The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Posters, Lurkers, Old Or New, Come Take A Seat, This Bus Is For YOU!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

A huge big welcome to the Brave Babes threads.

We're a varied group of posters, on this wonderfully supportive, non judgemental, gigantic Bus, and we are all heading in the same direction - towards Sobriety.

Some of us don't touch a drop of alcohol, some of us do. Some of us drink too much, openly admit it and are desperate to stop and some of us are trying to manage controlled drinking.

No matter what we're doing, we're just trying to do it One Day At A Time.

What ever you need, what ever your habit, chances are that there'll be another poster who is just like you or has been where you are now, already here, waiting to talk or just listen :)

Yes, some of us have been here for a longer time than others, some of us for just a few days but that's what makes this Bus so great imo, the variety of knowledge and understanding :)

This Bus has been whizzing along various roads now for almost four years thanks to the very desperate cry for help from THIS THREAD BY JWN

And if you'd like to read some of the other threads, maybe how we got to where we are today, then you can follow them back using the links RIGHT HERE

Hope to see you soon :)

curry you sound physically and mentally exhausted, you need to take some time out and recharge, you will need to be on the ball for the move. Could you and dh not get a wee cheap b&b night somewhere or just a wee run and some lunch. If not barricade yourself in the loo with a book and have a relaxing bath, it will all be worth it when your settled and in control of your own property. gugg I'm joining slimming world tonight, so let me know your progress and we can be " fab body buddies". purple where are you? we miss you and mouse hope all is well is Mouseville x x

Hugs Curry, you sound super stressed, be kind to yourself.
Guggs, well done on even trying the 5:2 diet, I did think about giving it a go, but hunger and me do not get on very well
Baby, I started yesterday with SW (online) so I will join you and Guggs in becoming "fab body buddies"

HI guys :)
Day two here so def no boing as yet.
Another of the reason I turn to drink is anxiety. Im visiting the docs later to see about different or a higher dosage of meds. Wish me luck.
ALIAS JOEY good idea the worry slot.
scottergirl well done to you on day six!
lonnika in awe of your 29 days wow.
I can go for several days without alcohol yet any social occasion I have to have something :( then this can start me off having tipples at home. This is one of the things I am fighting to changes babes.

curry glad to hear it's sorted on the house, but it's taken a while hasn't it? No wonder you feel wobbly. All that adrenaline racing around.

obrigada yeah let's try and help each along the way, I'f you come across any fab recipes let me know and I will do the same. I have noticed since having no wine I want to eat everything in site and I want be looking and feeling fabulous so SW seems to be a good healthy way of life and
The classes will get me out meeting new people so it's all good xxx

Hi all can I add self to the roll call
36 YR oLD Speech Therapist part- time
2 CHILDREN, one 16 yrold daughter, One four yr old daughter
Not married but ive with partner, relationship reaching the end, I want out, he doesnt! nightmare.
Has drank socially since late teens . Several embarrasing episodes after drink!
Became a home drinker one year ago, hate it! need to stop

Aw curry so sorry that things have been so incredibly hard.
2nd the idea that can you & your dh just escape for a nice lunch somewhere.
Faire, your pointers in the right direction for dealing with dd have been great, I printed them off for dh & he is going to try & behave more like the adult when dealing with teenage dd issues.
It is so great being signed off work but do feel guilty as new post but know I couldn't of went on getting more & more unwell.
I had to phone work this morning & discuss something, then had to phone & cancel visits then work colleague phoned to discuss something else. After this I felt exhausted & I wasn't even at work! I'm signed off until at least next Wednesday so going to try & relax. Then in the post got letter from dd's year head to say she missed school last Wednesday & so now go to deal with this...sigh! Always something isn't there.
Love to all babes xx

Hi Jango, there are a few of us with older children then big gap. It's exhausting isn't it!
X

Hi all long time lurker and on day six.

I just wanted opinions on diet and replacements really. I tend to follow a fairly low carb diet anyway and am a true believer in the theory that sugar (in all its forms i.e carbs) is the cause of the obesity epidemic over the last 30 or so years. Fat is actually very good for you but that a whole other story!

