The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Shaking Off The Winter Blues And Getting Out Our Booze Free Summer Shoes!

[Mouseface]

Hello, tis me, Mouse

Welcome to the Bus. It's a Bus full of drinkers, non-drinkers, occasional slurpers, sneaky sippers, we're all a very different bunch but we ALL have the same thing in common.

Alcohol.

We all have a story or two to tell, we have all been through some terrible times, some more than others and we all have our reasons for drinking or even not.

The one true wonderful thing about this Bus is that we don't do judging!! We're all on a even playing field, no matter what has brought us to this thread.

So, if you'd like to talk, then talk. If you want to lurk and see how we work for a while, that's cool too :)

The Bus is never full, there's always is room for YOU.

And, if you'd like to see what started this off, amost good 5 years ago now, have a look at A TRULY AWESOME HEARTFELT THEAD HERE

And our last thread is just here too for those who would like some more history THIS IS WHERE WE'VE JUST BEEN

Hope to see you soon :) xxx

Afternoon, tis me, Mouse

Hi Andy, hope you're feeling brighter today, you seem to be :) xx

Welcome Turn. You sound so desperately deflated by this drinking/hiding/drinking/hiding cyclical habit of yours, but do you know what? Balls to that. If you've hit rock bottom, then the only way is UP! (Not Essex!)

Hiding empties as Andy said is something that we've all done.... another 'trick' is to have two bottles of the same wine open at once, you go to 'fill up' for yourself/DH/Partner, and neck an extra glass before refilling your glasses equally.

I used to go ape shit if it looked as though my DH had more in his glass than in mine. My DH is a drinker but only really at weekends, whereas I'm an 'events' drinker, so will have a glass or two at birthdays, weddings etc.

I am very lucky to have this thread, it literally slapped me back to life on more than one occasion, but if you read back a page, you'll see why I stopped drinking in the first place. I now consider myself a controlled drinker, One Day At A Time. :)

So have you given any thought as to how you'll get through today or have you had a drink already? xx

khalisi - thank you for my star, I shall pop it on the fridge! xx

Hey small, lovely to see you, I feel like I've not been here for ages!!! :) xx

Spanna!!!! - GO GIRL, GO GIRL, GO GIRL! you so rock for getting through that, one of the toughest tests in my book. :) xx

Well, I better grab some lunch and get sorted before going for the boy. He's been having night terrors again, poor wee thing. I wish I knew how to take them away and make him feel safe but then again, he's always worse when I'm stuck in bed with my back, which I was for the weekend........

Back soon xx

Thank you so much for the replies. I feel better now after I've had lunch. I think I just keep failing all the goals I set myself and it's making me worse. I've got a holiday next week, and I was determined to lose some weight, cut down on my drinking, do
Some exercise. I had a countdown on my phone that started at 100 days. Ive now got ten days till the holiday and if anything, the drinking has got worse.

I had the two bottle trick on the go all weekend mouse no wonder there so many empties. I have to do the school run, so no drink. I start getting twitchy at about 4.30pm though. Trouble is, if I start early, I walk round the shop at 8pm to get another. I have to keep drinking till its time for bed. There is half a bottle of red in the cupboard that I will put down the sink.

Hello turnover and andy! Welcome and well done for taking the first step onto the wonderful, supportive bus.

andy, I totally know what you mean about the thought of never drinking again being terrifying. I can't get my head around it (and I'm not even sure if it's what I want or am aiming for). I just know I'm not drinking today. I've promised myself that.

21 days AF today for me. I woke up feeling fuzzy with a dehydration headache (rough night with the toddler) and it occurred to me that I used to feel like that every single day. It was my default state.

Hello to all other fellow passengers, apologies for not NCing, turns out sleep deprivation scrambles my brain as effectively as gin.

Go April!!!
Good on you, babes! Wow! Very proud of you.

Yeah, Andy, I hear you. Back in January when I was doing dry January I actually said I don't drink alcohol anymore. It felt really good saying but (but sadly, it proved not to be true).

Pour it down the drain Turn. Do it. Otherwise you'll convince yourself it isn't so much. Just half a bottle.
And we know where that leads us.

I've been there too Turn, thinking "I don't have to drive, I can drink now...." and then as I poured those drinks, feeling a mix of excitement, guilt, embarrassment, then euphoria as I knew I was getting away with it, DH would get home and think I'd only just opened the bottle - the doppelganger bottle of course.

DD, thank the Lord was always here. A teenager who could help if need be. How awful is that?

Pour it away and find a way to get your PJs on asap, warm bath and bed! Yes, you could get dressed and go to the shop later but please don't, you know you'll just regret it sweetheart. xx

By the way, all of you newer Brave Babes are doing bloody brilliantly! Change is hard, no matter what it is you're changing.... but you're here for a reason xx

Yes I have a teenager too, so would rely on her if anything happened. A while ago My youngest fell out of bed in the middle of the night and cut her head open. My partner was away so I had to drive to the hospital at 2am :-( I'd had a bottle of wine earlier and was in bed for 9pm. I didn't dare call an ambulance in case my partner found out :-( what an idiot.

