The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Still On A Sober Holiday, Waiting For The Summer!

[Mouseface]

Hello, tis me, Mouse

I'm one of the Brave Babes on the Battle Bus, it's HUGE and never gets full, the doors are always open, 24/7, every single day.

We're a mixture of people who have been drinking for most of our lives and in one way or another, abuse(d) alcohol.

Some of us have stopped drinking every day completely and are taking it One Day At A Time.

Some are trying to control their drinking with medication, willpower, AA, some of us aren't quite sure what we want or where we're trying to get, but we're here, we're all in the same boat Bus, and there's a seat for ANYONE who wants one.

You can find the previous threads HERE and where this Bus first started it's journey, thanks to a wonderful lady, who'd hit rock bottom face first (and she'd admit that to us herself), seeking help and advice from a bunch of 'strangers' on an internet forum........

Come have a peek, take a seat, we don't bite or judge. We listen and will try to help, best we can.

does sound like a visit to the GP may be needed, alias - how old is DD?

i have stopped counting the days - i didn't find it helped me actually. i really do do 1 day at a time. every day is then day 1 and i can feel happy

just got back from work - took 4 hours tonight! but then it was half way across the country

going to do a race in the morning. only a parkrun so just 5k but it is ages since i have done one and i don't think i've ever done it when i haven't drunk the night before. mostly i have done it after a bottle of wine on the friday night. won't be a PB but i don't really care!

nono I was never much of day counter either - for me it felt like a pressure that didn't help.

Hope all babes are having a safe and happy evening x

dammit I failed

been to the supermarket twice recently and not bought any wine.

But when DH said he was off to get some beer and did I want anything... I crumbled.

DD is 10 and has often had weird rashes etc, but this one is just horrendous! And its driving her mad with itching. It looks like chickenpox and dermatitis with a bit of heat-rash thrown in for good measure...

alias - hope you are ok. Does hubby support you? Re DD - sounds nasty. Perhaps she needs to see a dermatologist?

yeah he does usually, I wasn't strong enough to tell him not to buy me any. Worries about my health (I'm a certified hypochondriac) and my DDs was just getting to me.

I shouldn't beat myself up. One drink a week is okay - as long as it doesn't lead to more!

How is your wee boy? It must be very uncomfortable with a cast in in this weather!

kotinka sorry I cross-posted.

She's had some anti-histamine syrup and I smothered her in Oilatum - the anthisan cream didn't seem to help.

It seems to be a sort of dermatitis / viral thing - with a heat-rash thrown in to confuse us.

What you in pain with?

I dunno, we spend the last 2 months complaining we haven't had a summer, and now its too hot!

I am thinking of taking her to the docs on Monday, I don't imagine its serious or that they'll be able to do much, but I have to rule it out.

So am going to spend the next 2 days worrying about taking time off work.... and am definitely quitting mirtazapine NOW. Had enough of everything.

PS. earlier I talked about the image of the sophistated couple drinking chilled wine in the garden.... Reality: me, upstairs on 'puter, too hot and tired; DH watching TV.... No amount of wine could make us sophisticated!!

alias - pls see the gp for yourself too. Hope you feel ok today and manage to avoid the wine witch tonight

Off to do my 5k race now. Won't be a fast one.

Morning all

There are so many threads at the moment about alcohol problems. Mostly women posting about their dh's drinking putting a strain on their relationship and/or putting themselves or others in danger.

I want to scoop all those drinkers up and bring them onto the bus.

If there are any lurkers reading this, please do feel welcome to post. This is a safe place for anyone, men or women, drinking or not drinking or just thinking about their drinking.

This is a support thread with a wealth of experience and fantastic advice. No one will judge you, we have all had a difficult relationship with alcohol.

