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 thinking of you today/tomorrow....

Well done Anne and Crotch that takes some determination x

Thanks everyone for the nice welcome yesterday. I really appreciate the support.

I am feeling quite pleased after getting two dry social occasions under my belt today - nothing momentous, but quietly chuffed. But (and I know you've discussed this before) WHY is non-alcoholic wine quite so horrible? Is there any remotely drinkable variety out there? I had some Becks Blue in the end which was fine if a bit pointless (and very fizzy - its ages since I drank beer but was it always quite so gassy!?). But is it just an impossibility to get nice na wine?

One of my dd's said to me this evening 'Mummy, you were so lovely today'. Made me sad, in a happy kind of way - I could feel how much more relaxed and less impatient I've been with them over the last week or so, and I so wish I could turn the clock back and do that for the whole of their lives to date. I don't think I've been an ogre or horrible or anything, but I do know I've been very snappy at times, without reason (or at least, there was a reason - alcohol!). It was just so poignant hearing her say that. Still, stiffens the resolve and all that!

Sleep well, all

Evening everyone!

Productive weekend - cleaned kitchen cupboards, bought new bedding, packed away xmas decorations, now working with a hot chocolate. Feeling much better this evening but been a weird weekend too; think I'm finally beginning to accept that the addictions I think of as not a big deal are actually quite huge in the scheme of things. And I'm not over-reacting to want to sort my life out.

So in the spirit of being honest; fags and alcohol are not the only things I'm trying to quit. I think there are a few friends I'm going to have to keep away from until I'm more able to say no, which is a horrid thought, but if I'm going to do this I may as well do it properly and 10 days with nothing nasty in my system at all is giving me a clearer look at everything. Emotions are all over the place when I think about it though, I sit here crying most times I type, and I'm really not normally that much of a drama queen.

Am also starting to realise just how much my mates drink! Just looking at FB this weekend with fresh eyes (and one of the comments from you lovely ladies was about how difficult it can be for friends to accept you not drinking) has been quite enlightening: if I'm out with people who drink that much, no wonder I do too! I'm not saying they're wrong or need to stop, just if I remember that I don't want to look like that in photos, maybe I will find it easier to stick to the soda water!!

Sending good luck hugs to everyone who needs them tomorrow and hope the ww stays hiding under her manky stone where she belongs

Smurfette

Bruno well done on getting through the social occasions, it sounds like you are doing really well. I know what you mean about the parent guilt stuff, the times I have skipped story times, rushed them upto bed early, snapped and moaned at them because of the booze . All good motivators to do it differently.

Smurfette I like the manky stone . It sounds like you have quite a busy social life with lots of drinkers around you. I am more of a sofa drinker nowadays so don't have to navigate the pressures of being part of a group that likes to party. Can imagine it is tricky so very well done on 10 days toxin free

Soc But if I hate myself on this journey I will never succeed I absolutely agree.

When I slip, I have a tendency to say to myself "see! I knew I couldn't do it, I am doomed to drinking this way so I may as well get used to it, I might as well drink and enjoy it" and various other negative and hopeless thoughts. It is these thoughts that set my drinking pattern going again. Far better if I followed a slip with "that was a good reminder why I want to cut back/out, just because I used to drink like that I don't have to do it any more". These kind of thoughts would give me a much better chance of making changes.

So, i have managed to expand your succinct words into a whole waffly paragraph! You certainly got me thinking about it

Im I hope you get a really good nights sleep babe. X

Morning all, just a quick check in before work, to hope you all have a good AF day.

Morning All Brave Babes

Day 12 and I will not be drinking today

I'm Good Luck for today Babe Head high, remember what you want from this meeting - your DCs and YOU to be safe xxx

Have a good day everyone

Hello, please can I join in?
My drinking has crept up lately and I'd like to try and cut down. I'm worried about my health really and any hidden damage I may be doing.
My first goal is going to be only drinking 2 days a week, and no more than 2 medium glasses on each of those days ( drink of choice is chilled white wine)!
Does that sound OK?

Morning all wahoo day 10 double figures, welcome cat any goal is ok as long as it suits you. Mouse hope you had a nice day with your dad x

Morning babes.

Im Your children will remain with you. Fight your corner.

Awful weekend. Good friend brutally murdered in Dublin at the weekend. We went all the way back to undergrad.Spoke to him only last week. 2014 is turning out to be as shit as 2013.

Why - just to say I am so very sorry - poor, poor you. I hope you are bearing up as much as possible - sending much sympathy

Why so sorry sending big hugs at this terrible time x

Why - that sounds absolutely horrendous. I'm am so sorry.

Hi everyone. I am now on Day 6. Feel a lot better for it despite the moodiness etc. I am not going to drink today (one day at a time).

Today I am meeting up with a friend which will be nice as I have not seen her since Christmas.

Hope you all have a good day

why I'm so sorry about your friend, bigs hugs yo you and im will be thinking of you today xxxx

So sorry to hear that Why, take care. X

why I am so so sorry to read that :(

I am still AF and love the idea of ticking each day off in a diary. I was sent one that I didn't really have a use for - and now I do :)

Have as good a day as possible lovely ladies.

Hi babes, just wanted to share.. My dd suggested I order a pear of jeans a size smaller so I can measure the success of my alcohol free/daily excercise/healthy eating regime and they came this morning. Thought I'd try them on to see how far I had to go and holy macaroni they actually fit, I am a whole dress size smaller in just a few werks!!!!! Happy days xx

cat hi honey, welcome aboard lovely, how much are you drinking at the moment? Xxx

why I'm so, so sorry. How awful.
babyjane well done!
Thanks for the welcomes, at the moment I'm drinking about 1.5-2 bottles a week so not massively over weekly limits, but it's crept up from less and I've started to struggle with not having a glass some evenings when I've planned not to. Plus the nights I do drink I probably have too much, hence wanting to have 2 glasses max on the days I drink from now on.
I have an addictive personality so it's more about nipping a potential problem in the bud iyswim.

Another thing I struggle with is social occasions, dh is usually happy to drive so more often than not I drink if we go out. I'm shy without it!

Why such terrible news, thinking of you xx
Welcome aboard cat you will find lots of support here.
I am back on day 1 and so with myself.
Was really doing well yesterday on day 4. Unexpected visitors (always a trigger) and a pre teen tantrum by ds and WW won.
No alcohol in the house today. I will not be drinking xx
Im hope things went OK XX

Hello - can i jump on board as well? I drink far to much white wine - it's my number 1 goto for a stressful day / fun treat and its pretty much every day. Sometimes i try and diet / cut-back to be healthy and then as soon as the next stressful event comes along i jump right back to where i started.

So my aim is to have several AFD's every week, and drink within healthy limits at the weekend. This week I'm reading Stanton Peel’s 7 Tools and How to Change Your Drinking:a Harm Reduction Guide by Kenneth Anderson - hopefully that will occupy my evenings and help me to turn this around.