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!

Thanks Mouse

Elba I understand completely what you mean. You are so eloquent with your writing. I don't know what the answer is though, sorry. If cutting down doesn't work maybe try for another AF day?

The only other thing that might work for you could be something like AA. I think that to start with they suggest you try and go every day so this might give you some focus other than work, as well as lots of advice and support to stay off the booze?

I don't know, I think you just have to try stuff and then go with whatever works for you x

Wry the flannels sound a risky business to me. Don't wake up bleary eyed one morning and get yours and hers mixed up will you

Hi genie and welcome. Yeah I agree about drinking as a way to manage stress and I know after a bad day I'm always going to be tempted into drinking. Congratulations on nine weeks, that's a brilliant achievement and I'm glad you are noticing the benefits.

faire thank you. I guess AA is an option but it scares me for some reason. I wouldn't be able to commit to daily though as my shifts are 12 hours minimum usually. I think just adding in AF days is the way to go for now.

Need to try and be pragmatic about this and stop overthinking things. I have a night shift Thursday so for now I'm just going to commit to not drinking Friday am which will give me a 48 hour AF period.

It's the evenings that scare me most. I'm a grown woman and it's pathetic, but I get massive anxiety about sleep/ going to bed. I had a tentative diagnosis of PTSD a few years ago, and really I know I've been self medicating with alcohol for years to try and block things out. So actually going to bed in the evening without a drink is going to be the biggest hurdle.

I totally agree Elba. Evening (not pouring a drink at the end of the day - the start of what I know would be many drinks) and bedtime (fear of not being able to drop off to sleep) are still challenging for me and may always be. I do not have PTSD either, so cannot imagine what you go through. Please don't think that your anxiety is pathetic.

Elba gave you tried going to sleep listening to the radio, or reading or wthcing relaxing programmes on you tablet in bed? When I can't sleep I find the distraction of stimuli stops me focussing on being worried about not sleeping IYSWIM. Then I drop off anyway. Some babes on here swear by online jigsaws too

G'Aaaaagh, must preview!!!!! Ignore typos in last post (unless spotting typos helps you get off to sleep )

It may sound silly, but the one thing that has really helped me fall asleep is the alphabet game: Pick a category (flowers, trees, birds, or whatever) and then come up with a word starting with each letter, beginning with a. I rather get farther than g/h/i/j.

Hi..I'm ok...came out of my stupor.

special how are you?

Dd2 involved in nasty car accident today. She's OK, but shaken and bruised . God. One phone call and your whole life can change...

I'm ok, sober for 24 hours.
Dm helping.
How are you?

I'm so sorry to hear that! Is she home now? Poor girl!

Oh no ma! Is she home with you? Bosie from me, jeeze that phone call must have given you a fleg.

You are so right, your whole world can teeter on a tiny edge sometimes. Relieved for you m'dear, is she okay?

Hi special I'm doing a bogof on bosies, are you in need of one?

Stay strong. Like the song says, what a difference a day makes. But I'll change the lyrics a tidge. 24 great big almost can't do it hours. But you know what? You did do it! Keep going, you're doing grand xx

Ma so glad your daughter is ok! How frightening for both of you. That must have been a terrible phone call to receive - what a relief that she is all right, although of course shaken up.
special it is really good to hear from you! Well done on the 24 hours, that first 24 hours is so hard.

hope come sit beside me on the forgot to preview seat

Although I need to park half a cheek on the slow at typing seat. That will kill or cure my pile.

She's with her lovely bf in Glasgow.Going to be stiff and sore tomorrow.
special go sit with wry. She's kind of weird but does a fine line in t'interbosies.

ma if your DD has a bath, Eco bath Epsom salt soak from Holland and Barrett is good for muscle aches and pains. It might soothe her a little, and maybe some arnica will ease her bruising. x

Are bosies hugs? X

Aye special but not just any hugs. Them's t'interbosies. A class apart if I say so myself xx

special great to have you back through the first 24 hours darling. ma hope your DD is ok. wry you are clearly a legend of the bus it's a privilege to meet you. I'm moving house in 2 days and drinking to Cope. Can I have an interbosie please?

at such kindness. Bosies? Plenty to spare, pop, plenty to spare. ((((((((((((((flittingbosie))))))))))))))

Moving house is such an upheaval, but once you're in, sorting out boxes and wiping down cupboards and making it yours, you'll realise how far you've come. Is there something in particular making you uneasy or is it the whirl of packing stuff in boxes, deciding what to throw away or is it just the heartache at leaving all the familiar corners behind?

I still haven't had a chance to read back, so I apologise if I'm being insensitive in any way. Come on to the bus for a sit and a natter if you get overwhelmed, so many wise souls travel on here, each and every one of us understands.

I hang on by the skin of my teeth, it hasn't been easy. Since pup arrived I never seem to have enough hours in the day. Sleep comes easy at the minute thankfully.

Speaking of sleep, are you managing to sleep or are things ticking over too fast for you to wind down? xx

Faire I almost had a urine accident of my own reading your post about the flannels getting mixed up.

Juvenile vaginitis of the eye would be a medical first.

Thank you for the interboises! X

Well, after one heck of a day with little Nemo having yet ANOTHER bout of glue ear, and me managing to lose a morphine patch plus it's sticking plasters that go over it (don't worry - all hands are on deck to make sure Nemo knows what it looks like and to shout us and not touch it) which meant I went into a massive withdrawal in super quick time, I finally got the new shiny thread done for us!!

And IT IS!!!!!!

So I hope I got all of that right and I'll see you all tomorrow at some point.

Night babes, I'm off to nurse a poorly Nemo. xxx

pop hope the house move goes well - new house, new resolutions? Start well by toasting your arrival with a cup of tea

special with our dear wry 's return to the bus and her 'interbosies' and other such Scottish havering, you must have thought that you'd come out of recovering into some kind of alternate life Well this alternative life is kind and gentle and full of laughter and compassion - for self and for others. It's a good place.

ma hope your dd is OK after her bump - what a fright!

mouse thank you for setting up the new thread - what would we do without you xx Hope nemo is feeling better this morning.

Love to all other babes - have a good day everyone. The sun is shining here and that is always a good start.