Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Starting the Summer Filled With Luscious Mocktails.

999 replies

Mouseface · 09/06/2012 22:59

Hello, I'm Mouse and I used to drink far too much. Too much vodka to be exact, then too much wine, then too much cider....... you can imagine how it went.

This Bus is full of people like me, and people like you actually. Sober people, drinkers, a few not surers, and those who are simply 'somewhere'.

The one thing that we have in common is that we can/do/did/will abuse alcohol.

Some for a number of years, some months, some for their entire adult (and before) lives.

The support here is for everyone. Those in AA, those who are taking medication to help, those going it alone, those with the support of others. We're all here for the same reason. Smile

Why not come and say hello? We are all so very different in our every day lives but we all have a common theme.....

And, for those who want to see where all of this began 2 years ago, HERE IS a link to all of the past Bus rides. Smile

OP posts:
theresafire · 24/07/2012 22:05

Crystal I feel too far gone also sometimes, I wake in the middle of the night racked with anxiety so drink to suppress it. God knows how I get through my days. I was doing so well only a month ago having 2-4 drinks in 24 hours now I'll easily have 10-12 and want more. I'm going to stop it, it has to stop but when I wonder how I'm going to cope with 'feelings', I panic and drink some more. It's a bastard cycle. Today was the first day in a month I didn't drink for all day then fucked up and had too much.

NonAstemia · 24/07/2012 22:07

Joey yes herbal teas are great iced - make them as normal (always remembering to cover them after you pour on the boiling water so you don't lose the volatile oil) and then store a jug-full in the fridge. Rose and orange blossom would taste lovely chilled.

Valerian which smells a bit like cat pee is a great nervine (relaxing) and hypnotic (makes you sleepy) can be steeped in cold water for 24 hours rather than making it with boiling water. You could make it then add in some other infusion made in the normal way for flavour?

guggenheim · 24/07/2012 22:08

Hi all,

I'm going to say goodnight now and thank you for the warm welcome.

Mouse- i'm not offended; I'm pleased. Yes, you are so right I know that this bus helps people like me who just read and think hard about what the posters say. It is a brave bus because it takes a good deal of honesty to face up to, let alone talk about drinking and the mistakes we (well, me anyway) make.

It's such a relief to be here. Mouse, it will take me a long time to be honest enough to 'talk' about some of the appalling things I've done when pissed but reading the threads has given me the courage to face a few of them.

theresafire yup - day one sucks. Hope I don't lapse again for a long while- definitely created a large lapse monster! Good luck to you.

crystal nice to meet you and I hope you sleep well tonight.

theresafire · 24/07/2012 22:16

I've been drinking to suppress shit for 20 years (God, when did I get that old!). I have massive guilt over something that I didn't start but I did finish that ended badly. I won't do counselling cos no counsellor could help fix it. I have to live with it. Alcohol has been helping me til now (hollow laugh). How will I cope? I know, DCs and job and future etc but it all seems so scary without something to warm my insides and give me (dutch) courage. Poor me ha ha. My turn for a kick up the ass!

dementedma · 24/07/2012 22:39

theresafire oh, I am so glad that my being here made you stay - the fact that someone still drinking but trying not to and posting about it can help someone else, is amazing. i feel really honoured that just by being here I had an impact, even just a tiny one. thank you for saying that.

venusandmars · 24/07/2012 23:42

theresafire a good counsellor would never help 'fix' something for you, but what they might be able to do is create a space that is safe enough for you to understand and get a better perspective on yourself - and that can be worth everything.

