The Brave Babes Battle Bus - Braving The Wine Witch & Her Alcohol Free Autumn

[Mouseface]

Hello

I’m Mouse one of the Brave Babes who ride on this wonderful Bus, called Gerald, along with all the Opal Fruits wrappers and of course Barry The squid.

We all have a wise variety of life experiences and experiences with alcohol too. We’re not admirers of hang overs and we certainly don’t do judgey pants!

We’re here to ride along with you, when life is pants but also when it’s not as well and you my want to celebrate that bit too much!

So find a seat and come take a ride. I’ll link the previous and also the very first link and the reason we’re all here.

*Mouse

Im doing dry jan Welshcake, Its a great tool too see how well you are doing and pute the fact right about calories, money spent etc.

Im replacing drink with excercise, gym...good food, magazines, proper nights sleep, no h/over...

I would like to hop on if I may? I drink every night, usually a large glass of wine and then three or four large vodka and diet cokes. I have no idea what this equates to in units, and I rarely feel "drunk" or behave in a way that causes embarrassment.

If I go "out out" with friends I will drink more but then so will they and it's that whole getting drunk together thing, but tbh that happens about once every 4/6 weeks so I don't think that us my problem.

My problem is the dreadful habit I have got into of drinking every bloody night. My father was an alcoholic and died of liver failure. Under my eyes is quite yellow most mornings - this is bad isn't it?

I have a good job and a lovely home and two fabulous young adult DC. I don't know why I do this to myself.

I have also put on about two stone which I attribute to the drinking and the eating that goes with the drinking.

I guess Dry January is the best place to start?

Hi everyone, lurked on this board many times but finally jumping onboard!
Been AF now for 2 weeks - so managed my first ever Christmas without a drop, next step is my first ever sober NYE..... need a firm handhold for this!!
Your stories are inspirational and motivating, great to be connected with everyone. Thank you

lastnamefirstfirstnamelast that sounds good! Well done! It's going to be hard For me but I'm going to try this too :)
rothbury I have put on weight too :( I feel like poop! I question why I need it the way I do too. Yes, Jan is a great place to start.
LuluBellaBlue what's AF? You are doing great! I have a half bottle in my fridge and actually thinking shall I just pour it down the sink. I was going to make new years eve my last evening but reading your post....do I need it?

deffo dry jan and start now! Friday doesnt feel like a friday does it? the urge to drink could be less?

Lulubelle, download the app, it looks like it can really help xx

Afternoon All. I've been hiding in the sidecar for most of December, just trying to get the Christmas booze out of the house, one glass at a time (not nearly as positive as ODaaT).

I didn't manage to get into my new dress (put on 6lbs over Dec instead).

So, I've downloaded the app, upped my gym classes, and I am just treading water until the 1st.

Oh and my NY resolution is to stay on here all year without disappearing!

Welcome welshcake lulu and rothbury...there will be too many new babes to namecheck so don't feel offended if you aren't mentioned. the thread gets very busy at this time of year. Please please keep posting and make yourself heard over the dull roar. many people will be reading the thread and cheering you on, even if your name isn't mentioned. It is chucking it down with snow here which is fine but not sure how I am going to get DM to the doctor tonight if I can't get the car out. ...

tried to download Dry january app but it shows data I put in last year when I used it. How do I clear it, or can anyone recommend a different one?

Sorry, can't help with the tech, Ma, I didn't get anything from last year. Can you delete and try a Facebook or Google login instead?

no worries sweet just re-registered under a new name

dementedma Thankyou :) yes I will keep posting and reading. I will try to keep up! Good luck everyone and well done to those who have already bonked booze on the head!
I think this thread will be great support.

AF is alcohol free.
For those who are daunted by Dry January, go for a Drier January. I have never managed to do the whole month, but manage a lot more AF days than usual. it all helps.