Turn There's a really good app called 'I'm Done Drinking' which calculates how many minutes/hours/days since you had a drink as well as how much money and calories you've saved. Something I've done when I've been really struggling is set the timer on my phone for an hour/30 mins/10 mins and promise myself that I won't drink until the time's up. When time's up, try to set it again and repeat. Sometimes it really is a case of getting through this moment by moment. Please throw the wine away - part of you will feel relieved.

Mouse, just logging on to say it's so lovely to see you back on the thread xx

Turn - that is in the past. You're here for a reason, something made you start posting. Drinking and hiding the way you drink is hard bloody work! It really is! You have to remember the fibs you've told and who to, the excuses need to change so they stay fresh. It's just so awful when you think back.....

obrigada!!! - hello sweetie, long time, no squeak! Can you tell I've been housebound for a few weeks? How's life with you? xx

Hi ladies. Thanks so much for all the encouragement and support . Mouse your post made me cry. You are truly inspirational. Give Nemo a big cuddle from me xx Spanna and April congrats to both of you. I'm full of admiration . Welcome Turn - another one here who knows exactly where you are coming from! Hope you do manage to throw that bottle away xx I'm getting really twitchy now. I usually start making the evening meal at 5ish and watch Pointless on the telly in the kitchen and as soon as the theme tune comes on it's a massive trigger for me to drink. There are so many "triggers" that I'm going to have to avoid

Sweet are you ok?

Hope you're all doing well Babes. Have a great evening xx

Ok the wine is down the sink. That brings the empties up to 9 for this weekend just awful and shocking.
I've got some tonic water. I'm grilling a piece of fish and making an amazing salad to go with it.
I think the problem half the time is bordem, I can't seem to settle to anything on a night, my attention span is awful so drinking fills the time till bedtime.

Well done turn- it feels liberating pouring wine away. Hope you flicked v signs as it went down the sink.

I bet that you are knackered. I don't intend to be rude but drinking is exhausting,it bolloxs your ability to sleep and that tiny boost is gone 2 glasses in.(I only drink small glasses see,then I magically forget that drinking out of a small glass which is repeatedly refilled is in no way more classy than just necking the bottle)

I'm having another go at af after falling on my arse again,on the first few evenings I have to go to bed early and curl up and just sleep or read or chat on mn. It gives me a chance to rest my body and mind.

Do you have a kindle? Download some recovery books and go to bed-your attention span will increase after a couple of af days.

Hi all,
Not going to NC just a big wave.

Yes please to Nemo piccies.

Waves to all new to the thread - you are so welcome here, you will be loved, looked after and (in the best possible way) laughed at/with whenever you need it. Strap yourselves in and enjoy the ride! I remember tiptoeing onto the thread and Ma gave me an early opal fruit, and I felt so strongly I had come to the right place. Mind you, she hasn't given me one since .

Mouse, I just looked at your pics (apologies - they may have been there a while but I haven't seen them before). You are a beautiful, beautiful family. Your happiness and pride and love for one another shines out. Feel a bit teary!

Day 131, and today (whisper it) I have not even thought about drinking. I have thought about you all, and popped on to say hi, and that is a blessed part of my daily life and you have all been so instrumental in getting me to this undreamed of state of sobriety. But I have not actually thought, once, about having a drink. That may be the first time in 131 days. I will fight complacency as I know that is the most insidious of enemies. But i do feel quietly pleased. Night out with DP tomorrow, so that will be a challenge what with the siren call of the Michelin wine list..but I feel quietly, quietly confident I will do it. Fingers crossed!

love to all xx

Well done spanna and smallfox- fab !

Good inspiritation to us all not drinking,just too tired to spell

turn boredom is a big trigger for me. Probably the main one.
small well done you.
Watching a programme about families with seven or more kids and benefits.. trying hard not to be judgy but blood is boiling...
I fully support benefits for those who need them, I have relied on them myself, and will fight for them where they are desperately needed but bloody hell! Some people are taking the piss!!!!!!

spanna Day 42! That's brilliant, well done

You're right about being knackered. I'm either awake at 4am with a hangover, are getting horrible jitters and anxiety when going to bed if I've not had a drink.
I've had a buttermint tea and will go to bed with a new book. Thanks so much to everyone who has helped me today x

Turn - ooh, thanks for the buttermint tea reminder. Was just wondering what to have for a pre-bed drink and that's a perfect idea. Lovely stuff.

Hope you sleep well tonight and well done today. Hope its a good book. I've just downloaded the new Kate Atkinson one and I am such a saddo/refined lady these days that I can't wait to go to bed (with my tea) and start it. Wild times, eh. But sober ones. Can't beat that.

I loved Life After Life, so can't wait to read God In Ruins!

Me too, Turn - its supposed to be a companion piece, I gather. Can't wait. My tea and I are off to start it now. Let's compare notes when we've both read it!

Chucks an opal fruit at small

Oooh, Ma is it a red one? thank you, that'll go nicely with my tea x

What's buttermint tea? Isn't that what they drink at Hogwarts? x