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 :)

amazing mouse please don't feel you have to be the strong coping one all the time, sometimes it's okay to offload on an appropriate person (or, if necessary, the nearest person!)

Hope the rest of your day goes okay!

Oh boy, Isinde, you missed a whole heap! Started of as the threat of the slap round the face with an (un-named) fish if someone was being ditsy, then, for a brief moment, it was an octopus and then, when the octopus was to stressed to continue, we got Barry the squid! Do try and keep up, man!! Sigh! xx

*too

Annnnnnd - *off !!

Update on the fridge - I've had a reply to my 'your fridge freezer is shit and faulty' they are saying they won't replace it under their '10 day happy with it' policy because the item has been used. They will send an engineer out to have a look though.......

Can someone explain to me, how am I supposed to know if I like it or not before it has been used? Stupid fuckers have just started WWlll with me, or rather DH when he finds out. It's faulty anyway so they had better get suited and booted with their armour, they are so going to need it.

Thanks guys, it's the little things that get to me, and they build up so fast. I'm so fucked off at the moment. Fuckers.

Ah, that feels better.

Slaps indie with Barry the squid. Don't diss da squid dude!

Mouse you are so good at 'saying it how it is' :( I'm so sorry you're having a badtime and sorry i keep bobbing in and out. I must try to be better - I feel like a 'fairweather babe'. Stay away when i'm boozing and slobber back in when I'm suffering. It's selfish and unkind. Everyone is so supportive here. I have a monstercat on my legs right now and have no feeling in them...I swear the boy has grown! At this moment, I have just defeated a craving. Came so close to just putting the drink in the fridge to cool so I could 'treat myself' but got very stern with my alcoholic mind and reminded myself how I felt last weekend, anf thousands ofother weekends, and have had a nice glassof sparkling water instead. Still battling a bit but have a run scheduled with others tomorrow morning so must stay with it.

Thank you

Hi all

I'm just going to follow Mouse's lead and jump in with some musings if I may.

I have a glass next to me and I am going to drink it. It's cold and sweet and I've had a long hard day. I deserve it.

I once read about a woman who was addicted to cress. She would buy it by the punnet and tour all the shops so that she could stock up. She spent a lot of money on cress and tried to hide it from her friends and family. Finally, in desperation, she confessed to her gp. He, of course, diagnosed an iron deficiency.

The woman's body knew that it could get what it needed from cress, even if her mind didn't make the connection. All she knew was that she craved it and had to have it.

It was such a relief to find out that she wasn't addicted to cress, she just needed iron.

When I started controlled drinking I quickly realised that a massive amount of my cravings for alcohol were actually sugar cravings. The time when I most wanted to slug some wine was when I was hungry. My body knew that wine would give me that quick sugar boost even if my mind didn't make the connection.

Lots of us drink to blot out certain emotions, or pain or to self-medicate, I know. But I also think that a lot of us drink because we need sugar. This is one reason why we always recommend having something to eat when or before the cravings hit. Low blood sugar is a trigger for many of us. And when we cut out alcohol we recommend replacing that sugar.

It was quite a relief to realise I wasn't addicted to alcohol, I just needed sugar.

It's a simple tool. My drink is lime and soda. It's sweet and cold and I am going to drink it. I don't need alcohol. I don't want alcohol. I needed a sugar boost earlier and I've had that. Now I can just sit back, relax and enjoy my refreshing, non-alcoholic drink. I deserve it

Must just be me. Faire's post has left me feeling more pathetic and weak than ever. I've tried the substitute, sugar drink but, for me, it don't work. For me, it's not about sugar, I am addicted to alcohol. Once, I thought that cream meringues were going to be the death of me, I loved them! Then one day I ate 3 in one sitting (the big ones!). Can't look at a cream meringue now. Wish the same could be said of wine.

Yeah Purps the sugar is just one tool in our babe armoury . It won't work for everyone and it won't work on it's own but put it together with all the other strategies we share and the ton of support here, and we can do a pretty good job fighting the ww and all her cronies.

This is also why controlled drinking isn't for everyone and why ODAAT is the most powerful weapon because, addicted or not, we can all usually get through one day if we are really determined to x

emin it's always great to hear from you no matter why or when so keep posting whenever you you feel the need, your one of us!! faire loved that post, we all feel a need for wine it's just taking us a while to figure out why but figure it out we will, thanks for that thought provoking post. purple your posts are warm and amazing, there is much more to you than wine, we will figure it out together xxx

Hi babes, sorry not to name check, been trying to keep up with thread. Started new job on Monday & oh my, feeling hugely overwhelmed. Have felt the urge for a drink the last couple of nights but keep thinking of how I'll feel waking up through the night with a stinking headache or then feeling crap, anxious, shaky at new job so then think nope not worth it & have some cake from dd's B'day instead!
Sorry Witko think you asked me a couple of days ago about Allen Carr.
I was so so sick of drinking, dying for days, missing work. Anxious, depressed, putting on weight. Decided I would try to control my drinking which would go well for a short time then boom I'd get spectacularly drunk & the cycle would start again. Had an awful time at a wedding last year and went to my Gp after this and admitted I had a problem. Then went in works night out & stayed away from wine but then as the night went on thought I'd done well and so deserved a glass of wine then woke up hours later in a strange guys house and couldn't remember getting there. Then went to see alcohol counsellor. Some lovely babe on the bus recommended Allen Carr & I think I was so ready for it. Did dry January then dry lent & liked having a reason not to drink.
Think when I read Allen Carr I was in a place where I was so sick of the drunk/hungover/regret/shame cycle.
For me I feel it's worked but don't think it would have before it did...if that makes sense?
Anyway wishing you well and all other babes x

Morning babes.

