end of next week, with all the prep, but very happy .

Mouse I hope you are having a good day today, does the sunshine help Nemo's respiratory problems?

Hello to jane and jammy, I haven't been quite the success story that BProud has, but just like her, I do feel that this bus has saved my life, I have worked through a lot of the guilt and shame I felt, by coming on here. Not always talking about "it", but just talking.

JWN £1500 ?, a mere drop in the ocean in comparison to the total, I bet . I will be coming to you for mucho advice 2 or 3 years hence, I understand from DC1. (no pressure to stay on the thread, and keep it going .

Lots of love to all, better get these onions chopped!!!

xxxx

X posted Sunny, hope you feel better soon.
Chasing You can do it, we can help (or am I the only one who remembers that ad?)

Caroline Knapp was a wonderful writer, her life sadly cut short when she died from cancer a few years back.

Her relationship with drink was, she said, like a love affair and a destructive one at that - isn't it always?

I drank a bottle last night (wine) and slept badly. Wine is like a best friend and worst enemy in one.

wow, big respect Thurso for taking on the full blown hostess with mostess bit. Sends me into a cold sweat just thinking about the logistics of catering for 20! No way I'd be able to cope with all that sober - makes my weekend away seem a paltry challenge compared to your efforts .
figure if I can just get this weekend under my belt & sober I stand a better chance of being able to cope "sans vino" for friend's birthday celebrations next week .
Sunny hope you feel better soon. Hi to all Babes

What a lovely day today, woke up hangover-free and won't be drinking today. Bproud my plan is to not drink at home alone at all and not to keep any booze in the house. I'd like to think that I'll be able to drink socially but I'm not hopeful about this so have given myself a month to see if I can.

If the social drinking gets me back on the solitary drinking, then I have to stop altogether. I've tried this before though and failed so in my gut I know I'm just putting off the moment when I have to admit I can't drink at all. I'm sure some of you will say that I should simply stop now and save myself some grief but I'm too weak-willed....The other thing will be staving off the cravings but I have to get on top of them. Will post here if it becomes unbearable!

And thanks for the positive feedback about Caroline Knapp - can't wait for it to arrive. Enjoy the start of the holidays everyone.

Afternoon, big hello to newbies, sorry not posted much this week, v hectic RL. I am sure that has helped me get to day 6.

This morning DD as I baked cheese scones (surprisingly easy and surprisingly tasteless) and fairy pastries (pre rolled puff pastry with cheese and salami) - we have a fairy cookbook so everything is branded fairy-esque. DD not overly impressed by either so guess who has eaten a lot of pastry... Not helping the weight loss. But am sure it was less harm than 6 bottles of wine.

I can't say I feel amazing since not drinking. My skin isn't amazing. I am still flabby. I am probably still grumpy (although shouting at DD much less). What has changed is that it feels like a weight is lifted of me - all that time and energy devoted to drinking and thinking about drinking and feeling crap after drinking. It's the absence of something difficult iyswim?

Anyway I didn't think this would be possible a month ago so hope this helps those struggling.

It's Friday, I've been good for 5 nights & I need want a big glass of chilled white RIGHT NOW!!!

CT - go and do something else RIGHT NOW!!! go and look around your garden, make a list of jobs that need doing, go round the house and put all the things that are scattered round it into the room they should be in, phone a friend and and chat about nothing much for 10 minutes. ANYTHING!!!

Chasing sorry to be a bit late.
I hope you took JWN's advice.

I prepped all the lasagne, picked up my washing (two loads) from the garden where the line had broken, washed up, and felt that I had done such a good mornings work, also both the Dc's phoned to say Hi, I was feeling really "up", and what did I think, "mmm, I'll just have one glass of the chilled white that's in the fridge"............... Then reminded myself that I wouldn't even dream of it if I was at work, or had to go out this afternoon, so I made some lunch, got my book, and had a snooze by the garden windows.
I have woken up with a fubbly head and a bit of a "leadlike feeling" but how much worse I would have felt if I had done what I wanted to do. It would probably have led to me drinking tonight as well.
If you've done it chasing no worries, but if you haven't maybe do some things and then see, it worked for me

In fact are you a mind reader/thought transferrer JWN because at the time you wrote, I was doing all of the above xx