The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Turning Over Autumn Leaves In Search For Our Own Personal Sobriety

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm mouse and my best friend used to be vodka. We were inseparable at the time, such fun! Wild nights out, wild nights in..... danger, excitement, strangers, not knowing where I was when I woke up, oh it was all so fantastic.....

Not the case for the last couple of years or so, since I found this Bus.

Now, we are practically strangers. Don't get me wrong, I still abuse alcohol and use it to self-medicate which completely defeats all of the work I've put in, trying to see my life through sober eyes but that's just how I do things......

Anyway, that's enough about me so why not come say hello to the others on the Bus, we're all at different stages of drinking, not drinking or complete abstinence (of the drinking kind!)

No-one on the Bus wears judgy pants, nylon bloomers, leopard skin thongs? Maybe...... I wouldn't like to ask to be honest! But we are all here for the very same reason, we can't (or don't want to) control our drinking like 'normal' people do.

If you'd like to see how this all started, why not have a look HERE and read about one of the most inspirational ladies you'll ever 'know'.

You can also follow the threads, one by one, by clicking on the links on each thread towards the end, leading to the next etc......

See you soon x

purple, I always find taking the dog out helps my mood. can you plan something to look forward to later? a good film or a lovely bubblebath and then snuggled up in bed with a hot chocolate?

mouse hope nemo is ok this morning, and you have a good break.

dh went to the pub last night with bro-in-law and my stepdad. stepdad has been drinking too much for a few years, and dh said he bought triple whiskeys all round. reminds me that alcoholics often encourage others to drink too. I used to be the same.

I know I'm being totally pathetic alias but even getting out of bed is proving a trial today. It doesn't help that Aunt Flo is making her monthly visit too. Thanks for your suggestions.

OK, so feeling a bit better. Have had a bath and been to the supermarket. Bought picnic stuff as have decided to take the children out on Monday - anywhere! We can always eat in the car.

Also treated myself to a tuna steak for tonight - and 4 large bottles of fizzy water. Hope my mood carries on improving.

hope so too purple.

ok here - well not very actually - bit of pmt hell which is a trigger for me. fingers crossed it won't be long.

work wardrobe is just about sorted and i've worked out what weeks and hours i'll be working and it all fits well bar a couple of days where ds's school are picking weird slots for training days but i'm sure family won't mind have the boy. still have no idea how i'm going to do the actual job but have decided not to stress/plan/work before i start getting paid. a bit of reading and thinking yes but more than that, no.

time to put chooks to bed and start encouraging the boy to wind down for the night. hope everyone is ok. wishing sleep vibes on your house mouse.

when do you start the job saf ?

19th

Can I join?
Have been sober for 40 days now. Currently and inpatient at the Priory doing their addictions programme and I'm due for release Wednesday. At home for the night tonight got to be back by tea time tomorrow.

Mixed feelings about being home for good. Will be fab to be home at last with the kids, but I'm scared I will relapse, I won't get another shot at the Priory. Went to an AA meeting this morning got a couple of phone numbers of women who I text earlier and got a medal!

Won't be back online till Wednesday as no Internet at the hospital but come Wednesday I'll be here needing all the hand holding I can get.

Thanks

Hi everyone,
totally lost track of events on the thread as not posted for a while.
venus hope you are ok sorry you are having a sad time, my thoughts are with you.
saf great news on the new job, good luck
joey 6 weeks AF awesome keep going !!!
soma nice to see you posting again always felt we might be similar in more than age
nono hope you are OK.
koti hope you are keeping the wine witch at bay tonight
mouse hope you are having a peaceful night and nemo sleeps well.
Welcome to new babes, this is a good place to be.

Am in the sidecar as usual but OK. Dd2 recorded 3 tracks at a studio today which hopefully will entice someone to sponsor her. More money - but an investment I hope. Will link to them once they are uploaded.
Hi to purple and other new babes. rural are you OK?
Venus you too?
Has anyone heard from silver?

Welcome Gorja you have come to the right place. You will get lots of support here.

Hi ma cross posted I think. Hope DD gets the sponsership she needs, fingers toes and everything else crossed for her .
Im ok bit like you would like a single life but don't feel its possible at the mo
That aside things not too bad, in the side car but working up to getting back on board Gerald. Drinking isn't fun its an addiction "taken me 30 years to realise that"

Hey rural, good to hear from you. Think we have a fair bit in common on the husband front. And the addiction one too. Wonder if there could be a connection.......