Ooh, and maybe that is pretty much what this thread does. For all of us.

joey I make herbal teas in a wee tiny amount of boiling water to let it infuse then top up with sparkling ice cold stuff and mint.

gugg I googled images of 'gugg' and you must look like THIS or THIS or some kind of swirly art museum in New York. Grin

Off to bed, will be back in the morning.

ruralreynard · 25/07/2012 00:26

A quick hello to everyone.
sorry haven,t been able to get on the bus today and now really need to
get to sleep,not least because I so want a drink and going to sleep will stop me having one or 2 or10. Have managed day 2 without a drink because of the fantastic people on this busThanks
I have read back a little and thank you all for your kind messages and encouragement.
Will catch up and talk to you all properly tomorrow, hope you understand.
Goodnight and big hugs to all.xx

crystaldash · 25/07/2012 00:35

All you babes sound so strong-this is giving me hope for the first time. Today i failed but i am feeling positive about tomorrow. Thank you x

theresafire · 25/07/2012 03:17

Ma dopey me I forgot to say 'thankyou'. Venus yes, that is very true. I could totally relate when one of the other babes said it was such a reief to be here. So thankyou to all babes . It is cathartic in a way. For years holding it all inside rather well but God forbid the person that does the wrong thing by me usually DH and a torrent of fear, anxiety and stress is unleashed. Although my DCs keep the loving side of me facing forward everyday.

theresafire · 25/07/2012 03:27

Reynard congrats on Day 2, very well done you. Crystal good luck for tomorow.

dementedma · 25/07/2012 08:31

reynard am well impressed with the two days - excellent stuff!
crystal good luck today. we will be here for hand holding if you need it.

Umm, can I just point out to newbies that you don't have to check in every day to be on the bus. The day of your first brave post you are allocated a life ticket - usually by silver who has had other things to deal with recently but I'm sure will be back soon - and then it becomes like Hotel California "you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" Grin
We have been known to make mercy SWAT team dashes to rescue Brave Babes having wobbles, and do dramatic u-turns to scoop up Babes who have fallen off and are lying in the gutter showing their knickers. Best to always wear a seatbelt in case of emergency manoeuvres (sp?) or join fiare up on the roofrack and hang on tight. The sidecar is there for those wanting to lurk/sulk/hide or nurse hangovers. We stop at any bus stop up and down the land, we have in-bus catering provided by the lovely mouse - low carb bacon roll without the roll for me please -, we have a resident wise woman in venus and a top fashionista and all-round goddess in jesus.
And we never, ever ,ever give up on a passenger. EVER.
Now, where are we off to this fine day? Who the jeff is driving?

Fairenuff · 25/07/2012 09:35

Go for it ma, take me anywhere you like today, I'm all yours Grin

ruralreynard · 25/07/2012 10:24

Good morning all,
Really missed not being able to get on the bus for extra support yesterday.

Got through somehow, hardly any sleep through the night though and feel like I've got the hangover from hell this morning.
Day 3 today
not decided whether to totally abstain today as haven,t done two days without for a very long time and all thats on my mind every waking minute is I need a glass of wine so desperately.
gugg thanks for your congratulations on my day one and well done to you on your first day. You seem pretty strong,( certainly stronger than me ) and determined to keep it up, so Im sure that will see you through, really pleased for you. I feel like you so relieved to be here with everyone else on this wonderful bus.

faireand ma thanks for your congratulations and kind words too.
ma you are obviously very special to many of the babes on this bus and as others have said definitly not a failure. BIG BIG congrats on 4 days, thats fantastic.
Crystal big waves to a fellow newbie. Good luck today as someone on here said to me , don't think ahead try to get through minute by minute, keep busy, do anything legal and safe to distract yourself. Yesterday I couldn't concentrate on anything that needed me to be able to think and ended up at one point running around fields screaming "MUST NOT DRINK". It is possible to do things like that around here and not be seen or heard by a soul.

hope no one did see or hear me. I'll be the talk of the parish if they did.
It wouldn't be the first time or the 2nd or 3rd time I,ve been that, not ready for those stories yet though Lol.
theresafire thanks for your congrats too. Really wish I could be more help to you. I,ve been using abusing alcohol just to try get through reality and "forget" for years. This bus has given me hope for the 1st time in years.
Like you when I started lurking everybody seemed to be beating or had been the demon drink. I Thought there was no point in boarding as there was no hope for me. When people like ma and joey posted about their lapses it made me realise perhaps there is hope. Now I,m sure with the help of the bus and each other there is hope for every one of us.

