The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Off To Find The Summer Sun and Sobriety!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse :)

Welcome to the Bus, take a seat and enjoy the ride. We're a Bus full of drinkers, non-drinkers, those who are trying to give up for life, those who are giving up for a few hours because that's all that they can manage (which is fine!) or quitting just for today......

We don't wear Judgey Pants (they're far too last year darhling ) but we have hugs a plenty and tough love when it's needed. Which isn't often!

So, what have you got to lose? If you're reading this, you're thinking that you are no longer happy with the way you drink, which tells me that this is the Bus for you. :)

If you'd like to see where we've been so far and what we've been up to, take a peek HERE

And if you want to knnow why we're here in the first place, take a look at THIS THREAD RIGHT HERE :)

See you soon x

So hello! I'm a lurker who has decided to jump on board the bus. I need to stop drinking. I have drunk too much for too long. I feel stupid and weak. I have a family, 2 children, full time job and on the outside my life is not affected. No one apart from my dh knows. He drinks too, and again more than is healthy but not affecting his work or outside life. Maybe if it did we would change . We can go AF but can't keep it up long term. If he has beer I have wine. We have both had difficult times in our past. Our youngest has special needs. But we should count our blessings and sort ourselves out. I don't know what I'm trying to say but my fear is that I have damaged myself and will get ill. Let down my kids and family. I can bloody well do this, can't I?

True, faire. Ok, the horse is Reginald. He sometimes travels in a trailer behind Gerald so he can catch up quickly for those of us who need to make an emergency visit to the bus.

mouse that's brilliant. Well done both of you for today and how far you've come :)

isinde now that is my kind of guilty pleasure! faire i'll be in the gang though I can't do much at the moment, hopefully the physio will sort me out.

omg come talk to us tomorrow you need a plan. X

Fairenuff I'm in for the healthy eating/more exercise lark. I'm back to cycling to work today and will try and get on with the healthy eating tomorrow ... massive fail today as have had a slice of cake, a coffee cupcake and a magnum infinity.......

Blue - two years ago I could have written your post .. I'm new to the bus but not new to the wine witch. One day I'll bore you all with my story. Anyway I just wanted to say that it is possible to cut down/cut it out.

There are lots of lovely ladies with some very good advice on here. I wish I'd found this group two years ago x

Hi MumMoselle re "I feel stupid and weak" - totally know what you are feeling. I waver between, 'this is expectable given the work+home pressure and the way things were when I was a little girl', and 'for God's sake get a grip you are such a stupid idiot'. I am different to you in that my DH hardly drinks at all. I guess each situation has its challenges - I feel particulary pathetic in comparison to his abstemious healthy lifestyle (though he just goes really withdrawn when the pressure is on which is not much fun for me and the kids)

Louiseaaa - really possible??

blue yes life is hard but sedating ourselves every night stops us from taking actions that might actually make it easier. As curry once said, alcohol fosters inertia. Nothing changes, nothing gets better, the edge just becomes blurry and we are pacified.

Try having a few days AF and see how you feel. I find that after a few days ( and you need to give it a good few) my mood is less low, i am more patient and less aggravated by the small stuff. So whilst it's all still happening it irritates me less.

Conversely the big stuff can seem bigger when you are not cushioned from it in a booze haze but for me personally that is giving me motivation to change things as opposed to just accepting the grind.

If you need some motivation i'll try to link tomorrow to some health stuff, that's really got me thinking.

Welcome Moselle.here is your ticket.take a seat in the bus or the sidecar. No-one will judge you here. mouse will be along with the breakfast trolley in the morning and you can introduce yourself to the other babes, or just sit quietly resting your head against the cool window. I think silver is driving at the moment. Some of us ride in the sidecar, some the bus, and a few on the roof rack of regulated drinking. We have a spirit dog, a pet squid and apparently a horse called Reggie has just been added to the menagerie.
Don't be put off by the nonsense - we are all here because we have problems with alcohol abuse. We know how serious, how gut wrenchingly serious it is. How hard it is. How should destroying it is.
We are here for you

Thanks greeneyed. Will look tomorrow.
Bit sad.
Will check in in the morning.

Maybe Reggie picks up those babes who fall off the bus and don't post for a while. He can come galloping up with them and help them to catch up with the bus?

