The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Wondering Where The Spring For Their Boing Is!

[Mouseface]

Hi I'm Mouse

One of the Brave Babes on the Bus, a Bus full of different posters, some who drink more than they'd like to and are trying to stop, some who don't drink at all now, and some who are somewhere in the middle. :)

There's no judging here, no finger pointing, no rejection, just pure, unconditional, (occasionally tough), love and empathy.

We all share stories of how we got here, to have our seat on the Bus, looking for our own personal sobriety, our own personal happiness. Sometimes we talk about other things too, you know, like cake, cheese and even day to day life, life that can lead us to breaking point......... lead us to hit rock bottom.

So, why not come say hi, take a seat, post, lurk, whatever suits you :)

This is our latest journey with a link to others

And this is the reason we're ALL here, the first ever thread

Hope to see you soon :)

LRD..I know how it feels, was there on sunday..i couldn't move and found that reading threads and posting on here and helped a bit with the anxiety and kept my mind occupied until day 2 when i actually managed to step out the door..
dementedma - in awe you are out running, my thoughts of exercise begin and end in my head, you have inspired me to get out for a walk today.
curry and greeneyed thanks for budging up bus for a newbie

Just to remind myself ..'i am not a normal drinker, i cannot control my drinking and once i start i cannot predict where it'll end up'

Need to sort out an aa mtg plan, know its not everyones cup of tea, and there are alternative support networks, but it has worked for me in past..(when ive worked it, as they say)

i want my boing back!
x

Hi all, good luck for today babyJ.
LRD agree with being kind to yourself, lots of water, carbs, a walk & tell yourself these feelings will pass.
Curry really feel your pain, our 3 cats got fleas 2 summers ago & it was awful, hated seeing my children with flea bites. Definitely landlords responsibility & environmental health.
Aw Mouse so so glad yesterday went well, hope you could relax during your hour off. Sending positive vibes that day 2 goes just as well
Wishing all babes well today x

Hi all,
Nice to hear from you all.

Sinamen, you sound very determined, well done.

thisismytime, hang in there. Hope day 2 pans out a bit better for you than so far, but don't forget you may just be getting a cold or something!

LRD, when you drink because your dh is out, is it because you don't like being alone (anxiety?) or because you kind of kick back and enjoy (over-enjoy) the time to yourself?

I dug out the audio book, the guided meditations that I mentioned a few weeks ago, for the train on the way home yesterday and it was great. It really sorted me out and I recommend it to anyone dealing with anxiety or anything like that which is often a component of over-drinking.

Thanks clutter for the sympathy about the fleas. Thank goodness my children are not being bitten. I don't know what I would do.

Thanks for the welcome.

fairenuff white wine is my drink of choice so I am cutting down by adding ice or lemonade. Plus not buying 3 bottles at a time!

I look like crap, I feel like crap but I'm positive about the future for the first time in ages.

I'm reading and getting to 'know' you all. Have a good day.

Morning babes

Hello LRD, be kind to yourself today, the anxiety is vile, I was there only a few days ago but am finally shaking off that awful feeling of panic. You'll get there, I've been saying to myself "I'm sober and safe today" and that is helping me overcome any negative feelings, as well as reminding myself why I need to do this.

Good luck with cutting down TakingSteps, keep hold of that feeling positive, it's a great start, well done

Well I'm still feeling guff, but not as bad as yesterday so that's got to be progress. I've come out in some right monster zits which must be all the crap working its way out of my system and have a grey look about me but know my boing and sparkle can't be far away, so will just keep on keeping on.

Waves to all the other babes on the bus

just checking in. god it feels good to wake up without a hangover
problem is, the nice morning feeling will have passed into the wine witch territory by tonight again. I suppose thats why its ODAAT

Just checking in. Day 1 again. Am still struggling with "mum" issues. Thankfully, my sister is going through the same thing and we're helping each other. I don't mean thankfully my sister's going through it, but thankfully, I'm not alone.

Anyway, got to get my sensible head on and not my blank it all out head on.....

Welcome new babes!

Yep ODAAT time Ma, that's the trap I usually fall in to, have a few days off, start to feel good and then my flawed logic takes over and I end up right back where I started. But I keep reading back to my post on Sunday and remind myself why I musn't fall in the trap again.

Hello to all new babes. I am an infrequent poster, long-term lurker. I have cut down my alcohol consumption significantly over the past three or four years and am working on getting it down even further with a long term goal of either giving up completely or drinking a very small amount on special occasions.

I still forget all my good intentions and drink a whole bottle of wine far too frequently, though (probably a couple of times a month)! So I fully understand the frustrations of being a problem drinker.

Some tricks which have helped me cut down:

1. Start with having two nights a week when you are NOT ALLOWED ANY ALCOHOL AT ALL. No ifs, no buts, no maybes.

1. Really explore the soft drinks section at the supermarket. Make sure you have a wide variety of different things at home, plenty of ice in the freezer, fizzy water, lemons, limes or oranges to serve with. (Cranberry juice with a slice of orange, ice and a top up of sparkling water is lovely).

1. When you do drink, make it an absolute rule that you are not allowed any alcohol without also having a large glass of water alongside. Quite simple: no drink without a large glass of water equally within reach.

1. For me, personally, I started drinking too early in the evening because I habitually poured a glass of wine while preparing dinner. So now, where possible, I prepare most of dinner even earlier in the day (like say 4pm) when I don't have the wine witch on my shoulder.

