The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Spicing Up The Winter Nights With Rich Hot Chocolate And Thermal Tights!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

I'm one of the Brave Babes travelling on this fantabulous Bus, on it's journey to the wonderful world of sobriety.

The great thing is, that the people on here are a real mixed bunch. Some are drinking regularly, some aren't. Some are sober and have been for any number of days, some weeks, months and yep, some even for years.

There's no judging pants allowed, no savoury flans either , just lots of unconditional support from many varied sources. Yes, some of us have been here from the start but please don't let that stop you posting, this thread is for EVERYONE and it always has been

If you'd like to have a look back, here are some links. One to the previous thread and one to the very first, and the reason we are all still here.

See you soon,

Mouse xx

PREVIOUS THREAD

FIRST EVER THREAD

Thank you for replies, not drank since Sunday night!! Feel ok although I feel like there is an odd odour around me despite showering
Bought some vitamin b12 and drinking lots and going to bed early.
Had thought I would give up drinking during the week and stick to just fri and sat but I now feel like I want to try for at least a week alcohol free.....mmm we will see thanks for listening and I will read all replies thoroughly later but have to dash this morning

Well done Winey, can you go for it and keep alcohol free over the weekend to reep the benefits of your efforts this week? It will help to make a decision early as opposed to wrestling it all day x

I will not drink today, morning babes xxxx

kotinka you okay love?

kotinka where are you (shouts loudly) xxx

Morning everyone.

Winey, I smelled a bit funny for a few days when I stopped. Also, when I lapsed a while back and had a bottle one night, I sweated like a pig the next two nights. Reinforces to me just what an invasive substance alcohol is - changing body chemistry, metabolism, brain function... Actually, I was chatting to an old hippy in a davy crockett hat the other day who said he'd given up booze about ten years ago. He still had a couple of crashing benders a year, but would never never never go back to regular drinking, even if it was just a glass a night.

He said he'd had it explained to him as his body normally constantly checks its own chemistry and manufactures the bits you're low on. Alcohol takes up space on your feel-good receptors, so when your body checks it thinks 'ah! all ok here, no need to make any feel-good chemistry, shut that bit down'. So then the alcohol wears off, but your body isn't producing anything to replace it at that point. So you feel a bit shit, flat and depressed. If you carry on drinking, you fix it by shoving false feel-good chemistry into your body and you never start up producing your own properly again. Up and down, and up and down, and up and down...

Whereas, if you stop, your own chemistry picks up the slack again, and you have a steady supply of feel-good chemistry.

Apologies for the imbecile terms used there , but I don't know enough about hormone production and neurotransmitters to translate his explanation into genuine scientific explanation.

leucan that makes a lot of sense x x x

How are you Baby, doing well?

Winey the strange smell could be alcohol working it's way out through your pores but I'm sure that will stop soon. Does anyone agree with this statement about what makes an alcoholic? It's not about how much you drink, it's HOW you drink It's certainly true for me, my weekly units are often within the guidelines but it's the way I drink that scares the shit out of me and makes it plain that I'm not (and never will be) a normal drinker.

I've just been writing in my journal about my relationship with alcohol (very therapeutic as Venus suggests) and did a little diagram of the never-ending cycle I seem to be caught up in which goes: abstinence (from a couple of weeks to 6 months/attempt at controlled drinking (2-3 weeks)/relapse into binge-drinking (up to a month then accept I can't go on like this)/rinse and repeat.....

How lovely to be just permanently sober and have good mental and physical health, healthy relationships, contentment and just basically a better life. Is it finally sinking in? How are you Kot, I love your posts so don't forget we're here for you. Hope today goes well for you Baby and thanks Leucan for your non-scientific explanation of how alcohol depletes us of brain chemicals - made total sense to me!

I feel great, I'm off to get my hair done and had a great night sleep, thank you leucan happy day x x x

Hello Brave Babes, it's me, Mia, in my festive guise.

Still here, still reading, still drinking more than I should.

What's that old royal mail tagline... I saw this and thought of you. Anyway I read this just now and thought
'Now there's a film that we should have a special screening of on Gerald!'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20525144

Can we rig up a projection screen at the front of the bus? Joey could be in charge of snacks again?

Merry (yet sober) Christmas to you all.

Hi mia.

soba - I agree completely. It's not how much you drink, it's how you drink.

With the qualification that you cannot reverse this and say 'it doesn't matter how much I drink because I'm drinking it a naice way, with a lovely sparkly wine glass and people around me and it's festive'. That sort of logic is my downfall.

purple how Are you feeling today? X x

Hello all lovely babes - sorry me me me post coming up. I WILL be drinking tonight and it fills me with excitement and apprehension and dread. I am going on a big night out with some old friends, we catch up a few times a year. Last time we went out was the day before I got on the bus and that day I decided I wouldn't be attending this evening on account of previous nights behaviour. Well time has passed the cringing has passed, not only am I going I plan on drinking. I do not want to lose control, blackout, behave inappropriately etc etc. I do want to dance and laugh and get drunk with friends - plan is to not drink before I get there (no cracking open a bottle before I get there) stay clear of wine (this will be really hard) and stick to vodka and coke or something with less units _ as I'm typing this I'm thinking who am I kidding...

