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

[Mouseface]

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.

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.

greyhound hello you, hope you are doing okay. I also am trying to quit for the sake of my health, but find it depressing to think 'at my age' I have to be more careful. I'm only 40(ish!) but not becoming any more mature

Hi lovely Babes, new and old

After today I'm going to log off of MN for a bit as I've been spending way too much time on here instead of doing RL stuff, like working or sorting out my paperwork. :)

I will be back at some point (and lurking on occasion) but I didn't want to just disappear without coming to see you amazing Babes.

I haven't been on this thread for a few days so quick update: I'm much happier than I was a couple of weeks ago, and looking forward to studying in the autumn. DH and I are getting on well. I am drinking from time to time, but the amount is going down. I'm getting CBT which will help me with my long term depression issues - at least I hope so.

Love to all and thank you for all of your support xxx

Hi Joey - I am getting less mature as time goes on. I am in my early forties but sometimes feel I am trying to relive my teens. I tend to get wrecked on the odd occasions (probably three times a year) when I go out with my girlie friends. Possibly because I see them so rarely.

Good to hear from you Sunny. Sounds like things are improving for you.

Sunny how very dare you have others things to do than hang out with us

Take care, my lovely, and keep in touch. Maybe we should have an annual Boing Day when all those who don't post too often come back to give us a quick update? I often wonder how so-and-so is doing

Saf you are so productive these days, it sounds like you are really getting your house together and making it more you. I wish I had your energy. I have some big jobs to tackle but am waiting til the 'summer' holidays. You are inspiring me to consider a bit of redecoration then as well.

I didn't really get around to much spring cleaning as our spring was so cold, wet and miserable. Hard to believe it will be mid-summer in a couple of weeks and then the evenings will start drawing in again. Eeek! Horrible thought isn't it.

Evening, tis me, Mouse

Welcome to all of the new Babes I hope that you all find a seat.

Sunny - I'm glad you posted, I was wondering if you were okay after your last few posts. It sounds as though things are certainly brighter in your world right now, long may that last xx

Faire - stop that! We've not even had summer yet!

Grey - if ever there was a warning to stop drinking, that would be it. The stomach pains I mean. I got them a lot when binge drinking. Alcohol messes with your digestive system and causes all sorts of nasty conditions. I think we are all valuable and owe it to ourselves not to take our health for granted.

I used to be a big subscriber of the 'It Will Never Happen To Me' brigade. Except it did and it does happen to me. I have Degenerative Disc Disease, Facet Joint Syndrome and herniated discs in my lower spine and whilst they're not life threatening conditions, they will never go away.

Anyway, how are we all tonight?

Saf - you're doing lots right now, it's great to read.

Ma - hope things are 'bearable' just now.

Thurso - thinking of you lovely, hope you're ok.

Has anyone ever had a feeling that they simply have to sleep no matter what/where/when etc? I keep having 'waves' of an over-whelming urge to sleep on the spot. I've not changed anything med wise (or anything else) so it's not that.....

Oh and moan alert, this rain is not at all good for my pain . Moan over.......

Silver - thinking of you xx

MsGee - how's LittleMsGee? I love hearing about her day!

welcome to mcavity annie and george
Scoops lemony up at the bus stop.
Good grief, we are going to need a bigger bus
So many of you doing well - too many to mention - and so many new and struggling.
Very busy wiith real life just now, but still here.
has anyone heard from silver?

I have been on this thread only as few times with another name and sorry i didnt stay for long but just popping on to say i did it! not had a drink for 7 weeks now and am pregnant so i know i wont now, then will be BF so a few more months /years to be booze free. Thanks for the support and i didnt actually think i could do it i thought it would never end couldnt get past 1 week. gave up smoking too Thanks so so much and hope everyone is OK xxxx

wearymama congratulations! We will look foward to becoming 'Aunties' again

Limit how you doing?

Weary - that is lovely to hear

Sunny - enjoy RL for a while but keep in touch a little...it sounds as though things are going the right way :)

Mouse - you are a star

Me, well colouring hair was a bad idea...remind me never to attempt it again when I have a trapped nerve in my neck...suffice to say I look most odd. Patchy is one word but I can think of others Oh and I only got the old varnish off one foot and have failed to bribe a child to do the other one. no sandels for me for a few days! Almost a good job it is raining. But...I could not rinse hair properly either so hope I will not 'run' in the rain. No it will be ok really :), will have a bath in the morning.

Alcohol none yet...

today I shouldn't laugh really, but imagine how much worse it could have been if you'd tried to colour your hair when drunk

Can I just ask what everyones non alcoholic tipple is when they go out to a bar or restaurant?

Am just thinking of something lovely and non alcoholic I can have and really enjoy when I'm out.

fuckit (actually your name sums up my day) I often have a J2O in a pint glass topped up with soda water to make it fizzy and less 'gloopy'.