1. I eat my dinner earlier. As soon as I eat I lose the urge to stop drinking.

Anyway, these are just small habits that have helped me and I hope that may be of some use to some of you too .

babyjane, hope the MRI goes well - do they tell you on the day or will you have a wait to find out?

sina - yes, reading plenty helps. I ought to order some books actually, I read a shitload last time I was on here long-term.

curry - TBH, I drink when DH is out because I'm an alcoholic. Basically. I end up thinking 'ooh, lovely, a nice long day to get quietly pissed in'. Pretty crap, but I can say that on here because I think some people probably get what I mean.

I need to plan lots of things to make sure I don't do this, but I am not terribly good at it. Even when I was sober, if I'm depressed I do that stupid thing of not wanting to leave the house (really selling myself, I know, I just reckon I need to get my mind around why all of this is and at least to admit what the triggers are. So I'm not going to make out that if I just made more coffee dates with friends I'd magically stop drinking.)

takingsteps - I like your name. Alright if I pull up a seat and bask in some reflected positivity?

hooty - that must feel brilliant. You're right, that 'I'm sober and safe' feeling is amazing.

ma - yeah, I know what you mean. ODAAT.

lemony - hope you're ok.

Hope everyone is set onto a good afternoon. mouse, how's nemo settling into school? I was catching up on this thread earlier and seeing how much you're both going through with it, but sounds as if you're being wonderful as ever.

Hello, I posted yesterday as PhonyYoni, am doing lots of namechanges lately but must remember to check in here.

Day 2. Feel shit. But that is to be expected. I have a fat lip which hurts to buggery, and a scabby elbow from where I fell up the stairs/out of bed I assume.

I need to get over this hump and get back to feeling as epic as I did in Jan/feb, and then keep remembering how shit this bit feels so I don't get lulled back in.

those are great tips minty

I really don't like soft drinks (except water) but am now having more tea and herbal tea. Even hot chocolate in the early days.

Hi, just met 2 really good friends for lunch, we would in the past normally have met in a pub, or one of our houses and 2 of us would have drank lot's of wine. One of my good friends is not a big drinker and I've always wondered how she can have a good time without drinking.

Was talking to her today about not drinking and my other friend said she's thinking of knocking it on the head for a bit as she's been drinking alot and spent a lot of money on her last night out and didn't feel tipsy. It's funny as I was wondering how it will be with me not drinking but it seems more and more people are fed up with alcohol....great for me!!

I feel like by not drinking it's not huge boing, boing all the time with amazing feelings. I'm still tired in the morning, my children are still challenging but I can cope with it. Things feel settled, calm, problems don't feel like they are drowning me.

Since i read the Allen Carr book, it's helped me to see that I don't have to think ODAAT as it's not consuming my every thought and It's helped me to see that I can still have a nice time without alcohol. It's not crazy, mental night that ends God knows where with me being embarrassed for what I can remember and dreading what I can't. It's a nice time catching up with people, saying what I want to say and waking up feeling fine the next day. Would definitely reccommend Allen Carr if anyone out there is so fed up of the drunk/hungover/shame cycle and feeling stuck.

I totally agree clutter. Before I read acarr I hadnt had an alcohol free night in many years. It made me think of it in a different way. Not feeling deprived of alcohol but glad to not have to drink it instead. I still have lapses (and still have sore ear for last month) but acarr made big difference.

Just linking this again for new babes. You are all worth it, Don't let alcohol dim your light :)

Mostly this week I will be gardening in the evening to keep the WW at bay.

Gardening is food for the soul. There is nothing else which absorbs me so entirely and stops the merrygoround of thoughts in my head. :)

Green, I love that video so much. I watched it when you posted it in January with most awful hangover after sitting in my neighbours til 6am drinking wine. Watched it with tears streaming down my face and thought, enough, enough of this cycle and think of this girl often when invited somewhere that everyones going to be drinking at.

It is just so true, life is too short and alcohol for me is a huge depressant x

I also love the video and think of it often Greeneyed . Last time I watched it I got absorbed in looking at other "getting sober" vids on YouTube and one was a youngish-looking guy (maybe 30s) who was so ill before he was hospitalised that he had blood seeping out of his pores as he slept - internal haemorraging - thoughts of what he went through to get to that point keep me more or less on the straight and narrow.

God minty that definitely sounds sobering!

Thanks greeneyed just watched clip, very inspiring...the woman seems so naturally lit up from within and her smile connects between her eyes and mouth...good advertisement for sobriety.

minty i have met a few people over the years who have died of alcoholism / addiction and your right it is a sad and tragic way to go, neither for the individuals or their loved ones.

So, at the moment i am reminding myself where alcohol can take me but looking forward in the hope that there is a sober life out there for me and i will be restored physically, mentally and spiritually..

Got my list of meetings today, now need to work round childcare..holymoly im a single SAHM, no family nearby and newish to the area...prob why i sound so desperate to get myself on track!

Day 1 and 2Found mashed boiled eggs in a cup with butter and a bit of salt (nursery food!) good

x

clutter you sound really positive and happy! So pleased for you

Thanks Alias. Had a horrible WW moment earlier. Start new job next Monday & going to team meeting tomorrow. Had a complete panic that not sure I'm doing the right thing. For the first time in weeks really craved a glass of wine.
It's passed now but God that was horrible & just got me unawares

She just sneaks up on you, doesn't she? Well done for resisting.

I'm not doing too badly. Finding it gets easier to stick to the habit of not drinking during the week. And by the time the weekend rolls around, the cravings have subsided. Still very confused and anxious about my mental health, and wondering if I should go back to the GPs again (the 8th time in less than a year?! they must be thrilled to see me) It's really doing my head in, the anxiety and insomnia.

mouse how did you get on today?

babyj I missed that you were going for an MRI, how did it go?

lemony so good that you and your sister have each other, much more supportive than an empty bottle of wine and a hangover eh?