The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Driving Through The Autumn Scenes, Searching For Our Sober Dreams.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse :) Welcome to the Bus, (aka Gerald ).

I'm one of the Brave Babes on board this fabulous Bus of travellers, all in search of their sobriety in one form or another.

We have those who drink in moderation, those who have a set pattern of days on and off the booze, and we have posters who have been sober for minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or years.

There are two lines that the Bus has painted down the side, one on each -

The Vulnerable Need Our Support, Not Our Judgement and Alcohol Fosters Inertia

So, if you think you're drinking too much or you're worried about another person, then come find a seat.

We get through our days chatting about all sorts of things, life is, after all, full of plenty of things to fuel our desire to drink, and we're all very different people

However, our common goal is sobriety. :)

The Last Thread

The Reason We're Here - The First Thread

I've lost 17 lbs in 32 days! I'm not low carbing, but I do think I have ulcer level stress. If anybody would like details on how I've done it, just read back a few threads!

Ma I love losing weight as it gives me something else to focus on, rather than just not drinking ifswim?

1lb a week is definitely doable.

I am suffering from the dreaded peri menopause. So I haven't had a period for 3 months (yay!) but these last ten days I have been having those awful pre-menstrual cramps, etc. which come to nothing. The downside is that I have water retention which means, no matter how much I diet, I don't lose weight.

I ^know that if I stick to it, the weight will come off eventually. But it is disheartening to try so hard and gain so little.

So, I am trying something new. I am adjusting my diet to have a little of what I fancy and mostly be sensible and healthy. Seems to be working ok so far...

Long term goals, long term gains.

I've lost 17 lbs in 32 days! I'm not low carbing, but I do think I have ulcer level stress. If anybody would like details on how I've done it, just read back a few threads!

If I have EVER seen a truly, from the heart, simple yet uber motivational post, and a reason to give up the vino collapso, it's that post, right up there ^ from Why!!

Well done YOU! I bet you feel fantastic, look amazing, I bet you can taste your food, smell it, want it, enjoy it, rather than be eating on a belly half filled with wine or even already filled. :)

You absolutely ROCK my lovely, absolutely feckin ROCK this thread!

I am going to remember that post for as long as I have breath in my little lungs xxx

Off to put Nemo to bed and then I'll be back to chat to you all. xxx

Hi to everyone! Not posted in a while but been popping in to see how your all doing! I have done 4weeks!! (takes a bow...!) that for me is unheard of since last yr and it feels so good to say it! Strange thing was once first couple of days were out the way the craving just went away and I haven't craved at all or missed it??! Weather might have been triggering who knows anyway lost weight and saved money:-) unfortunately I can relate to the teeth erosion Joey. I was only 19 and ate very healthily when my dentist asked if I drank a lot of fizzy drinks. I said no immediately as I was almost anorexic eating only tiny healthy meals and drinkin water apart from my evenings of vodka and coke! So I changed my answer to well yes.... So I know how it feels why can't they invent somethin to mend the enamel? At week 3 dp came home with 2bottles of wine which I'd been dreading happening (turns out because he wanted to get lucky I don't think he was purely sabotaging my attempts) and I managed to resist quite easily. Just need to keep it up now its so worth it! Like so many of u have said the lack of guilt and the time u save or rather don't waste is amazing:-) xx

Brilliant Mrs. Picklepants! I have to agree, again, about the lack of guilt and free time. Its great to start a new day without having to first sort out or deal with the previous night, be it cleaning up, a hangover, checking your phone or feeling guilty and an ebbing sense of failure.

I don't want to drink either, at all. But I don't take that for granted. So off to my AA meeting I go! One day at a time. Day 33 sober. My self-doubt is melting away and I feel my inner fighter emerge.

Day 1 tomorrow. Again.
indie are you out there?
Hope I didn't piss you off with my earlier post.

Yes I love the freedom of not drinking. The freedom of not forgetting where I had stashed my bottle and DH finding it. The freedom of dd not saying 'mum, you look funny'. The freedom of being on top of bills, washing, cleaning. I like normality.

The guilt, the shame, the anxiety, the paranoia, the shakes. The list could go on.

As someone said: 'if you went to Tesco and bought a steak pie, and it made you violently ill, would you go back tomorrow and buy another one?'