Methinks a definite connection ma big style...
I find it much easier not to drink when H and I are not in the same house/place.
Sadly this does not happen too often

Kot at least you are doing a couple of days.

When I first got on the bus I was drinking almost every day. Every morning I would wake up and think to myself, not today, then by 6pm I was heading to the shop to buy wine.

Back then, getting through one day was a massive achievement for me. Two days would have been great. If you know you can do two days, stick with it like that for a while until you want to do a third day. Gradually, you will be able to do it x

Hello and welcome Gorja, your seat is reserved for Wednesday, we will all be here for you.

I was the same as you Scary, I'd wake up in the morning, feeling guilt and shame about the amount I'd drunk the night before and tell myself 'today is THE day' I was going to give it up. I was a bit earlier than you, Scary, I'd only get to about 3pm, my resolve would disappear and I'd persuade myself that I'd give up 'tomorrow',after all (I'd convince myself) what difference will one more day make? On day 10 dry now.

Kot just don't give up giving up. 2 days is good - try for just one more day - at a time?
Gorja I have a hand to your to hold on Wed if you need it. It must be scary coming home from such a 'safe' place but 40 days is an amazing achievement, you've done really well! Hugs.
Good luck for 19th SAF very impressed that you have sorted your wardrobe out already!!
Green Where are you? I hope you are just having a break from here and that you are well?
Mouse Hope your weekend went well and you got some sleep.

welcome *gorja" you will find lots of support here

soorry my messages are short and sweet, am still on kindle. home tomorrow, its been good (apart from casual racism from bil, and sis in her own happy world bless her)

decided to allow myself some wine last night, but its been so long now that dh forgot to buy me any! i have to admit then i did get a craving because it was on my mind, but not bad enough to go out and get some.

i dont want to fly tomorrow with a hangover. although, koti i said it wasnt the flying i was anxious about? wrong! nearly had a panic attack on take-off, but even i cant have a g&t at 10.30 am. can boots sell me something to take the edge off otc?

hope everyone is ok, mouse you enjoying your break?

Morning, tis me, Mouse

Yes, break is good, sleep is not as per...... Nemo is dreadful just now

Off out for a gentle walk soon but will be back later to set up the new thread, panic not fair Babes

Welcome to Gorja [smile}

Nice to hear from everyone else, have good days xx

Alias Could you get yourself to a pharmacy, explain your anxiety and see if they can recommend anything. Failing that, Camomile tea? Not much use, sorry, but hoping for a more relaxed flight home for you.

Alias can you download a programme to listen to before and after take-off? Something designed to talk you through anxiety? Paul McKenna or somesuch stuff?

Am probably talking nonsense, but it's amazing what's out there when you start googling. If not, could be a gap in the market?

Alias,

You could request phenagan from the chemist. If you say it's for insomnia they should sell you it. It will have a similar effect to diazepam and calm you down a little. If you just have one tablet it shouldn't sedate you too much.

Apart from that concentrate on your breathing, try and breathe calmly and it should help. Focus on the moment and don't look any further than that minute.

Hope it goes ok for you x

i do have some lemon and ginger tea here, i should drink that tomoro instead of coffee which will make me queasy.

cant have my kindle on during takeoff, right? i want a pill, but am too reliant on popping pills (am begining to think long-term use of seroxat is what caused insomnia/cfs)

thank you babes, i was almost stratring to consider a g&t for breakfast

Not during take-off, but before and after. The actual take-off only lasts a couple of minutes, then there's the climbing to the right altitude. How about practising sitting in a chair and imagining those two minutes. Have a mantra to repeat to yourself and, yes, breathing techniques.

The kindle could help with the worst bit which will actually be the build up before you fly. It might help keep your anxiety at bay and, if nothing else, could help distract your thoughts.

Have a look on the airline website, they might also have tips. Keep posting here too. Do you give your anxiety a number out of 10? So 1 is low and 9 is high anxiety. Could you keep popping onto the bus with a number so that we can help distract and entertain you?

Not sure how entertaining I can be on a Monday morning, but willing to give it a go

thank you so much scary. i guess it is the climbing to cruise height, my brain does not actually understand how it is physically possible. i did have too much coffee on thursday, which didnt help.

Would like to help Joey but have never found a way to deal with flying. Did once have sedatives from the GP but that's not much use to you. I go into the brace position and stay there for the whole journey!!

Day 15 here. Went to my first counselling appointment on Thursday, was just an assessment but quite eye opening already. Have been 'prescribed' talking therapy once a week for an open-ended period. Thankfully it's a charity so I'm not going to go bankrupt!