The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Battling The Wicked Wine Witch, One Day At A Time!

[Mouseface]

Hello, I'm mouse, one of the Babes who have been on this lovely, rickety bus called Gerald for some time now!

There's no judgy pants worn on this bus, nor hoking of bosoms!! It's filled with every day life, love and laundry. As simple as that. The rest falls in between.

We're a welcoming, supporting thread, filled with a mine of information from many years of experience, from those who have consumed alcohol day in, day out...hidden the 'habit', the lie, disguised our drinking with many an excuse. So perfected over the years or new to the guilt of drinking more than you think you should.....

Anyway, old or new, lurker or not, come and say hello to us if you feel the need. We'd love to meet you if we haven't already :)

Thank you for reading this, find a seat, hide green opal fruits if you find any, they're like gold dust around here! Aren't they ma!!

See you soon, I hope.

Mouse x

And, if you'd like to see where we all began, sit with a cup of tea/coffee and have a peek at this - the beginning

And our latest thread that will take you back to many others enjoy your read!

And no elba you did not sound like the remotest danger - far from - just concerned for your associates and for those for whom you care.

Glad your counselling session finally happened elba, and that it went well. Hopefully it will be really helpful.

Well done silent, or is it assassin?

Weary waves to all, it's been a full on day and I'm shattered. Off to bed to sleep the sleep of the smugly sober.

How you doing today special?

I'm climbing aboard - hope that's okay?

I stopped drinking in the week at New Year after years and years of drinking on average half a bottle of wine or so a day. A few days with none & lots with more.

It was difficult at first & I found myself thinking about drinking a lot of the time. Now it's routine - I just don't drink at all Mon, Tues, Wed & Thurs also some Sundays. I've discovered interesting soft drinks & have rediscovered drinking tea after dinner. I'm not "making up the difference" on Fridays & Saturdays.

I feel a lot more alert in the mornings & generally healthier, which has to be a good thing.

DH isn't onboard - he offers me a drink every single day & "has" to finish all the wine himself because I'm not having any

Wow pestilentialcat and welcome! You sound so strong - really relate to the OH issues. And would love yo gear more about yours but just going with my mother to the hospital with father who is 91 and I'm sure will be ok, he always is.

Speak to you soon.

Thanks Lobster - hope your aged parentals are okay

Welcome cat and great effort this year. Wish I had as much willpower. Stay on board and hand hold / be hand held please. lobster hope your dad is ok. I am still at the tail end of this horrid big and so off to bed in a mo. Night all.

Big = bug.

Thanks evil

TBH my 18yo DS has been a great source of support & has a go at his dad every time he brandishes a drink towards me "Can't you get it into your head Mum has stopped drinking in the week? Are you drinking AGAIN? It's not good for you, you know?"

lobster I hope everything's ok.

april thank you, hope your enjoying a lovely sober sleep!

cat welcome! Your son sounds fab!

claret thank you my lovely, had a paranoid moment but should of remembered how non judgemental you lot all are. Hope you're ok and not having any post holiday blues! And hope the AF days are going to plan.

pop hope you get a good sleep and feel a bit brighter tomorrow

I'm off to bed (very early for me!). Just have to get through tomorrow then four whole days off!!

Fell off the wagon drinking. Dh got taken back to hospital again.
I'm drinking. Kids with church friends, then dm will take them.
I can't do this. Sorry. Thank you for supporting me, sorry to let you down.

special my DH not well either has had 6 ops in last 2 years. It's so so tough trying to keep sane. TODAY is another day. Please please don't despair. Please get back up today and start again. You have let nobody down. Just remember you were AF for a few days and you can do that again.

Hope you slept well and remember you are under a crazy amount of stress this is the way you ( and me ) are dealing with it. But that can change. As we have seen with all these amazing Babes it can be done. We need to believe that .

Take care x

Oh Special just take each hour at a time. You can do this.

Special sorry that your dh has been taken back to hospital and whilst he is in the best possible place for his care and comfort I know that is no easier for you to bear.

Come back when you can, we will all be here for you x

Hi to Cat, your Friday/Saturday only drinking is the way I started to cut down too. It takes a while to make the adjustment but stick with it and it will become more natural to you. Must be very hard with your dh drinking every day. The dynamics have changed in your relationship and that's bound to have an impact on you both.

Personally I would discourage your ds from commenting as it may inadvertently cause your dh to dig his heels in and drink more. Just carry on as you are, you're doing great and there is a good chance he will decide to cut down too.

Hey babes, how long have we had this and what do we have to do to earn it?

Can we award it to ourselves when we reach a personal goal, whether that is staying AF for a week, a day, an hour do you think?

