Brave Babes - Wrapping up for a Wonderful Winter

[venusandmars]

Hi, I am venusandmars and I've been on these threads for many years.

It can be tough at this time of year when the adverts are full of families cheerfully opening bottles of wine and good cheer, when work parties are alcohol fuelled, when distant friends call round with a bottle in hand.

Maybe you're trying to cut down a little in the pre-Christmas weeks, maybe you are struggling to know how to continue with a longer period of abstinence, maybe you are waking up after a Christmas Party feeling sick and covered in shame (or even feeling shame and covered in sick).

Whatever, whenever, if you want to stop, or cut down, or simply share your struggle with others who also feel the tug..... please join us.

Usually our lovely mouseface opens these threads, but the poor mouse is sick in hospital and so I am overcoming the technophobia that a 50-something feels.... (well done me ). Our last thread is here if you want to read the last few posts

And if you want to read the story from the beginning (you'll need a few weeks) HERE is where it all started when Jesuswhatnext posted in May 2010.

Welcome one and all x

Racmactac, to add onto others advice (particularly SweetLathyrus' rehearsal and visualisation advice) speak decisively if/when people offer to buy you a drink, or are buying a round and ask what you want. Don't hesitate if they say something like 'Are you sure I can't get you something else?' when you ask for something non-alcoholic. Hesitation can sometimes make people try and talk you into having something stronger. Clear words, smile, assertive. Don't feel that you have to explain yourself. "I'm just not feeling like it tonight" worked for me.

Although I drank a lot of non-alcoholic cocktails the other night I'm not so sure I'd recommend them because I kept getting paranoid that the drinks order got mixed up and that I might accidentally end up with something alcoholic. Though that might just be my overactive imagination working overtime.

Best of luck for tomorrow night.

It's not a failure isinde, it's a wee stumble that's all. A learning experience.

I'm so daunted by the upcoming weekend that I decided to just drink "sensibly" and I might as well start now because I've had a shitty day. Took a bottle out of the wine rack, stared at it and PUT IT BACK. I really needed to blow my own trumpet on that one!

Yay april well done. Stay strong. StAy away from the wine rack. One day at a time. You can think about it all again tomorrow but just decide not to drink for today.

thanks all. I have told dh to make sure I don't have just the one because I wont be able to stop and I have to drive early the following morning. He will be supportive.
I am trying the visualising thing - thanks to who suggested that.

Happy birthday to the fabulous mouse today. (And also to me!)
Chins up indie. Feel better soon.

Happy birthdays Ma and Mouse

Isinde, think about those lovely cuddly nights in front of the fire with your DTs, this was just a blip.

Everyone else, keep on keeping on, sweet dreams.

Happy Birthday ma and mouse

What on earth am I doing still awake? Dog is desperately trying to tell me it's time for bed!

Morning all, stay strong for an AF or moderate Friday.

april well done on putting the wine back!!! It just shows that you know you're better off without it - it's just battling that inner voice right to the end.

gorilla I used to have that fear of non alcoholic cocktails when pregnant - would watch the bartender like a hawk.

Watched the i'm an alcoholic....my name is programme. I found myself nodding along regularly and also fearful of becoming like that if I don't stop now. For me the biggest thing I took from it was that drinking just gets worse and worse....and if Iook at myself over the past 10 years it's scarily true.

Happy friday babes

Indie welcome home. It's warm and lovely here. There's tea and tonic and lime wedges. And no judgement, just a cuddle and more encouragement.

You are a good girl to come back on our wagon, if I slipped I'd not be back. So well done to you.

Am still AF. Made a lovely chili tonight and really fancied a glass -bottle- of wine to go with it...but I rode it out and disappeared upstairs with the children for a cuddle and an episode of Horrid Henry. I promptly fell asleep whilst reading a sobriety book and woke at 7.30pm in a foul mood! God them to bed (half hour late!!) and came downstairs for a brew and a biscuit. So I slept out the craving I think!

I'm so boring.

Good luck all, especially tonight and tomorrow night. x

Hope everyone is well and ok this Friday evening.

I'm snuggled under a blanket watching making a murderer on Netflix, it's fascinating and contains more detail than I'd ever be able to remember if I'd had a drink. It's great to follow a programme with ease!!

Well done isinde for getting back on the bus.

Morning All.

I had a lovely long, deep slep and slept in until the almost unheard of time of 8.30.

Well done for seeing/sleeping off those cravings, South, in is so easy to give in to the moment.

Claret, DH and I watched the whole series of Making a Murderer last weekend - mstly with our mouths open in shock. A brilliant and engaging piece of TV.

Isinde, well done for getting straight back on the bus.

I have the embarrassing confession that my app says I have saved £185 based on my estimated consumption. That is a stupid amount of money

Morning all and a cold, frosty one here in Scotland. No major plans for the day - got to love the weekends now the dcs are older. One glass of wine last night, so all good.

Freezing here. Morning all. Riding and football for DD1. dD2 wants to make the shard!

Morning, well done ma on having just one glass!

A cold and bright morning here too. DH and I are not speaking, which is a horrible way to start the weekend and we have to go to my in-laws this evening.

Awwjoey what's up? It's rubbish when that happens!

sweet I've been having wine thoughts today and the only thing stopping me is wanting to be with it and alert for making a murderer. It is SO transfixing!

My total is up to £80 something saved, it's shocking isn't it. That's about 10 bottles of wine I've not drunk....and it's only 2 weeks in.

joey hope you and dh are ok now and that the in laws trip goes well tonight.

Feeling utterly exhausted this evening, it's just none stop with our dd at the moment!

Ma what happened is I got so annoyed with him last night in the middle of watching Shetland that I told him I wanted a divorce and then stormed off, and then he didn't come to bed till late. Today we were barely talking and then I said we couldn't afford a divorce but we should be civil because of the kids. And he kind of went "alright then"

I usually put up with his negativity and ocd, I try to protect kids from his grumpiness, but last night I lost it! We were unexpectedly asked to look after a friend of DDs, due to a family crisis. And DH is always miserable when a) changes to his routine b) mess and untideness Well, duh, they're 14 year old girls, of course there's going to be some mess! But how rude to grump about a poor girls family crisis! He's a selfish thundercunt at times.

Love the phrase "selfish thundercunt"
I wonder how many babes on here would go for divorce tomorrow if it wasnt for the kids???

One glass again for me tonight. But chilly up here on the roof rack but worth it for the reduced intake. In bed with hot water bottle and a cup of tea.
Hope all travellers are safe and well

My got the phrase off Mumsnet of course!

Sorry, that should have said ma am still trying to work out my predictive text*.
*
How are you doing?

I'm fine joey thanks.
Woke up to the garden looking like this :

Wow ma that is gorgeous.

How did it go at the inlaws joey. I don't think I would have gone under those circumstances, you are a kinder woman than me x