< waves to everyone >

morning all - happy weekend

just heaved a ginormous piece of furniture fully loaded with cds, books, stereo etc across room so i can carry on decorating. my stubborness and laziness combined gived me super human strength it seems - couldn't be arsed to unload all the stuff so i have cleared a new section of the room and i'm really getting there now. start to get to more complicated tasks next though like trying to get out wedged in rawl/rall/don't know plugs out of the wall and fill in all the holes of the multiple attempts at curtain rails, poles, blinds etc it appears there have been over the years. then i have to work out how i'm going to hang my blinds in a steel lintel. sorry - boring stuff!

the plan for the weekend is to keep both busy and relaxed and distracted. i'm finding a nice rhythm of get stuff done, chill for a bit, do a bit more, relax a while ad infinitum works best for me. i have a history of me/cfs and mild bipolar and have historically been fairly crap at knowing how to use/conserve energy to not end up in a state. now i'm trying to learn to do little and often with plenty of rest in between and hoping that's a more sustainable approach than my old habit of oh i've got a bit of energy i better try and do everything endlessly now and oh what a surprise now i'm crashed for a few days feeling like i have flu without the cold bit and struggling to do the most basic of tasks.

sorry - me me me and EXTREMELY boring! maybe this is a sign it's time for me to get a bit of adult company. must try and do something social this weekend - getting a bit too hermitty, safworld orientated probably.

life's a bit of a balancing act. for me anyway i've found that that is what life is all about really - bouncing from one extreme/town/continent/lover/lifestyle/substance/etc to the other was a big part of my youth since then it has mostly been about trying to find balance and smooth out those extremes. trying to learn to drive my car rather than crash all over the place like a newbie on mario karts. the crashing around was fun at times mind so i do get withdrawal symptoms sometimes and rose tinted nostalgia. need to get a bit of fun into the balancing act somewhere.

right waffle over - maybe this is 'self indulgent saturday'

just re-read my post and thinking about it my younger life really was remarkably like mario karts!

Well done sAf

Well - it was a PB!! By 18 seconds. And I was 2nd lady in my age category and. 14 th lady overall. Think I should maybe retire now.

Amazing what you can achieve without a hangover eh?

Haha BProud. Indeed. My training has been crap since I got injured in feb and I haven't been running with my watch since then. So I have had no idea how fast I have been running but have been in pain with my hamstrings for months. They still hurt now. Ran today with no watch and just tried to keep going. Had a sprint for the finish against a bloke I had been passing / been passing me much of the way. And I won much to the amusement of the supporters at the finish and fellow club members who were time keeping

It feels good now. Off to do some gardening...

oh no, kotinka - what's up?

Have nc. Just want to check it worked before spilling guts...

kotinka - have you got sunshine still? can you get out in it?

betty - welcome...

Okay. Drink a lot. Some nights easily over one bottle. Drink on my own. Think it's out of boredom and stress. Haven't had a drink for over a week. The first few nights were very bad. I hardly slept. But that said I have had a great week. My house has been transformed and I feel on top of everything.

I feel in control and positive. It's so good not to have hangovers.

Dh has just come in from the shops with a bottle of nice wine. Ugh. I want to have a drink but I am so chuffed with myself for turning my house around. I can't drink and be in control of my life. I am having a soft drink now while dh cooks. I think I will go and have a bath and have a little sort in smallboy's room.

I think the week is easier.

Wow - betty. You have done amazingly well. Does your DH know that you are trying not to drink now? Does he understand how you feel about alcohol? Or is he not aware of your drinking because you did it on your own?

I am at the same stage as you now - I have been on this bus for 3.5 weeks or so, and in that time I have not gone back to drinking (had 1 drink of about 1 unit 1 night). I am scared to right now because I am afraid I will be back where I was...

If you are feeling stressed by the idea of drinking now, the easiest thing is not to. I know you want to - most of us feel that way. Most of us crave that bottle of whatever it is most nights. Mostly it's ok when it's not there or when there is no way of getting it. But when it appears in front of you... Just because it's Saturday night doesn't mean you have to have wine.

Hello betty welcome to the bus, have you been following us at all? Taking yourself off for a bath is a great strategy