I'm hiding - in shame, Baby , as well as cyber stalking the Tasty Farmer, now I have his surname too! Note to self - Don't diss the church/religion - his mother is a church warden! His parents seem to be well established stalwarts of the parish. Eeeek!

I've got a friend (and her DC) coming over later then, after food, off to the pub to see/listen to some live music followed by a sleep-over. Have loads to do to get ready but can't be bothered at the mo'.

My sober re-launch will be tomorrow. I'm really cross with myself for having had a week 'off' but, surprisingly, I don't feel nearly as lonely, helpless or hopeless as last time. My sleep last week has been atrocious and I'm feeling really lethargic. I think I have to go a bit easier on the diet side of things - think that's what contributed to me 'tripping up' last week.

The 'qualification' for needing to control alcohol intake, as my doctor put it, is = "If your drinking is causing you problems, you are a problem drinker". It matters not how much you have, or when or why - if you are worrying about it, it's a problem. Drinking is subjective. A True Story. I was walking in a large town centre at about 10am. There was a bench full of chaps who all had Tennents Extra in their hands. As I walked by, they shouted, "Hey, you're too gorgeous to look so sad!". I had been deep in thought about the differences between me and them. There was no real difference - my problem is just better hidden. I was in the same 'club'. I gave them a huge grin and shouted "Morning!". There for the grace of some sort of 'higher being' go I!

Sending everyone a huge hug and hoping for a little support for my renewed efforts tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I have actually learnt something over these past few weeks? xxxxxxxxxx

Hi Green so, that's you and me drinking tonight - hoping against hope we don't do what we've done in the past!!? Good luck, Lovely! I'll be thinking of you. xxxxxxx

Hi babes can i get back on the bus?

Have been rubbish, been drinking every day for a few weeks,didn't make it to AA- that's a call that still needs to happen.

Day 1, again

I'm afraid I haven't been lurking so I haven't read any posts for a bit, sorry if i've just jumped into a conversation.

No apology needed Gugg and of course you can get back on the bus! Good luck for day 1, Sweetie!! xxxxxxx

Boing! Just passing through having been blown away by another amazing thread here. Just wanted to wish all babes a safe and Happy Christmas and of course little Nemo.

I related to this, it seemed so practical and matter of fact. For me when I was drinking I never ever wanted to be lectured or told what to do, sent me into inner child 'I'll show you' mode, just needed to understand this most complicated of afflictions or faults as I constantly was reminded.

Abstainer: ?It would be much easier for me to eat no sweets than to eat a few sweets?Samuel Johnson had supplied me with this insight into my own nature. When offered wine, Johnson declined, explaining, ?Abstinence is as easy to me, as temperance would be difficult.? That?s me! I?d realized. Johnson and I were ?abstainers? who found it much easier to abstain than to indulge moderately. I?m not tempted by things I?ve decided are off-limits, but once I?ve started something, I have trouble stopping. If I never do something, it requires no self-control for me; if I do something sometimes, it requires enormous self-control.? ?from Happier at Home

Moderator: ??Moderators,? by contrast, do better when they act with moderation, because they feel trapped and rebellious at the thought of ?never? getting or doing something. Occasional indulgence heightens their pleasure and strengthens their resolve.? ?from Happier At Home

It's my birthday on Sunday, ds home from Uni and Christmas to look forward to, Beloved, family log fires and chocolate, not necessarily in that order!

Stay safe. xx

Ta purple,
I'm on the cranberry juice tonight. Your post was very positive and cheerful. Hope you only have a small drink tonight and feel ready to start again tomorrow.

Interesting definitions bird

Good luck everyone. Be safe it's a jungle out there x x x

Hey all. Sending you all resolve and wisdom. Remember HALT and keep posting. Can I have some blue light and handholding please? I thought my tooth trauma/ blocked salivary gland/ unable to eat trials would be resolved today, but it'll now be after Christmas.

I wanna hold your haaaaand, I wanna hold your haaaaaand, big hugs and super karma firing your way help. X x

Well I gave in because its Friday and its wine and an Indian night!! In reality dh on phone to friend I drank bottle of wine and food coming in an hour, Insteaf of drinking more I am in bed and said I will eat food for lunch tomorrow....

Don't worry winey we have all been there, done the same on wed night, not a catastrophe just a blip, tomorrow is another day, goodnight my lovely babes, xxxxx