Mouse how are things with you, it's been a while since you scampered in and the refreshments trolley is looking pretty dire to be honest

Have a good day babes

special you are not letting anyone down. You are under enormous pressure. You need structured support. No one can do a full on clinical detox and then carry on with life sober with no proper support. I could see we were just holding you the other night. You are under tremendous pressure but you can prevent getting back to where you were. Can you stop drinking or cut back ? Can your DM help? What about AA? Or an online support group - more specialist than this ? I hope your DH is okay. You can get through this but you can through this. At least try and moderate. I'm off to work today.

special, you haven't let us down. Please don't think that.

Can you stop now and go to bed?

Ah special - you and me both. I tripped up last night and I was about seven weeks in (I try not to count). You haven't let anyone down but I relate to that sinking feeling, the loss of pride, the shattering of self esteem; having been high on the satisfaction of saying "no" for some time, the sheer humiliation of having given in ....

I can't recall what your time difference is across the pond, but sending you sympathetic and empathetic (empathic?) thoughts when you are up. Don;t beat yourself up. I am trying not to, although DD was pretty scathing this morning and I deserved it - I let her down and I have no business to do so when she doesn't have anyone else.

My father is still alive and I do know that I am lucky as he will be 92 this year, but my parents have never been "old" - they travel abroad three times a year, both drive safely, go out every day, are general vital and of sound mind. At the same time I have never had a conversation with him in my life - just the way we were brought up - and I know that when he dies I will be filled with regret. Better, I suppose, than DD who doesn't know her father at all.

Sorry, this sounds full of woe! Wishing everyone a happy and AF or moderate day.

Hugs to you lobster. Life just keeps on coming at you no matter how much is already on your plate. So tempting to get wasted by as wise baby always says it's easy to get to wasted oblivion but the road back is hellish.

Lobster think of positives your liver has detoxed, it takes 6 weeks to regenerate and so you have a nice new liver and today is Day 1 again. My dad b day yesterday, he was 79 and parents same as yours full of life. We need to take inspiration from them. Also you're supporting DD and parents with no support yourself. You've done so well.

"Faire" - I do suggest to DS that he doesn't nag DH - DH is The World's Stubbornest Man & a law unto himself & yes, nagging makes him worse - DS thinks it unfair of him to pester me though, which is sweet of him.

The pestering actually makes me more determined. I have always been more in control of my drinking than him. I have never drunk & driven, for example, whereas DH will have a pint or a pint & a half and then another pint at home - DS thinks this is atrocious - he is a new driver himself.

pop and wish thank you so, so much. I'm feeling at the very bottom of the rubbish bin. DD has texted to say that she's going to my parents' tonight. I know that she has A levels, wants to get into Exeter, hates it with a passion when I drink. She's the person I get on with best, love more than life and yet let down over and over.

Hello lovely people. I have just started not drinking, had two days AF, work do last night and I knew I wouldn't be able to resist and I certainly did not.
So new proper start now.
I was going to post on here on Monday because I was feeling really rough...is that a withdrawal thing? Headache from hell. Horrible mood.
To be fair that could be a number of things but the timing seemed right. If so I've got that to look forward to again right?! 😁

Oh lobster! Buddy! Not you too!
I don't know what to say apart from im thinking of you.
You sound lovely, I'm hoping and praying both our dd's can find understanding and forgiveness for our drinking. That the good outweighs the bad.
A blip is not the end of the world. I'm not doing so well, so can't try and haul you up on the wagon, but I'm rooting for you to bear this thing and stay sober. Hug xxx

Pop, I belong to online recovery groups, but they just make me twitchy...everyone talking about their drugs of choice and booze . It helps sometimes but no use rolling around in the dirt.
Earlier on in the day dh went out to get his prescription with me. People staring at him with his walker, talking to him like he's stupid, asking if I'm taking care of him...then the migraine - he's fine, no new bleed-

I know it's stupid, but dh and I have been together forever, I can't cope without him.

special I can't remember all your posts but being a carer is really tough. No one is looking after you. I hope your DH is OK.

There is a really good book called 'How to Quit without feeling S**t' by Patrick Holford. Also for all you babes. It's a plan of action using vits, amino acids, liver detox herbs etc. He gives a specific prescription (all can be bought online) for lots of addictions which help cravings, anxiety and helps to re balance the brain with nutrients. I've dusted off my copy and re reading.

The supplements do cost ( less than alcohol) but cravings go, I can sleep, anxiety massively reduced and so desire to keep drinking goes too.

Check it out on Amazon it will help you continue your detox with majorly less side effects as the vits etc help all of that.

Take care and all of you out there too. You're keeping me going unbeknownst to you.