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!

Evening all, hope everyone's ok. This morning I think I felt the best, physically and mentally, that I have felt in a few years. Basically the most non hungover I've been (not counting work mornings, although often I think I'm still hanging from 48 hours before, or perhaps it's s permanent state!). This is despite having had just over the equivalent of a bottle of wine last night. But I'm clinging to the fact that this is a hell of a lot less than I would of had a couple of weeks ago (probably half in fact). I had a lovely long walk in the sun with my friends toddler that I've been looking after, had my first soft play experience and just got home.

I know there is a massively long way to go but I'm trying to see the positives a bit more. I think my skin looks a bit less sallow, I definitely look less tired and I have more appetite (though this bit scares me a little!). I still can't face trying to go without for a night, let alone more, but I haven't had any big binges either (by my standards- I technically binge drink every night). It's been 10 days since I first posted and I know that if I hadn't had such amazing support on here some nights I would probably of drunk twice what I actually did.

Its been such a huge relief to have somewhere I can be totally honest without judgement, I think it's made me be honest with myself. So thank you to all you lovely, brave people.

margie well done for toughing it out tonight, I totally get the feeling needing or deserving a drink. I think I can twist any situation to mean it justifies a drink (good news, bad news, stress, tiredness, boredom, the suns out, the weathers shit, or just about any variation of normal life you can think of!).

gow well done, you sound so determined.

claret well done on committing to lent, was dry January your first long stint without alcohol or had you done it before?

anne that's great going well done and lovely to see you. Good to know you are alive and lurking.

Now , where's joey?

Thanks Elba! Well done on last night 1 bottle would not be enough for me either normally I was hovering around 1 and 1/2 most nights, more on weekends. I'm still not feeling too great but early days and all that.

sweet you've done it before you can do it again. margie good work. I had 2 pints last night and feel done in this morning. More tired than anything. Managing a but of moderation after DJ . No drinks Monday to Thursday at home. And then see if I can stick to being a normo drinker.

fox how is your detox going love?

elba glad you felt good yesterday. That's just a taste of things to come I promise...and glad this thread has been helpful, it's certainly helped me too.

I've done dry January 3 times previously so those have been my longest dry spells to date (except for pregnancy) but this is the first time my post dry January drinking hasn't been an embarrassing disaster so that's good.

My drinking got particularly bad last year after I had my dd, I felt very lonely (despite having loads of support), unattractive (as I put on loads of weight when pregnant) and if I'm honest a bit bored - don't get me wrong I adore my baby and it was a fantastic year but my god was it exhausting and relentless! So in the evening out came the wine (my adult time) and it just got worse and worse....by Christmas I regularly didn't remember the end of the evening and woke up with regrets. It makes me shudder remembering it.

For the first time since my daughter was born I feel like my old self a bit more now which is something I desperately want to hold on to, but it's still hard. Alcohol is so bloomin' powerful.

sweet well done for fighting it. I swear it's almost a physical pain when the craving really sets in, it's hard to describe. But well done!

Shout out to all babes, well done to you all xx

Sorry I meant margie well done for fighting it! But hi to sweet too!

Thanks Claret. I will definitely read A thousand splended suns as I've heard that recommended before and I loved The kite runner by the same author. The others look good too.

Wow Anne, three bottles instead of 36, that's a big difference! Well done and good to have another 'Lenter' on board

Elba you're doing great. Cutting down is often harder than having nothing at all. Keep going, every drink not drunk is bonus x

ma how's things? Got any time to yourself this weekend?

Hey all. In transit so apologies, can't NC all and this is a quick message. But there is so much positivity on the bus right now it's just boinging! Well done to everyone who is moderating/lenting. If anyone is struggling don't be disheartened - one day at a time, remember.

Thanks for checking on the detox, Evil. I'm zinging around the place, powered by carrot, green tea and ginger. Finally feel amazing, nearly two weeks in. No alcohol since new year and now two weeks of no sugar or caffeine and I cannot tell you how much better I feel. But I remain cautious and can't be pink cloudy all the time! I am definitely glad I didn't try to cut it all out at once!

Sorry, got to go - apologies for not checking in on everyone individually, will try to come back later.

It's Friday and I really really want a drink!

Gow use all your strategies to distract yourself. This feeling will go and you will be glad you didn't drink.

