The Brave Babes Battle Bus - The Wheels On This Bus Go Around And Around, In Search Of Sobriety.

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm Mouse

This is the brave babes bus, Gerald. He travels far and wide, to wherever he's needed to offer non judgemental support, advice and Opal Fruits!!

We can tell you about the kind of places that can help, your GP can be the first and easiest place to start, or you can look up you local community addiction centre, or even just come onto the thread and let it all out.

There are posters here who have been on the Bus from the start and those who have just joined us

It doesn't matter how long you've been here, the fact that you have taken that first amazing step in acknowledging that maybe, just maybe, things aren't quite right with your drinking is truly MASSIVE!!

This is a safe place for you to just be and to be as honest as you like, or just to talk.

We'll listen

And if you'd like to see our last thread, you can JUST HERE

Plus if you'd like to see where these threads all began, you can read all about that YOU CAN READ THIS VERY EMOTIONAL AND MOVING THREAD

See you soon,

Mouse xxx

Khalisi you don't have to do 40 days AF, just do something that will make you feel good about yourself. If you want to, that is. I put a dye on my newly styled hair this evening and put a face pack on at the time same time. It was a bright red strawberry one and DH thought I'd had an allergic reaction to the hair dye. Was very funny

Ma sounds good. Just don't do a Reggie Perrin on us will ya

Hello everyone, can I join in with you all?

I'm stuck in a rut. Stressful job, single parent after h walked out a while back. Find myself sitting with glass of wine after dcs in bed, chilling out reading or watching tv. But it's crept up to nearly every night and all or nearly a full bottle of red (so easy to do if the wine glass is large!!)

Fed up with it. Said I would cut out red wine for lent. When I was in tesco last night I couldn't keep up willpower to do without wine so I bought white wine iinstead, I dont even really like white wine !! So ive realised I have developed a scary habit. So day 1 for me here. Going to read through your old threads for motivation.

Morning Babes.

I fell asleep at 8pm last night - body catching up I suppose.

Khalisi - You is baaad! That is impressive. But you need a bit of a talking to. You didn't fail dry Jan - you did most of it - was it 24 days? Now, get back on this bus and think how much faster you will run!

Faire at allergic reaction! sounds like a great night, pampering and a good laugh. Not sure what my 'me' thing will be today, I might see if DS wants to do some baking, I have spotted a sticky gingerbread recipe I like the look of (just don't tell MFP).

Ma I hope you're alright, focus on the conference and give yourself some breathing space {hugs}.

Iamso, welcome to the bus. You are in good company here. I've drunk things I didn't like, just because, and got to the bottle + a night habit. I am now 50 days sober and I never regret not drinking the night before. For now, concentrate on avoiding that first drink, one minute at a time if necessary. You will probably need to change your routine a little - avoid the kitchen, or the sofa or where ever you take that first drink. And keep posting for support.

Happy Thursday Babes.

I forgot to tell you all our biggest, (non-face mask related) laugh last night.

After shopping, I left a packet of breakfast muffins and a packet of pain au chocolate on the kitchen counter (being lazy, only needed to lift them 40cm or so into the cupboard. When I next went into the kitchen, there was a quarter eaten pain au choc on the draining board, and three of the muffins had small Puss sized teeth marks in them! Puss was unrepentant. I have sternly reminded her that she is a carnivore, and she is not to open wrapped foodstuffs without permission!

I am certain it would have been less funny and more of a 'cat'astrophe if I had been pissed.

Thanks Sweet, 50 days..wow, well done! You must feel great.

I definitely need to shake up my late evening routine. Might do an exercise DVD instead of sitting on sofa watching TV. Really need to break my associations connected to drinking wine i.e. me-time, reward for getting through a busy day, wind down etc

Just lost a massive post, a mention for everyone!!! Welcome im, I typed you a lovely welcome but I've lost a huge post and I actually want to cry!!! Laters xxx

Baby, it's so frustrating isn't it. Have you got nice half term plans for today?

Iamso, make sure you reward yourself - replace the relaxing glass with something equally relaxing - hot choc with marshmallows - a manicure (has the advantage of making a bottle hard to open for a while - a face mask makes it almost impossible to sip from a glass! Just don't make giving up a chore. And you may find yourself craving sweet foods too - go with it, for now, you're just swapping wine calories for cake/biscuit/Haribo calories!

Big wave from my whistlestop tour or the Cotswolds and other nice bits of the country. Sorry, haven't had time to check back or to NC but wanted to say hello.

My worries about how I would deal with the nice hotel/dinner AF faded as I discovered the joys of faux mojitos - amazing! Talked to DP a bit about what I'm doing alcohol-wise and he was really chilled. I hadn't really spoken to him properly about it before, I guess because I hadn't wanted to acknowledge the extent of my concerns in case I 'failed' to stay dry. Built in escape mechanism there!

He had a couple of very complicated cocktails (I confess to eating the cherries) and a beer and that was it - really gentle dinner and then we played board games (I won - un-addled by alcohol, yay!) and it was all very pleasant. Then a leisurely breakfast and now back to pick up the DC from friends. Lovely.