Hi to Blue and Moselle, stick with us, keep posting and you will pick up all kinds of helpful stuff.

Cheers Faire might just join you guys. I need to lose a stone easy!, hmm exercise might push the swimming. As for no drinking on day 1 - thats doable.. its just the following days that will prove difficult.

Welcome mum yes you can :)

Whilst pretty scary what we are doing to our bodies and the risks, for the most part the damage can be reversed. One of the worst things about this drinking lark is the anxiety and guilt about health. One if the best things about not drinking i that it goes away. It's great to wake up in the morning without those worries and guilt x

Thank you, all of you, off to bed soon. Early start to label the kids uniform that I should have done before now. Must write a list. :(

Ha ha wine witch I have defeated you again tonight, but only just!

Moselle, what a brave first post. I have a dd with SEN. I too feel/ have felt stupid and weak for a very long time.

My dd lost her dad 3 years ago and I'm her only parent. What does that make me? Damaging myself and becoming ill is my big fear too.

I'll come back and read tomorrow, love to all babes.

I like that faire.

Hi moselle.

jango do you care about the following days? I don't.

This healthy eating/more exercise lark is designed to lose 1lb a week - 7lbs, or half a stone. One day at a time.

That's it. We are starting on Wednesday. Forget about Thursday, we have 24 hours to get through. Starting at 8.00am tomorrow.

So now I'm off to bed and looking forward to the challenge.

Night babes, sleep well and, Isinde, keep that cheese away from me

Count me in 'Faire' and 'Purple':)

Morning all x

Starting today as I mean to go on - scrambled eggs - hopefully to keep me going till lunchtime.

Blue - yes it so is possible to stop drinking - one day at a time, just worry about today and what today brings, because the only time you are drinking/abstaining is now! That's how I did it - one minute at a time. My head feels so much clearer now. Alcohol was my antidepressant of choice - enabling me to "check out" of my feelings, there were two problems with this - it actually depresses you anyway and it blocks all feelings - including any good ones, it removes you from life - not just the bad bits of life.

Anyway I've got to get the house up and at'em see you all on the other side of the day.

OMG. 'Alcohol fosters inertia' that is exactly it. That comment has neatly encapsulated the last 5 years for me.

Welcome again Blue and MUmMoselle.

Well done to everyone who defeated the ww and well done Mouse I have lurked and followed your and Nemo's story for years. He looks such a gorgeous little darling.

Well, yes I had my spritzer and was defiant about it. Before bed I poured a small rum, looked at it and then threw it away. Last night was the only night I did not wake up in the early hours shaking with fear and anxiety.

Today is Day 1. I LOVE how I feel this morning, despite the spritzer. Do you mean I could feel like this everyday?

LRD love the introduction of Reginald.

Thanks BraveBabes. I feel honoured to be on the bus with you all.

Do you mean I could feel like this everyday?

Yep, well a lot more of them anyway

Right back to work, took my starting weight this morning (but not going to share, so there)

This time next week I will be 1lb lighter. One day at a time.

See y'all later x

Hi all
Thanks for the advice and comments Green:
I find that after a few days ( and you need to give it a good few) my mood is less low, i am more patient and less aggravated by the small stuff. So whilst it's all still happening it irritates me less. Conversely the big stuff can seem bigger when you are not cushioned from it in a booze haze but for me personally that is giving me motivation to change things as opposed to just accepting the grind.
Going to do AF just today, have ordered some relatively trashy books from ubiquitous Amazon so as to have an evening treat. And am cycling the 5 miles to work, so I am trying to join the healthy babes too.
Will check in after work, which I am surprised to find (after low mood yesterday) that I am looking forward to.
DS the youngest has gone to school, DS the oldest off with buddies for his last day before Secondary school.
moselle - I am hoping it is normal to be doing school uniform labelling at the very last minute - that's part of my evening today - maybe sitting outside while boys have their swimming lesson.....

Well done babes! Blue here is the site I was talking about - gives some really good info on affects of alcohol - try the quizzes.

www.drinksafely.info/Drinkulator/

Another one here sewing labels at breakfast!

faire i am losing weight really slowly, averaging a pound a week, I'm being strict with my diet and have been doing tons of training. It's going down though and that's the main thing.

Morning babes, drank wine last night and feel shitty this morning. Not hungover, just low mood really.