Have you eaten yet?

faire I loved We are Not Ourselves.

Yep I've been eating since 5 o clock......I think it's my brain yelling ITS FRIDAY, that's doing it, I have just downloaded a new novel onto the kindle and made yet another pot of bloody tea.

It's only a few hours til bedtime. Those hours are the same as any other day. Nothing special about Friday except you get tomorrow off and you will appreciate tomorrow more if you don't drink today.

So, strategies. What about a 20 soak in the bath? Got any beauty routines that you could do for another 20 minutes?

That looks good pop, I will add it to my list.

That should be 20 minute soak in the bath Gow*. I was posting in a hurry as I had to take ds to work but dh has taken him instead so I'm all yours now

I think breaking activities into 20 minutes is long enough to distract, not too long that they get boring. You can even get ahead of some housework if you really need something to do.

Sort out a drawer, clean the fridge, rearrange the airing cupboard. Or do naked handstands.

Whatever gets you through the next 20 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 minute. An exercise dvd? Board game with family? Colouring book?

online jigsaw puzzle here

How about a really indulgent treat night, gow? Nice relaxing bath with bubbles if you have one, if not a long shower, body butter, pjs warmed over the radiator, chocolate and a good book/Netflix?

Well done margie that's absolutely amazing!

Been so tempted this evening (been tougher at work today than yesterday), really felt like I needed a drink but I've managed not to go to the shop for drink, I need to learn that I don't need a drink as stress relief. A bit annoyed with a friend today, she's told her boyfriend about my problems! Am annoyed but don't want to cause a scene. I've avoided the booze for another day so all is good! Plan now is to shower, wash my hair and then watch a bit of telly.

Gow, I was thinking the exact same thing as you earlier this evening - Friday night is drinking night!!! Always has been in my life anyway. Faire is right about the distraction techniques, I find that if I get through early evening and dinner without booze then I'm ok. It is bloody hard though!

Elba, you have come so far in such a short time, be proud of yourself! You too Made, you're doing great!
Claret, I can totally associate with post-baby drinking but glad you're feeling you're getting back to your old self. Fox, you're a lean, green goddess, I'm in awe! Anne, the amount you've cut down is incredible, well done!

Love this freaking bus and all who sail in her.

Whoops, so I drank. But I was sensible and it was only about a bottle over the course of 5 hours - I was out with my mummy friends who are all very 'sensible' so I was never much at risk anyway.

What's bothered me most is my dh texted me at the beginning of the night saying 'be sensible, watch what you drink' etc, like it is the first time this year that I've struggled. He has no idea and that really really annoys me.

Anyway, tomorrow is another day! Love you babes xx

I made it!
Even put Dh half drunk bottle in the fridge. Thank you for the puzzles, I'm off to bed completely af
See you all tomorrow
X

I stuck to the half bottle last night, quite proud of myself! Though dh and I argued so that put a dampener on things. Plan now is to have nothing tonight (will be ok to stick to as I need to drive quite late and I don't touch a drop when driving) and then half a bottle max on Sunday.
Well done gowgirl :)
And claret - that's a good effort for a night out, not bad at all!
Well done everyone!

Good going babes. I'm allowing myself to drink in moderation at weekends after an AF Jan and I am learning two things.

Firstly , I find moderation very hard after the first drink ( no shit Sherlock, might be why I'm here!).

Secondly , the morning after even modest (ish) drinking I feel shit.

Last had a g&t ( made by DP so not as strong as i would make it) and half bottle wine. Not loads right? And I feel really rough today. Partly age I think , partly tolerance gone down. Makes me think I have been hungover for 30 years!

I have tried having one glass with dinner / only one aperitif and nothing else but after that first drink I just cannot not have another.

So I'm back to the old adage : one drink is too many , a million aren't enough.

Ho hum.

Well done cat well done gow!!

I'm with you pop feeling pretty ropey after my drinks last night, woke up at 6am unable to sleep. No fun!!

Checking in

Oh dear - I no longer need to drive so have cracked half a bottle down! Will stop now.

Very quiet on the bus! How is everyone doing?

So my weekends a right off - I had wine yesterday too. 4 glasses over the course of the day (lunch at MILs, then a couple yesterday evening). Very 'normal' drinking for me but I don't want to slip back into bad habits. Think I might scrap lent and go for weekend moderation instead.