Since looking into giving up alcohol I have read loads and loads of research that says if you want to give up alcohol you should also switch to a low carb diet, avoid all sugary drinks and replacement sugars straightaway. This makes sense as alcohol is predominantly sugar and you are only going to keep craving it if you keep eating sugary foods and drinking sugary drinks. There is a huge amount of opinion that completely disagrees with AA who advocate eating sweets and replacing the sugar from alcohol. Interestingly I also went to a hypnotist who also gave me a Diet manual and said no refined carbs, no sweets, no sugary drinks and basically get onto a load carb diet ASAP.

This makes sense to me. I also saw a programme in January whereby a liver specialist was saying there is more liver damage in this country from obesity than alcohol which again makes sense - liver damage goes in stages doesn't it, first stage being a fatty liver caused by alcohol (sugar) or just sugar I.e. overly processed carbs which makes the liver and body store far too much excess body fat.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Personally I am not finding it as hard as when I am constantly eating carbs and drinking sugary drinks...my only vice is the slimline tonic in the evening but I might try and get rid of that as well and see if all my sugar cravings stop!

clutter it is exhausting, as you say there is always something...

Had another bad night, wondering if the insomnia is not drug side-effects after all. Have a strong suspicion that I may be menopausal, or peri-menoposaul whatever its called. Starting to get anxious about work on Thursday, I've done all my therapy and CBT but still stressing about it.

And then this morning found my car had a flat tyre! Thank God I had the day off work to look after DD (half-term) so it was back and forth to garage, in the pouring rain, and £60 for a new tyre.

DD bless her bought me a bar of chocolate with her pocket money and sang 'Always look on the bright side of life', but I could barely smile I am so tired and fed up... and yes I bought some wine (only a little, but even so...) so I can add guilty conscience to my negativity.

Why the F can't I sleep, has anyone heard of these 'Chillows' and do they work?

Amanda I agree with you, and think that having sweet stuff only perpetuates the cravings for alcohol. I'm eating a low carb diet at the moment and when I'm in the swing of it, the urge to dive into the white wine at 6pm goes away.

Have just had a weekend of booze and carbs, though, and am fighting the urge to drink this evening.

aliasjoey sound like me. I tend to buy only a small amount of wine one or two mini bottles and say its my little treat . Of course the guilt follow.. Think I try and justify it by saying oh its only three or four units!!
I also am starting to struggle to sleep awful as have never, ever had any problems in that area.

jango yes I get those mini-bottles too! It's the only way I can control how much I drink, because if there was more - I'd drink it all

However it is one of my rules that I only drink at weekends, and do not use alcohol as a stress reliever. Both of which I have failed on today....

Afternoon ALL, tis me, Mouse

Joey - you can get chilllows from Amazon a little cheaper but here's the website - Chillow Dame - swears by hers and I have one on order too so will be able to let you know every soon just how fab they are too :)

Back in a mo........... xx

purple are you reading? Even if you don't want to post, just to let you know we're thinking of you

Good afternoon all,

I haven't posted for a while, by the end of my day, it's been all I can do to raise my tea and go to bed! Still, half term this week :)

My Dad is recovering (pretty slowly) from the thrombosis, and Dc1 is still at home (2nd month) after busting his knee. It appears that there are more problems with Dc's knee's, he's only 22!, and so we are on the rounds of specialists, scans, etc. Luckily, as I think I've said he can work remotely, but it's hard psychologolically being out of the work loop for so long, I think.

Many is the evening that I've had a hankering to down a bottle and a half of crisp white, and have succumbed on occasion, so no medals here, I'm sad to say. I'm aided and abetted by my almost constant slight irritation with Dh for being an unfeeling ass not being very sensitive with the situation, (yup, can always find myself an excuse).

Anyway, I hope all is well with you lovelies, Greeneyed are you feeling any better this afternoon?, I haven't read through properly yet, but your post jumped out at me, shove over, or I'll pull your blanket off!