Sorry babes epic post, lets see what today brings. Will try not to drink.
Good luck to all trying not to drink today.
Wishing all you babes a happy day.Smile

thurso1 · 25/07/2012 10:27

Me too Grin

Also, just to add that Ma has the driver's head on today, but, we also have sea captains and pilots available, and probably star ship troupers, so wherever you are in the Universe we can stop for you!

Mouse mine's an avocado on wholewheat toast without the toast, please (the weather calls for caifornia eating Smile).

xxxx
Ma, do I detect a bit of a boing in us today!

thurso1 · 25/07/2012 10:29

Rural X posted - great post, happy day to you too.x

Mouseface · 25/07/2012 10:50

Morning, tis me, Mouse Smile

Fire - go for it lovely, using that line is cool by me. I have to say I love reading your posts Smile, there's an edge of savvy and a dash of subtle humour to them which makes me Grin.

Re the 'thing' that 'no counsellor could/can ever fix' - me too. I have boxes that are full of things that can never be fixed, locked tight and are in the furthest, darkest part of my mind.

I've had plenty of attempts at opening them, both professionally and personally. Neither worked and made me incredibly uncomfortable with myself. I felt scared, alone, shamed, fragile and so very vulnerable. I can't talk about what's in those boxes anymore. I have left them gathering dust and for now, that's okay with me.

Mind you, there's not as many as I had before boarding the Bus....... I've been for two years (I think) and know that this Bus has helped me see that I'm not alone in my quest to feel 'normal' or safe or loved or happy or content in my own skin.....my own mind.

Vodka used to be my weapon of choice, or white wine. I used to stand in the 'wines & spirits' aisle at the supermarket reading the alcohol content on each bottle, just to make sure I was getting at least 13%..... Blush

As others have posted, I'd go into a shop and the member of staff would know why I wanted, go get it and scan it... bag it.... I'd pay and leave. I'd have a handful of shops I'd buy from..... I'd rotate them so I wasn't going into the same shop each day, or even twice a day.

I'd hide empties wherever I could, go to the recycling bins in different areas, my job meant I was able to dispose of them all over the place.

Most of the Babes will be reading this nodding and cringing a little.....

Like I said, that was me. It's not who I am now but the numbing fuzz of alcohol used to make the mental and physical scars hurt less...... even just for a few hours.

Whatever it is that you did Fire - will never go away, you can never turn back the clock BUT you can stop hurting yourself. I have no idea what you 'finished' but maybe it's about time you started to finish how it is hurting you sweetheart.

Take the power away, stick it in a box and bury it deep if you don't want to talk about it or acknowledge it out in the open (counselling), then use this Bus (as the wise venus has said) to create a place full of buffers, and friendly faces who won't judge you at all.

We've all got something we regret..... there's always something that we'd do differently, or take back. That doesn't make you a bad person Fire, it makes you human and the very fact that you posted about it already, tells me that you are on your way to being the person YOU want to be.

Stay Brave xx

PS - not read back so sorry for typos Blush

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 25/07/2012 10:57

Yesterday I couldn't concentrate on anything that needed me to be able to think and ended up at one point running around fields screaming "MUST NOT DRINK" reynard I love that Grin

Whatever works - we have had someone doing naked handstands before (indoors I hasten to add) Grin

About the hangover. It takes a while to get all the poison out of your system. If you could hang in for one more day, you may find that you start to feel a bit brighter and the longer you go, the better your sleep will be, which has a positive knock on effect on your mood during the day.

It's like the vicious circle, but backwards. The longer you go, the better it gets until eventually you get The Boing Smile

That little voice in your ear is the drink talking, tell it fuck off!!