Welcome lastname, Welsh and Rothbury, just wanted to second what Ma said, keeping reading and keep posting, people are cheering you on, even if they don’t cheer you on by name. I often disappear for months on end, but I am still reading most days, I just don’t post much.

Welsh, wine is not your best friend, that’s just what it wants you to think. It’s actually a chain around your neck and if you can manage some time away from it, starting with Dry January, you will realize how much better you are without it! Rothbury, my Grandad was a violent alcoholic who died unloved and alone, I remind myself of his fate when I need sone motivation to stay AF.

Sweet, lovely to see you, your NY resolution is a good one! I might try that too. Mint, you ok? Lulu, well done on your first AF Christmas, I’m here for hand-holding on first AF New Year’s Eve, it’s mine too!

Hi to all other Babes, hope you’re all ok. Great to see you Ma, you are an excellent one-woman welcoming committee for the newbies. Big hugs to my girls Elba and Spanna. Day 133. Today I will not be drinking.

margie good to see you! You totally and utterly rock!

Welcome all who are new posters, or de-lurkers, or re-joiners. And of course a big hello to regulars or intermittent riders.

It's a tough time of year, yet it is also a positive time and an opportunity to start to change.

Margie32 I really hope so. I have never gone as far in to finding out. I hope I find somehing to make me feel the way wine does.
Thankyou all for the welcome 😊 this is my new start!

Hello everyone and welcome new poster.
Great to see sweet and margie again.

I managed to have a very moderate Xma. It really helped not having the ex here. No need to seek oblivion!

I'll post properly soon. Tomorrow is my 1 year bus anniversary and life is so different a year on.

Dry January can be a great time to reset, if it's too daunting think of it as Try January and do your best

Thank you everyone for the hellos! Haven't figured out how to reply or bold people's name yet.
Will def download the app now and yes I meant alcohol free when I put AF
Good luck Margie also for AF NYE.
I'm so glad this thread of support is here

razorboy I hope you are ok I saw your other thread. Thinking of you xx

mint that was my Christmas last year. It was awful I said some awful things to people I really care about. Triggered a real change for me in my thinking about alcohol. Gave up on trying moderating. Have had a few phases of giving up, starting and building up to give up again. Currently af 57 honestly couldn't have imagined a sober Christmas last year. But as awful as last Christmas was it was the catalyst for change. Hope you are ok xx

Morning All.
Margie you're a , Lux your own head-space is your biggest luxury.

Thirteen years ago I made the decision to leave my emotionally and financially abusive ex, it took three months to work out the logistics, another six to get him out of MY house, and left me as a single parent with huge debts, a full-time job and no local family or friends (because he had isolated me, made it impossible to maintain friendships) . Life was SO much easier! The stress and trauma did catch up with me eventually, but I honestly believe if I hadn't got out, I wouldn't be here today. I used to think about suicide when I was with him, because I felt so insignificant and unworthy of space on the planet. I have never told anyone that.

Funnily enough I didn't drink when I was with him, I started to drink as a reaction to the depression that crept up on me after, and his on-going attempts to abuse me in the subsequent years. Since then it has become a habit and a dependency, but life has got infinitely better; a fabulous DH, getting out of debt, getting Ex out of my head.

A therapist once told me that a bout of reactive depression that lasted twelve months would take the same amount of time to fully recover from. I don't know if that is true, but I was with bastard Ex for thirteen years, so maybe I'm completely ready to be me, and free of the last bit of self-mediation in the form of the booze?

Sorry, that's a bit heavy for Saturday morning. Welcome, Lulu, Welsh. Have a happy Saturday everyone.

Im dreading NYE and NYD as its my birthday too. It will be my first proper sober one in about 14/15 years.

Oh and I've just seen this on the DM xx

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5221827/High-flier-Clare-Pooley-knew-booze.html

lulu to bold a name put an asterix immediately before and after the text you want to highlght

On a more cheerful note, SweetDog is finally allowed off lead!