The Brave Babes Battle Bus - A New Year, A New YOU!

[Mouseface]

New Year Resolutions Anyone?

Welcome one and all, I'm Mouse, nice to meet YOU. :)

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, it's all up to you.

You know your limits, you know what is required, it's in YOUR hands.

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

There will be talk of drinking quite often and those who fall off the Bus will post about it, so if that is going to jeopardise your chances of complete sobriety, then maybe the DRY threads would suit you better, as they are complete abstainers, but EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE :)

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 rather like here -

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

For those of you who'd like some history, here is the very first thread and the reason that we're all here now. FIRST THREAD

And here is the lastest thread, which you can scroll back through to see the other JOURNEYS SO FAR

The Bus may be 'mythical', but the support is real, it is honest and it 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

I'm did you get passed 'danger o'clock' Babe? How's your poster going?

Isinde xxx

Slap we've not heard from you for a while, are you ok?

Hope good to hear from you.

Joey I know what you mean about carrying on AF for Feb

Hello all Brave Babes how is everyone today?

Day 26 for me x

Hello spanna yes got past it just making coffee and going for a hot bath been a horrid day and SW not got back to me

Posters going really good it bringing it together for me as I forget so much from the bus so it will be in one place to remind myself things.

The bus is quiet today, your a superstar honey well done from me x

Some lovely posts whilst I have been awol with some sort of lurgy.
Im well done for getting past "danger o' clock" keep going babe
Did 14 days. I've picked up tonight. 2 glasses down about 3 units. Why oh bloody why...
Going to try to stop now
Hope you are ok mouse miss you xx
Big wave to ma spanna guggs beaches joey its hope isinde faire angry why sweet and anyone else posting or lurking. xx

Brave Babes please
A friend's db is drinking a bottle of red wine every night. He lives alone. Is this too much? She's a non drinker. My dh and I don't drink much so we don't know what is considered a lot or just normal/ average consumption. He is hiding the bottles though and is not aware his family found them. They are keeping a record. I can't help her but perhaps you can. He is late forties.

Rural why not stop now and call it a half day? 14 Days is awesome, ignore your blip, get back on this here bus Babe
Hot bath and a nice cup of strong sweet tea and pint of water before Zzzzz x

I'm well done babe you got passed that danger zone. Good on ya poster sounds like it's really coming along. Hope you have/had a nice soak. Keep posting if you need to, I'll be about this evening

Hi everyone. I'm on day 20! Really pleased that I have made it so far but am still dealing with the emotional fallout of having to face the full glare of my emotions without the wine to dull it slightly. I had a really good day yesterday, just very relaxed and chilled. However today, pretty much as soon as I woke up I started feeling really worthless and rubbish and it has been like that all day. Come afternoon I was extremely snappy. Being really rundown and tired from not getting that much sleep doesn't help either. I don't particularly fancy a drink (in fact I really, really want chocalate and haribos!) but the feeling like a piece of shit on the bottom of everyone's shoe is really getting to me

holly yes that's quite a lot. Its the fact that it's every day that is the warning flag.
Take it from one who knows.....and is a big fat fucking failurenon that front.

Holly why is he hiding the bottles?
Is he drinking more than you suspect?
Will he talk about it with someone?

holly to me a bottle a night is an awful lot. The fact that he is hiding the bottles suggests that he is also aware that there is a problem as it sounds like he is embarrassed or ashamed at the amount he is drinking

Agree with the other posters Holly it is a lot. He seems to be aware of that hencehidig the bottles. As ma said would be good if he talk about it to someone.
spanna going for the half a day, haven't drunk anymore but it is hard.

Yoohoo!
I'm here, day 27 in the house of germs DH has got man flu, DS has "a bit of a blocked nose" (translation- really quite ill but with no intention of missing school) so I am the last man standing ATM.
Strangely have no desire to drink but am looking forward to the end of DJ as then I could if I wanted to IYSWIM? I am absolutely dreading my first hangover as well so hopefully that will make moderation easier :)
Hello and well done to all the other babes, cannot NC as on phone and off out to work in a bit

Hi all - after loads of AF days last year started drinking again in Nov :(. determined to go AF again fom tomorrow - need support. Work biggest stress - Luckiy have managed to have AF days in the week - but would like to be totally alcohol free.