Hi all. Checking in from the other side of the world (isinde, I'm in Australia, thus the middle of the night posts) to say hi. Was on holiday last week and decided ahead of time that I wasn't going to try for 4 AF nights - maybe that's awful of me, but I was spending the week with in-laws and when you're stuck in a hotel room for a week there's only so many ways to decompress...well, that's my excuse, although I know it's crap.

Anyway, AF for the next 3 days now, DH is on board. I got my GMIL to teach me to knit while on holiday (cue MIL snarking about how funny it would be to see the career woman learn the knit...shut up, MIL) so as to have something to do with my hands in the evenings.

whydid how awful about the cancelled visits, I'm so very sorry to hear it. You're doing brilliantly, my dear.

Hello Babes
Just a quickie cos I like them. I also like lowering the tone.

I scraped through the week-end. Each time I think it's getting easier I hit another wall. However, I kept thinking about fair's post about the stubbed toe analogy. Thank you thank you thank you.... It really helped get through those moments of desperate desire to drink. And it really does pass.

hope you're all doing well.
xx

I've reported your posts, Massiveattack. Please feel free to start your own thread if you want to discuss AA. It is not appropriate on this thread.

I'm in AA in the United States and while AA might not be for everybody, perhaps this thread is not the best forum for your personalized agenda.

Smart Recovery seemed to me to be a hard sell on their expensive literature.

You say the whole "time" thing in AA is a bunch of crapola, yet mentioned 37 years sober. Seems to have worked for you well enough.

Nobody on this thread is pushing their own agenda. We are here to support one another, in very serious and difficult times. Some here dont drink at all others just want help to cut down.

So we have all noted your radio show, suggested websites and partially funded documentary.Thanks.

Now might I suggest you start supporting the people here and leave your agenda aside or, you know, piss off.

massive. I think you sound like a dry drunk.

Take a hike.

This is not a blog massive it is a support thread and we do not try to stop people from seeking support from any source. Please don't post on this thread, start your own.

Soc glad that helped you through a tricky patch and now it's behind you

What an inspiration you are! Your inner fighter? You mean there's more of this fighting spirit in you? Atta girl!

Morning all. Agree re above posters, have also reported your post massive for self promotion. you obviously feel strongly about your cause. No issue with that but this is not the place to promote it. As above suggest you start your own thread on mumsnet to discuss AA.

It is great to know about alternatives to AA, but this is a support board not a debate.

Morning babes, as per usual drank too much on Friday night but didn't waste the day on Saturday as I forced myself to work through the hangover.

Posted too soon ... I am now experiencing empty nest syndrome and the fact that I have been a single parent for the best part of 17 years, the feelings of loneliness are overwhelming at the minute. I do enjoy my own company but know that I need to find ways of interacting with people without the crutch of drink.

Just checking in.
Some positive stories over the weekend well done soc joey and everyone who managed to see off the WW
ma day 1 again for me too
Failed on day 3 this time. Still not going to dwell on the past.
Today I will not be drinking.

Had my rotten tooth extracted. Due to acid erosion from coffee, reflux, vomiting and ALCOHOL. Mainly alcohol (which leads to the other things)

Photos on my profile as a warning to others (graphic). I felt really shit afterwards, was convinced the dentist was judging me.

And before anyone asks, yes it bloody well hurts.

Afternoon, tis me, Mouse

I am very to see yet more AA bashing.

I too have reported Massive's post, for the same reasons that I did Consils

I will NOT allow any kind of bashing on this thread, whether it be AA, GPs, Alcohol Community Support Teams, independent groups who help others out in the local community center or whatever else - it's just not on

Go start your own thread in Health, AIBU or Chat and go for it, big time! Just leave our Bus alone, you are not being helpful, supportive and you are actually putting very vulnerable posters at risk of losing the one source of support they actually believe in!

On a light hearted note, I did my face pack! It was strangely satisfying peeling it off and the children were suitably disturbed

Afternoon all, just quickly checking in to say hi :)

Day 1 again and I suspect I will drink tonight. H has a bottle of wine and I really think I should not have it in the house. I've got it worked out to a fine art how much I can 'safely' drink and still function the next day, and for all i will just have a glass I'm getting back into the habit of daily drinking. Had just two af days last week. It sounds so stupid compared to what other people have to contend with but these cold, miserable days make me just want to curl up with a glass of red wine. I feel at a loss as to how to get out of this habit...

joey I had a tooth out about a year ago and until I read your post I didn't consider that it would be in any way alcohol related. Thinking about it in the past ten years, when my drinking has increased massively, I've had more fillings than ever before :(