The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Walking In A Winter Sober Land!

[Mouseface]

Hello Brave Babes, I'm Mouse :)

Welcome to the 'Bus Of Fun' (now you've come of age!)

This is a thread for those who want to give up drink completely, or are maybe thinking about doing controlled drinking, or cutting down slowly, with a view to quitting or not... it's up to you.

You know your limits, you know what is required, it's in your hands. And only you can make it happen.

Whatever your goal, you'll find support here. Always.

There will be talk of drinking and those who fall off the Bus (arse over tit) will post about it, so if that is going to jeopardise your chances of complete sobriety, then maybe the DRY thread would suit you better, as they are complete abstainers. :)

That said, this Bus is happy to have you no matter what, as long as you can cope with chat of drinking, nights out/in, failures, cyclical drinkers, etc......

Everyone has always been welcome here and shall remain to be.

No-one is ever turned away. EVER.

There are no hard and fast rules, other than the support here is unconditional, it may be in the form of tough love at times, but it's always meant with the very best of intentions.

There are two sayings that we like here -

1. • The Vulnerable Need Our Support, Not Our Judgement
2. • Alcohol Fosters Inertia

The rest kind of happens as the posts appear.

I hope that's okay with you all.

You'll find the last thread HERE, THAT WILL LEAD TO THREADS BEFORE IT, SOME HISTORY

And the original and real, truly heartfelt reason that we are here in the first place is HERE. A VERY SOBERING READ

The Bus may be 'mythical', but the support is real, honest and will help you to achieve what it is that you seek, as long as you are honest with us, but mostly, YOURSELF

See you soon. x

Morning Babes

I've never calorie-counted in my life but I have some gorgeous new dresses to squeeze into. I do find it strange that focussing on whether or not I can have a satsuma or a bar of chocolate; working out how fast I walked the dog etc. really takes my mind off alcohol.

Morning babes

Ds is being amazing (going to say that quickly before the good behaviour wears off) so I can do a mini NC.

Hi there casa good luck with day 1- lots of hand holding available here.

It's well done. That drinking diary look very familiar to me..I always used a tiny glass and kept refilling it so that I couldn't work out how much I drank. Oe of the prompts to stop drinking was working out how much I really got through. Denial? me? ahem. Think about having a treat- good coffee? new top? nails? couple of good books? You have saved a few quid already.

Big wave and some of ma's opal fruits thrown to joey and isinde x

noodle welcome. This is a non judgemental bus- I've fallen in gutters in the past never mind falling off dry jan. Good to see you.

Thanks Isin

Hi noodles, try not to be hard on yourself (hugs) if it makes things easier, start again properly on a new fresh week so you know where you are.....but do what you feel is best, obviously.

The weekend is going to be my biggest hurdle yet, but trying desperately not to think about it.

Thanks guggen I was totally delusional about how much I was drinking, and that diary made me realise just how much. I am/was so ashamed.. but its great to see what I'm NOT drinking now. A big boost to my resolve.

I'm off shopping in a short while, and I think I will treat myself to a ma-hoosive bar of chocolate. There, thats gone on the shopping list now

Morning babes,

Soc how lovely for you to be going to the beach I do hope you don't get sand in your sandwiches!

Welcome purple (there is a very lovely purple here already so you may become a smurfette!) and noodle

itsthe your drinking diary rang some bells here too.

Waves to isinde, joey, sweet and guggs. Good luck for today casa.
Thinking of you too Spanna

Day 5 after major breakdown on fri been prescribed citalopram but not sure if to take them took one yesterday and felt weird also not sure if the drinking was causing the depression or visa versa any suggestions or experiences of this ?

Thanks Guggen...forgot to mention I have been in a permanent haze for as long as I can remember! Jan was supposed to be new start.
Itsthe.... Thanks. I will/have to pick myself up again tomorrow....I have 3 hours to get myself together...xx

morning all
not sure why but feel that tonight will be difficult its prob because I will
be alone at home tonight without any distractions and will be bored.
There is a possibility that I may have to drive tonight so that will help.
I need to find not only a distraction for tonight but find something that I actually want to do.
On the plus side I have ordered a new swimming costume to motivate me to use my gym membership. Have agreed with DH if I havent used it within the next week that I will cancel it.
I used to really enjoy going .....wtf happened
Positive vibes to everyone

Btw this is a really lovely forum....do you guys ever get together? X

Quick update from mouse. On way to hospital with nemo for spine and kidney scans. She is worried and needs positive vibes. Someone drive, rest of you buckle up. We are on our wy to Manchester children's hospital!

positive vibes to mouse and nemo hope its reassuring news.