Thank you for the replies. It's a tough one. Where do his family go from here? Confront him?

holly there is a support group for families called Al Anon, they would be able to give you lots of advice. The bottom line, though, is that no-one can make a drinker stop drinking, they have to want to do it.

Family can show concern which will at least stop it being the elephant in the room. If you have a quick google, there are quizzes on line that ask the right questions to highlight problem drinking. One of them is Have your family expressed concern?

Btw if he lives alone, how does your friend know how much he is drinking, or how often?

dancer I hope you get a better rest tonight, tomorrow may be a bit easier for you. Well done for not picking up.

< passes chocolate and haribos >

lonnika it's good to hear from you. Sorry that you've hit a bump in the road, but that's all it is. You've done it before, you can do it again. We are all here for you, what kind of support do you need?

Mouse just a quick squidge from me, my furry friend x

Isinde you ok?

Fairenuff she found the bottles.

holly she found some bottles. How does she know that he drank one a night? If he is an alcoholic he is likely to be very secretive about it, he may be drinking more, he may be bingeing at weekends and not drinking in the week, or something. Not that it really makes a difference. Either he has a problem or he doesn't. Does he work?

Thanks for replying Fairenuff. Apparently she disovered the empty bottles and makes a note of them/ keeps a record of how many are there. They then disappear ( probably to the bottle bank) and are replaced. I haven't any other details. She just asked me was a bottle a night a lot. He does work.

I do think a bottle a night, every night, is a lot and, if sustained, will creep up to more than that. It sounds like he is functioning ok at the moment but it could get worse.

He is welcome to post here holly or just read and lurk. He might find himself nodding along and he might start to think about cutting back. There isn't really very much you or your friend can do. Do have a look at Al Anon though, there is lots of support and advice for family and friends of alcoholics.

Morning babes, guess what? It's raining...

Today is Try Hard Tuesday. It's just one day. One AF day to add to that tapestry. Who's in?

Me

See you later x

faire I can't read Try Hard Tuesday without remembering when I was 18 months old (I can actually remember this ) I genuinely thought that poos were called 'Tryhards'

joey

Hi to everyone new and old, Im day 3! Well done . Rural stopping once you start is harder than not starting. Well done I am in for the Try Hard Tuesday too.

Mouse and baby hope you are both doing ok xx

Well DJB's, 4 more nights to go......Pretty amazing!! Whatever happens after (or not) you will have a WHOLE sober month behind you. Just a few more nights and you are there. Xxx

Beaches Babe you are amazing 28 Days!!!!!! We can see the end in sight, but then what? Do you think you'll do Dry Feb? I feel the best I have today and have noticed such a difference in myself. My friend said that I seem even more laid back than normal Although I've got all this 'moving' stress, I feel like I'm coping better with everything in my life. Miles and miles behind with sorting my shit out but hey, I'll get there in the end If I think about it too much, I think I'll go into a blind panic (picture rabbit in the headlights!!!!)

Day 27 for me. I've been enjoying these Becks Blue

Hello babe, moving house is right up there on the list of stressful times isn't it? Good to hear you are in 'coping' mode with it though. I am sure the dry spell does bring more mental stability, it doesn't stop life or anything but just allows a quiet confidence in yourself that you can cope. I don't know about Feb, the thought of knocking back big glasses of red has helped me get through last week but on the other hand the idea of keeping the calmer state of mind is very appealing. (And I am scared that by drinking again I will soon be back to the every night anxiety circle) If I am honest, I think I probably will but the jury is still out! Morning = no afternoon = maybe and evening = absolutely. certified basket case!

27 days is incredible, that 9 day best has been blown spectacularly out of the water. How are you feeling about February? I have enjoyed a few af beers too although having run out I am now really enjoying orange and tonic water mix.

Hi guys sorry about my absence, been spending time with dh and we are committed to making out relationship and family work. This is been a painful few weeKs without wine to blur the sadness and numb the senses but all my feelings have been real and my reactions honest so let's hope if I can get through this I can get through anything. I'm actually scared to drink as I don't think my "off switch" will miraculously appear and there is no room for chaos in my frazzled mind. My love to you all, lonnika so sorry you had a wee blip but that's all it is, your success inspired me on every level and I have complete belief you are strong enough to get back to sobriety, your a legend in these parts xx

baby it sounds like a raw and emotional time, not to drink is bloody brilliant! well done. I really hope things get a little easier for you all soon xx