Much love to all
T xxxx

MRSMOUSE! xxxxx How lovely to see you. I'll be in touch xxxx

Good to see you Thurso - I was also beginning to wonder where and how you were, how your life was, how those you love were etc.... I always worry that if I ask, I'll get the smiley face that you wear when you know others have enough to deal with.

It's good you are back, it'll be great to see more of you if you get chance. Take good care until then, thank you for updating us about your family lovely xx

Jango - what else is worrying you other than the drink? Could you write a list of things that spin around your mind, keep a pen and paper handy? I have one next to the bed just incase!

Is something 'big' going on or do you think that the alcohol alone is enough to be disrupting you?

Clutter - teens are hard, and up against DH/P's are like WW3. You are a team and supposed to back one another up.......... my teen has just arrived for food so I shall return in a mo xxx

Clutter Sympathies about the (ahem) thrush, me too, ouch, ouch and triple ouch, cue lots of pointing and gesticulating at the Pharmacie today. My French is pretty good, but never had to ask for that before that?s why I hate taking anti-b?s. Sorry you?re not feeling too well at the moment. It sounds like a few days off will do you good.
Joey Yes, I luurrrve my ?chillow?. It seems to work for hot flushes and restless legs, as I think it just cools your blood down. I sleep so much better with it.
babyjane Well done you.
Curry So glad you?ve exchanged contracts, I hope things calm down enough for your stress levels to drop a bit.
Mouse Hi!
The thread is so busy, with new names and people popping in again. So sorry not to namecheck everyone, but HELLO to all babes old and new.
Purple Ok, long enough now lovely, where are you. Don't make me come over there!!!
Isinde Hmmm you too, are you just very busy?

Dame - I'll try Purps, sorry, I hadn't noticed she'd gone awol!! xx

Hello I'm just about to eat the bus....

An apology to everyone. I'm doing really badly on the alcohol front just now. I'm so much a person of 'two halves'. Doing good on the school hols, visits, fun front but doing totally crap on the abstaining front. Thank you Joey for your constant, lovely badgering. I'm being a shit member of a supportive thread. Every day I decide tomorrow will be Day 1, and, at the moment, I fail, every day. Thank you those that asked about me, sorry I'm just a failure just now. And, thank you Mouse for the kick up the bum to let people know how I was. xxxx

Day 12 and I know that I will never want either alcohol or sleeping pills again. But ive got bad non alcohol related health issue and im now convinced im dying. Feel awfully low between that and all the rest of the shit going on im finding things very difficult. But still not even vaguely tempted which is good thing.

Aw purps, don't be so hard on yourself lovely. Ok so your struggling with abstaining but your managing amazingly as mother to your 3 children. Give yourself a break & try to give yourself small targets so that you get a sense of achievement, then keep going.
Oh Ladame I found it awkward enough going into my pharmacy & asking one English speaking woman to another for the cream. I get so anxious, not sure I could of hand gestured the problem!!!! Well done you, I then went to Gp & got down pessaries (way too much info but has helped immensely!) also got prednisolone & doxycycline, that & l knowing I'm off is helping. Hope you feel better soon.
Faire used all your techniques with dd re not being at school last Wednesday afternoon. Turns out she was talking to a friend who is in care who was upset & missed 2 classes. This had been backed up by school. She is grounded until Saturday but I've said she can go to party in Saturday (I think this is fair)
Mouse, hope things ok with you all x
Green, sure we can find something nicer than the bus to eat. I heard scooter girl talking about mini chocolate brownies or something yummy earlier.
Huge well done to all babes today, sounds like there had been a lot of struggles xx

shifts up to make room in the sidecar for purple Hi you. I'm not doing so well either. It's hard to keep our heads above water over here without raiding our savings. My H's job depends on world economy which is not so good at the moment. We're ok, much better than some of you over there, but we get worried sometimes. I've got an aging MIL, keeping a dd in uni. Sometimes I think I'm stuck in groundhog day. Anyway enough about me. I'm glad to hear from you. Don't go awol again - you norty girl .