Glad things are going well, clutter - hope the new job settles down soon!

purple - me too, I don't think it's sugar for me. Sometimes something sweet can stave off a craving, and I certainly know that if I'm tired and hungry I am less well prepared to fend of those wine witch thoughts, but it's not mainly about sugar for me. So don't feel alone!

I am back to day 1 after more than a week, but not too upset because I had a gin and tonic and stopped - the house is full of booze as we're having a housewarming at the weekend, but I am really pleased I got through the week and more, and I can and will do it again - and more. (I'll keep telling myself that! ).

Hope you're all having a good morning, and a big hug for mouse and nemo, who I hope is feeling a bit better.

Hi everyone I had the weirdest of dreams last night but I have woke up and it's like a light bulb has been switched in in my head. And I think the reasons drinking became a problem ie most night is because I made the mistake of getting married call this an excuse but we have a 2 year old and we don't do anything together don't really have much in commen there is no affection between us it's just stale if I work late in work i never drink only feel the need when I'm on early shifts or days off call it a coincident but there the times when I actually have to spend time with him. I do love him but something has gone and probably had gone before we married what am I going to do I feel like such I fool

clutter keep going on the new job front - it will get easier. I have found several times that in the first few weeks of a new job I've felt completely out of my depth, overwhelmed and unable to cope; yet it is amazing how 3 months in you can be taking some of those things in your stride, and by 6 months it feels as if you've been there for ever. And you're doing the best thing by not turning to a glass of wine to help you out.

eminim please don't feel guilty about being a fairweather traveller - better that you post here when you need help than the other way round (posting here when you're sober then slinking away quietly if you're drinking). But to all babes - post here whenever YOU feel you need it, good times or bad, needing a pat on the back or a kick up the bum, meandering past calmly or clinging on by your fingernails and screaming - here for all.

The thing that I like about HALT is not that any one of those is the answer but that addressing the combination of all of them seems to make a difference. So I get a craving, and I have something to eat (wee bowl of soup rather than something high sugar) and something to drink so I'm hydrated (another l&s fan here). Than I do something to deal with anger, irritation, frustration - like stomp around the garden or scribble furiously about how pissed off I am. Then I deal with the loneliness and try to speak to a friend on the phone, or send a big email, or go and buy a card fro someone. And then I deal with tiredness and try to find something relaxing - sitting on my bench with a mug of tea, or doing a sudoko, or having a bath and cutting my toenails. By the time I've done all of that the craving has passed and I can't be arsed with having a drink.

mouse I see that often when nemo is at pre-school you're getting on with the next part of the DLA form. Well that is a great way to use the time. It must be awful to see him upset, but you're using that time to do something constructive to get him another form of support too. How the hell would you find the time for the DLA form otherwise? and then if you didn't get that done, what then....? So instead of a destructive cycle you gradually building your way out of that. Go Mouse !!

Thisismytime so are you bored when you're on an early shift? or are you drinking to avoid something difficult and distressing in your relationship? are you both just tired? Is alcohol a substitute for an exciting / stimulating partnership? Not being nosy here, but trying to understand a little. And please don't feel like a fool, thinking about things, having some insight, and trying to do something about it is not the work of a foolish person.

I think I'm drinking to full a void maybe to feel good about my self maybe I don't know I just feel like i have woke up and I know ps didn't drink last night so my that's why it's become clear no conversation it's just boring sorry to waffle and be self pitying but wen we met we did things he made be laugh now it's like we married he can't be bothered he just says this is what married life is like. Is it? Maybe I'm just looking for some farytale ending when In fact there is no such thing x

mytime I totally relate to your post, day 6 here and I'm beginning to see that much of my drinking is down to loneliness, although I have dh here we are no longer close and never spend any time alone. I'm always busy with the girls and he does little with them but he works hard and supports us which I suspect he thinks us enough. There is no spark between us at the moment and the kids are 2 and 13 so we have little opportunity to be "together". The worse thing of all is that neither of us are actually trying, I even resent him for not trying it deep down I think
It suits him. Wine seemed to polyfilla the cracks but now they appear, ugly and deep and I wonder if it's too late x x x

Baby Jane I understand that loneliness it's like I'm a mum wife but where has me gone ! If u get me x ps I'm not being ungrateful I love my son dearly and I do love my husband but when I see friends and they talk about how "in love" they are I don't get it I don't have that maybe the alcohol has numbed my emotions for so long