I have form for that, also have a bad habit of looking in the mirror whilst cleaning my teeth, after a few drinks, and deciding to cut off all the bits of hair that stick out.

I am soooo well groomed and polished.

Just having a glass of white. Is very nice and I WILL STOP AFTER ONE MORE

Promise

alias I once tried to tidy my lady garden whilst drunk, and ended up looking like a diseased badger - I was lucky not to lose flesh...

Day two of not drinking today - am getting some cravings, but not as bad as yesterday - argh!

today pixwix stop it you are making me snort

Drinks in pubs I find tricky because I don't like anything fizzy or citrus-y. That doesn't leave a lot. J2O do some interesting flavours.

I'm here Ma x

silver - are you ok. or at least as ok as you can be?
Keep thinking of you and hoping you are alright.
Up early today as big event in work and can't sleep......also splitting headache. Can't think what gave me that!

morning all

i missed sunny but in case you're still reading this morning - good luck out there in the real world it's good to get an internet break and crack on.

welcome to all newcomers

drinks in pubs - i'd opt for a nice cup of coffee if they did it otherwise just lime and soda and revel in how much money i was saving.

i think i'm giving a false impression of productiveness - i am certainly a hell of a lot more productive than i was but i still doubt i do as much as a 'normal' person (not sure who these normal people i compare myself to are but hey). i just take bloody ages to do things so it seems like i'm doing loads because i'm still doing the same job for ages.

think priming my hall floor has got to be done in stages as there's no way we can stay off of the whole floor for 16hrs at a time so i'm going to have to do sections so it will seem as if i'm painting some huge epic space - i'm not. so a piddly job that will take ages and i'll make a huge song and dance over. don't be fooled.

i do recommend keeping busy though. good to have little projects on the go that can be picked up for half an hour when you need distraction from a craving or feeling sorry for yourself.

i've had no sweets, ice-cream, chocolate or such for 2 days now so i am sticking to my plan. i feel like i should have lost weight already but guessing that's unlikely it will happen though.

can't believe it's friday already.

forgot to say lots of water ma and maybe some hot/cold compresses - might help the eyes too if no sleep.

I'm back on the bus ... I disembarked for a couple of weeks, although I have been lurking, and following all your tales of woe and success.

I am furious, sick and disappointed in myself that I fell from grace, just when I was doing so well after 5 weeks. I was really on a high, wasn't I?

On a positive note, I had about 8 AFDs in the two-week period which I wouldn't have had in my former life. And after much naval-gazing, I had a light-bulb moment, in which I realised that a HUGE trigger for me is not being in control of my life - my list of to-dos was mounting up and overwhelming me, and so I hid.

I have a completely free weekend, without children, and I am going to tackle house, garden, paperwork and all other neglected tasks. Onwards and upwards.

Welcome to all the new babes; I have found this thread so inspirational and I know you will gain companionship and support from it xx

Up and in bath to soak. What is it that makes that glass irresistible? Makes no sense. How did everyone else do?

Hope dr visit is ok. Have you made notes?

if you're anything like me carrie there's a chicken and egg element to it too whereby when drinking things don't get done and pile up and drinking is also the escape from the pile up and stress about what needs doing - so bit hand in glove into complete 'messiness' in my case.

welcome back

Hello Babes!

Carrie I wondered where you were! Good luck with the to-do list.

I've been doing what Carrie has suggested, which is getting trying to get back on top of things. Absolutely YY to the idea that being out of control triggers drinking.

I'm genuinely slightly surprised that I still have a job. So I've been working my socks off and surprising myself by how much I enjoy it. Work has a sort of redemptive power for me. Does anyone have a 'guilt' pile? I have a guilt pile at work and at home too. Things that should be done, but because I'd been slow at tackling them, perhaps because they weren't particularly easy to deal with, they lurked at the back of my mind and made me reach for the bottle. And so those things wouldn't get done and so on ...

Well I've spent the week tackling my guilt pile and it's been positively cleansing.

On the non-alcoholic drinks issue, how about fizzy water with lime, or ginger beer? Both a bit meh, but better than wine :)

You okay Silver?

Morning all

today thanks for thinking of me, I'm ok..wasn't exactly an sober night for me last night I'm afraid

GP appt this morning, at 9am..right after school run..feel surprisingly calm right now.

I also know I have to stop employing avoidance tactics at work but I wanted to know what GP said first.

Carrie sorry to sound dumb but what are AFD's?

saf one of my missions today, and this weekend, is to start cleaning this house up properly, not shift piles of paperwork from one end of the house to the other; which is normal for me.

Congratulations to weary

Thank you for your 'welcome-backs' saf and hopefully - I feel like I've come home!

Good luck with the GP Limit - it's a brave and very positive step. AFDs are alcohol free days, BTW.