The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Starting the New Year in Fine Style

[venusandmars]

Hello, I'm Venus, and standing in for Mouse (who usually starts all our threads)

This is a safe and welcoming place for anyone who is facing up to a problem with alcohol. It may be something you’ve known for years, or it may be that struggling with dry January has made you re-think your relationship with drink.
Anyway, welcome old and new, lurkers and posters. It can be a weird thread at times – travelling on a bus called Gerald.... he takes us up and down and this wondrous land, searching high and low for Babes in need of some support, a warm place to sit and chat, and to have someone to listen to them.

So, grab a seat as we swing by your way. There's lots of hot drinks, food and fleeces, places to just be and places to sit around and chat if that's what you want.

We don't judge, because we've all been in your shoes, be they stilettos, wellies or crocs!...

We're just us, we're just honest and we just do what we can to help, if we can, when we can. If you find all the banter off-putting just jump in with a cry for help.

And HAPPY NEW YEAR xxx

Here is the very first, emotional thread if you would like to see where this all started

Our most recent thread, if you want to catch up

I watched Fortitude but didn't really understand what the hell was going on to be honest!
Also, after 4 months, I have a period. D'argh!!!! Could do without this.

It does seem to be one of those series that gas lots of threads to get going, Ma, but I'm intrigued that almost all of the cast on IMDb are listed as appearing in 12 episodes . Have a 'blurgh' to go with your d'argh.

I am absolutely finished. Even too tired to think of wine.
Going to bed.
Good night, Babes! Peaceful sleep.
xxx

I'm really sorry I've not read back yet but I just popped by to say thank you lovelies and answer the question. Appointment was next week, made it 3 weeks ago for the earliest I could get in but this morning rang and made an emergency appointment (tis the only way at our surgery). Doc was lovely, I am now 'officially' stressed/depressed whatever label you want to stick on it, such a relief really but this isn't the place for all the reasons. Onwards and upwards now. Wine tonight, drugs tomorrow. Thanks you lovely lot.

Khalis sleep well babe

On the subject of your eyesight Sweet, did you think Venus was Mouse or am I missing some posts? Perhaps those nose pores are GIGANTIC after all

hope sweet lady, all the things that the other babes have said . Please don't feel you have to be anything other than yourself here .

Spanna hope you have had a lovely day today flower.

Ma d'argh, blurgh and garrrhhh too.

I have just eaten a wunderbar, a peanut butter goey chocolate covered bar of extreme calories. Naughty but nice

Night lovely babes xxx

Hey popcorn. Missed you there babe. Glad to hear you have got a plan of action with the diagnosis. Had to laugh at the wine tonight, drugs tomorrow phrase

Beaches I am so completely habituated to seeing Mouse posts in green (the OP) setting on my iPad that I really didn't clock it!!! Sorry Venus.

V tired, back in the morning for day 35

I was only playing Sweet, blimey I am always spelling things wrong or confusing myself.

Thank you so much everyone, I am truly lucky to have found this wonderful supportive bus. So many kind words, they wrap round me like a giant knitted cashmere bosie, soft, warm and comforting.

So touching, so lovely, and so needed. So much for the numbness...My emotions came flooding back, a torrent of tears, an aching chasm where my heart should be, and pain. And pain. And pain.

I will be back soon, but I leave you with one of my favourite pictures of her. It was taken on her first trip to the beach.

Big, grateful bosies to you all, xxx

Wry that is a beautiful photo. The emotions you need will make it through.

Woke up at stupid o'clock this morning with a headache - I'm getting a bit sick of low-level unwellness, it's getting in the way of the boing.

Beaches it is the fact that my eyesight is so bad that made it that I could see the pores!!

I was thinking yesterday about staying AF for the foreseeable future (not so much projecting as contemplating). I had a week before Christmas when I didn't drink, because DH thought my consumption had got out of control. Dry January was a convenient cover and motivation. So what is keeping me going in Feb? A small part of it is actually not wanting to set my 'Done Drinking' app back to day one - yup, stupid isn't it that such a small thing stands between me and WW. But I suppose that the big thing, the one I really don't want to spend time prodding, is that I'm scared. I am really scared of what would happen . I can hardly begin to articulate it. Going to think about it a bit more.

So, onwards with day 35. Have a good one Babes. Thank you all, for just being you.

Morning all.

Wry lovely photo
Sweet it's great to record it, it's easy to spend/drink it without thinking about it but to have it there in black & white is a huge reality check. I would do it but as a binger it doesn't work for me. It's my god damn awful behaviour that I need to remind myself of .

Oh and Fortitude - I thought it was really good. Dan Andersson is incompetent cop

Where's Joey? Wanted to be sure that all was ok at work.

Khalisi licking face off man? Nah, don't fancy that. But please keep us informed

Would like to nc more but dc are shouting for brekky.

Have good days y'all

Hello Babes, and thanks for your kind welcome back. Had forgotten how much I missed you all and your talk of licking builders and massive nose pores (though sadly I have more experience of the latter than the former, despite once having an insane (unconsummated) crush on a tree surgeon. My nose pores need darning with pink wool, mere astringent lotions are powerless against them).

Wry, beautiful photo of Little. And love always, have sent a pm.