I have been meaning to post something which made me laugh the other night.
I have a workinghyperactive collie who is impossible to tire out.
She has been getting better quality walks and lots of agility training this week cos I have more energy and am not hungover
The other night I could hear her making this strange noise which I had never heard before and was worried until I worked out that she was snoring
I eventually had to waken her up to put her to bed......never happened before !!
The effects of not drinking are really far reaching arent they

sober love it, noodles lovely to have you with us and don't be too hard on yourself, every slip teaches us a little bit more about how to succeed, stay close and let these lovely babes help you.thisis i have often asked myself the same question, I am currently on venlaflaxine and when I have managed to stop drinking for a few weeks my mood has improved tenfold!!! The citalapram will only work effectively if you manage to cut out the alcohol and believe me the benefits will kick in quite quickly. I think one balances out the other IFSWIM. I'm on day 6 and feel better inside my head than I have in a long time xxx

Thinking of Mouse and Nemo and sending positive thoughts.

sober love to hear how your collie is reaping the rewards!

baby glad to hear you feel better mentally. I am certain the drinking ramps up my anxiety and panic and makes things seem so overwhelming. I am still a big scaredy pants but feel less horrified about it iykwim.

Positive vibes to mouse from here, hope all goes well.
Catching up on series link here after quick shopping trip, and getting positively pee'd off at the amount of alcohol - promoting adverts shown.

Just. Fuck. Off

(sorry )

I hear you beaches, im a big scaredy cat too I'm the kind of person who says sorry to everyone for everything, if I'm out shopping and someone rams me I apologise, if someone shuts the door on me I apologise, I avoid conflict at any cost and as a result have turned into a wine swigging, jibbering wreck!!! I hope each day I am emerging my chrysalis of anxiety and regret a little more. Today I feel great xxx

Bug hugs to Mouse and Nemo and purple where are you girlfriend??? Xxxx

Afternoon lovely ladies :)
I am having a craving as I am now nearly 2 weeks since my last drink. I am starting to forget how rubbish it makes me feel the morning after and I can hear the WW whisper that I could just have a glass or two and it would be fine.

And from experience, it would be fine. To start with. And then it would stop being fine and I'd be back to the start enjoying a whole new heap of self loathing.

mrf you are doing amazingly, to be honest you have really inspired me watching you tick off the days. I know from experience where you are. You are on the brink of lovely dewy skin, swishy hair, maybe a wee weight loss and defo a lift in mood. If you have a few now, you will no doubt have to repeat all you've achieved in the last few weeks. Write down how much you've saved, buy yourself a new lipstick, buy a new book and just get through today, tomorrow will take care of itself, big hugs xxxxxxx

Thinking of you and Nemo, mouse.

Got called a "crazy bitch" by SS today. That's not going to look good for them in court.

And they thought I would crack first. Clearly they didn't know who they were dealing with.

Hi everyone. I haven't posted on here for quite awhile (well a few weeks at least). Managed to get through quite a stressful family Christmas with hardly a drop. Got to New Years Eve and I was at home alone again and the stress of events bore down on me so I "treated" myself to a bit of wine (drank the whole bottle). Have been trying to give up smoking again and have successfully got to day 6 however yesterday was particularly tough (I am going cold turkey) and the withdrawal rage was so bad. I went out and bought a bottle of wine, which I drank pretty quickly and then went out and bought another bottle and drank half of that. I have black outs about last nights. Now I feel so ashamed and bad. I desperately want to quit drinking altogether. I also have a terrible hangover

I love the idea of doing a list, does anyone else want to join in?
5 things I like about being sober:

1. I sleep much better
2. I wake up without a hangover
3. Or a sinking sense of doom and regret for what I might have done or said the night before.
4. It is easier to handle the other challenges I face sober
5. I like myself a lot more when I have a clear head and I am worth the effort of not getting bladdered.

I am currently sale shopping online. So far I have treated myself to a new kitchen blind! Thanks for all the encouragement! x

Ok..
I love the sleep
I like imagining my pickled liver is having a break
I like feeling wine is not in control of me
I like that I read bedtime stories
I like lists