As you were, babes Grin

dementedma · 25/07/2012 11:01

rural if you can get through day 3 it is a real turning point - voice of experience here. i always find it the hardest as this is when withdrawal symptoms are really starting to bite. You feel crap, you haven't slept, you're thinking, fuck it, I might as well be drinking and feeling crap. Are you nodding?
Everytime the wine monster calls, grab a bottle or glass of water ands get it down you - flush the toxins out. Get in a load of your sweet things of choice - haribos, chocolate, toffees whatever. They will deal with the sugar craving and keep your gob busy!
Can you plan something to do this afternoon/evening which gets you out of the house. Even if you are grimly pacing the fields muttering "I will not drink" over and over.. You can do this.

Right, having just come back from holidays I am driving us all to the Isle of Bute where we can pee in the famous Victorian toilets (scenes from Harry Potter filmed there), potter around the town that time forgot - Rothesay - and then walk along Scalpsie Bay which is just stunningly beautiful and we can look for seals. Could you all bring something for the picnic, rugs to sit on and bathers for the hardy. ALL ABOARD!

Thurso yes indeedy, a boingette I think!

jesuswhatnext · 25/07/2012 12:02

BOING!! Grin

sounds a lovely trip ma! Grin i will bring the windbreaks, one of those hugely expensive shiny 'beach bbqs' (dont know why we cant just use the disposable ones but i guess they dont look so nice in the photos! Grin) venus can show us how to light a beautifully arranged driftwood fire this evening while we all wear cashmere shawls and look terribly awfully posh while sitting on those wonderful wicker steamer chairs ! (no sand in yer knickers on this picnic! no wailing kids, no grumpy hungry husbands, only men allowed are adonis looking smooth skinned tanned davidoff types! Wink)

quick thought - show me someone who has never put a foot wrong, never hurt someone elses feelings, never had to look back with a regret and i will show you a fucking liar! (or someone who has lived in an antiseptic bubble) we all have a past, regrets, hidden hurts..., what we all dont need to do is to use booze to mask them, it changes nothing, booze can help a person to hold on to negatives for a very long time, much longer than needs be, it can help a wound to fester, and for what point? just to make us feel even more worthless? christ!! i think we need that like a bloody hole in head!

as to sleeping, im usually a fairly good sleeper but the last couple of nights have been a bit disturbed, its been too hot and airless, the thing is though, i didnt have to lay there thinking about the fact that i was worried about my liver, that i had drunk too much again, that i had hurt someone, that i hadnt done my job properly, that i would feel like shit in the morning, i didnt lay there sweating boozy fumes with a mouth like sawdust and dread the dawn (i actually laid and worried about matching napkins, seating plans and music play lists, i shall be bloody relieved when this wedding is over! Grin) seriously, sleep will come, peaceful, natural, restful, you will find a joy in waking, in looking forward to a new day, just give it time!! Smile

Mouseface · 25/07/2012 12:57

HERE IS THE NEW THREAD

Same as always, fill this one first and then boing on over to the new one so we don't leave anyone behind Smile

I'll be back later, stay safe Babes xxx

OP posts:
venusandmars · 25/07/2012 15:04

ma I haven't been to Rothesay for years - great choice. Last time I was there we went to a pub and they had live music - the Singing Zavaronis. Yes the late Lena's aunts, cousins, sister etc - that all looked (and sounded) exactly the bloody same. And they were singing YOUR song...... Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me Grin Grin Grin

Rural - I think some of what you're experiencing is known as 'seeing the hangover through to the end'. Normally when we feel hungover, we get over the worst bit then medicate the rest with more booze. Most of us felt pretty awful for the first few days, but it does get better, it really, really does.

venusandmars · 25/07/2012 15:22

kotinka and gugg hope you've found your way back over here Smile

thurso1 · 25/07/2012 15:54

Hello,

Just back from a swim in an outside pool, I'm very lucky that there's one near me, but it doesn't get much action for most of the year!!

Thanks for doing the new thread Mouse, I have pm'd you.

xxx

thurso1 · 25/07/2012 15:55

How is everyone this afternoon?

thurso1 · 25/07/2012 15:56

The new thread came up on my list