Behaved like a bitch at work yesterday (which I rarely do, bit liberating but also nerve racking). Was very confrontational on teleconference about redeployment. Then came home exhausted and sad and slept all evening. Dreading going in today, feel paralysed and can't motivate self to pretend to work on projects that are now just insulting time fillers. D'aaaargh.

Parents evening for ds tonight too. Not expecting much. He is brilliant but cynical and lazy. The teachers amongst you will know how much that ticks off the people trying to help them through GCSE.

Dreading work but comforted that can log in and check up on you lot during the day.

Much love all x

My trouble, Ruby was that by NHS definitions, I binged EVERY day!

Hope, maybe you need to be more confrontational (I know I would probably benefit from it), if you practice enough it will get less scary? (I know, it's not me either).

I've got one of those cynical lazy ones too, although in many ways he is turning into a thoroughly lovely young chap. He has apparently had NO homework since Christmas . Trouble is, he is doing well enough, or at least that is what he is telling me (he has a very warped idea of what 'average' means, which tells me a little about his Maths at least!).

As an educator, I see this a lot with boys - and have to conclude that it's one of the consequences of the patriarchal dividend; they just don't have to try as hard, there are far more well paying jobs for young men that don't need the straight A report, and we reward the cheeky chappy arrogance.

Interesting Sweet. My ds has had virtually no homework since year 7 (he is now year 10). Yet dd is now in year 7 at the same school and is bogged down with homework. Hmm. will let you know how tonight goes...

Good morning, Babes!

3 hour commute. Seriously. Living in the bundus isn't so fantastic at the moment. Although it looked very beautiful last night with all the snow and the full moon.

Ruby Well, ummm, how can I say this? You know that song with the lyrics 'you and baby are nothing but mammals so lets do like they do on the Discovery Channel'?! Pure, unadulterated lust, babes. That's the face lickin' kind!

hope I haven't done no licking of the builder yet!

sweet I caught myself checking out my pores this morning!

Have a good one, babes!

wry beautiful photo.

Morning babes, bloody nightmares are still haunting me, I actually woke up biting my own arm quite painfully trying to attack my assailant, yes I'm a nutter.

Feeling yuk, all achy with a horrid cough and the horrid mucus is making me feel sick, no boing here but as always your posts continue to inspire and motivate me to carry on.

I want to stay in bed but have an appointment with the psychiatrist that works alongside my councillor to review my mood and my AD's so will need to perk myself up!!

Have no desire to drink so every cloud and all that!!!!

Love and hugs to all especially our beautiful and grieving wry. Xxx

That is an awful commute, Khalisi. Is it just the snow making it that long?

Baby, poor you, but wouldn't it be counter productive to 'perk yourself up' for the professionals charged with helping you? They need to know EXACTLY how it is to get you 'right'.

DH is off to see the new baby today. Unfortunately I can't go because I have a mountain of work to get through, so I will be waiting for the pics - I have already seen some and he has (even by baby standards) the sweetest, chubbiest cheeks.

Morning babes, had my thyroid ultrasound this morning, last time I had any kind of ultrasound was when I was pregnant (many moons ago ) and even though it was on my neck this time I half expected to hear a heart beat

That's quite some I imagination you have there Obrigada, made me think of Richard E. Grant in How to get Ahead in Advertising ! How did it go, or do you have to have another appt for the results?

Ooh passion, defo like the sound of that Khalisi.

Baby sorry your feeling urgh and hope the appointment goes ok.

I feel rough got my period which makes me want to sleep and eat (not at same time ). Hate feeling like this, nothing makes me feel better.

Hi Obrigada what's the ultra sound for?

Ruby, you're a woman, you can multi-task . . . Not sleeping and eating at the same time, pfft!

Do you think we could write a collective Mills and Boon based on Khalisi and her builder? . . . Isolated farm house, taciturn but fit builder, smouldering glances over coffee and chimney (ahem) breasts, leading to face licking and happily ever after?

khalisi what is a 'bundus' ? Is that in Essos?!

wry {bosies}

ruby thanks for asking, yes my colleague DID snitch on me, my boss finally got around to talking to me yesterday. Fortunately, I was ultra-calm, gave my side of the story, explaining that I'd apologised for the actual words used but stood by my opinion. I thought he handled it quite well, obviously he was quite impartial but I think he believed me.

I did get told off for overreacting - fair enough - and urged to "put it all behind us" (we are barely being civil right now, which I know isn't good for the team) There was no suggestion of a formal warning, which implies everyone knows there was some truth in my accusation! So, am pretty pleased with the outcome, but I do need to work on my anger issues.

How did I cope without resorting to wine? I will list every tool used:

Seroxat (double dose)
Herbal sleep aid (Melissa Dream)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (I've got a diary app)
Recited the Desiderata in my head
Relaxation/Meditation (podcast from the MHF)
Herbal tea (lemon & ginger)
Herbal lozenges (ginger & chamomile)
Stugeron (double dose)
Herbal stress relief (passion flower)

And of course lots of support from the Bus and in RL. (DH: Stick 'em with the pointy end! ) The Stugeron I would not recommend unless desperate- it stopped my nausea, but knocks you out a bit. The lozenges are new, I liked those, they really helped. The podcast are great as well.

Sorry this so long - I thought these tips might be useful for anyone who suffers from anxiety.