Sweet - day 50 - way to go xx

Sound Fab-U-Lous, Fox.

Babyjane, I hate it when that happens and I lose a post! Thanks forvthe welcome.

Day one and I'm struggling already and I don't usually even pour a glass of wine until around 9pm. My brain's whirring...keep having to fight off the little voice that's chirping excuse after excuse about why it would be ok to cave in... that it's half term, that there's white wine in the fridge, that I can start kn Monday instead, blah, blah, blah!!

Have had a cup of tea and two dairy milks already. Think I'm going to have a bath soon. It'll be good to get tonight over with. I normally don't struggle too much having a couple of alcohol free nights in the week but I think it's tough tonight because I know that I really need to address my alcohol habits.

Hope you've all had a good day

Go to bed early if you need to, Iamso, that little voice is the wine witch. Give her a karate chop and say NO!

Where is everyone tonight?

Hope you're all safe and happy and sober Babes.

Thanks sweet. I've managed to keep on resisting the wine witch, she is very persistent but I am not giving in!!

Had a bath, just waiting for dd to come home in about 15 mins then I'm making a mug of horlicks and going to bed to watch netflix on my tablet.

Have to work out my strategy. My main goal is to stop the drinking on my own at home. I would still like to have some drinks when socialising with friends. Hoping that this is achievable, it's how I used to be!

Well done, Iamso. Time for bed for me. Night all

Morning all.

End of the week, it looks like being a damp and drizzly weekend down here . But I got a new book (finished the last GoT book), so, I will get well into that.

Morning all. I'm away with kids and not getting time to post (or sleep due to excited dd) but still reading.

Iamso nice to 'meet' you and hope you managed to get through your AF night.

Tbh I have been drinking, about two thirds of a bottle last night and night before. Feel horrible today really thirsty and tired. I find it's the only way to get through the day and evening here. Yes I know how ridiculous that sounds

Morning babes

iamso well done getting through last night, honest to god it's mostly habit and filling up time with treats for yourself soon makes you feel and look better. Your doing great babe xxx

Off to the gym, will be back later xxx

It is mostly habit and there is a lot of time to fill, baby I agree. I think that's why reading in bed is such a popular choice for us. Something we never did when we were drinking. It helps to both break the habit and pass the time.

Iam I have pretty much stopped drinking at home now too. Maybe occasionally if we have company but not always. I've done nights out AF too, it's all ok. But it did take me a while to get to that point, with a few hiccups along the way.

Ruby I love not drinking so much that my only regret is that I didn't stop sooner. I wasted a few years but I'm going to take it on the chin and put that down to being part of the journey to get to where I am now. If you do want to stop or rein it in a lot more I can only advise you do it sooner rather than later. No-one ever regrets not drinking x

Baby I've lost so many posts in the past that I routinely copy them before I hit post. Then if it goes, I can paste it back in. Don't know if you can do that on the phone though, I just use my laptop.

Get how are you doing, not heard from you in a while. Also, loads of 'oldie' regulars haven't been around for ages, Ionnika and others. How about popping in for and a ? (Not saying you're old or nuthin )

Still her, still breathing.
The dress arrived today. Midnight blue, heavily beaded, fitted, low back, size smaller......fits perfectly and love it.dh glanced up and muttered "you look like Shirley Bassey"
Feel free to visit me in prison...

Ma so chuffed you've got a dress you love, ignore WB.

Low back is going to be a problem for the norks though....

Hmm, I have that problem too. Do M&S still do the bras with invisible/see-through straps?

Hello peeps.

Fit like ma?

Now then, your dress sounds (and I'm fucking sure, looks ) downright ruddy gorgeous. Your DH sounds ( and I'm fucking sure, looks ) like a Knob. So there. With knobs on.

I took myself off to a loch side holiday cottage, I'd booked it for Little and me, but the house was so empty I had to escape. Perfect for solitude there. No internet, no mobile signal and only a handful of tv channels. I have been immersing myself in nature, I had a wee drink most evenings, cried, ate, didn't eat, screamed with sorrow, rage, futility and fury at the unfairness of it all.

I'm home now. I've put away her bowls, and her blankets. Not quite ready for anything else, but I'm getting there.

My GP has doubled my fluoxetine for a wee while as I'd slipped back to scary levels of despair again. So it's back to numbness, but it's getting me through the day. She offered to sign me off for a bit but for me sitting at home would lead to a rapid downhill spiral having nothing to get up for.

Tonight I am firmly wodged in the sidecar I'm afraid. You'll find me under the duvet playing the worlds tiniest violin. Most likely going waah a lot. Feel free to hoof my arse a bit folks.

Hello there iamso how ye doin?

Bosies to one and all. (((((((Squidges))))))))))). Xx

Fit like sweet? Xx

Hey *wry". You went to a lochside cottage and didn't take me?????
Good to see you again, quine. Am in the sidecar too.