Brave Babes Battle Bus: Sunshine, Roses and Mocktails All Round

[SweetLathyrus]

Hi, I'm SweetLathyrus, Sweet for short, and I've been on and off Gerald the Brave Babes Battle Bus since 2014. Over the years, lots of us have maintained the thread, most of all the lovely Mouse, who has been here since the early days, and still scurries onboard when she can.

The bus is a place of support, safety and occasional silliness for those of us struggling with our relationship with alcohol. Some of us are sober, some are trying to be, some are moderating and aren't ready to give up alcohol just yet.

So whatever your reason for questioning the whys and WTFs of your drinking, hop on board, make yourselves comfortable and join in. Driers and Triers, all welcome.

Summer offers all kinds of challenges for those of us trying to change our relationship to alcohol, pub gardens, summer holidays, school holidays, and apparently there's a big football tournament too. If you want to read where the bus has been so far this year here's the link to the
last thread

And in case you want to know how it all started, here is the link to JWN's original, inspiring thread

The Bus is a bit of a Mumsnet institution, but it has an open door policy, no cliques, no judgement, and the welcome is always warm. So hop on and join us.

Small 'bit of a do-er upper with potential'!

Anyway, I went and tried on one of my graduation choices. Despite being 2, maybe 3kg heavier than this time last year, it fits better because I've lost all of the bloat! So, that's sorted, 1950s vintage style with red petticoats (I like the symbolism of red underskirts in a place of worship ) and red DMs if I feel really brave - wave if you spot me!

BakedBeans you may think getting pissed is the only way to get through a works do, but oh the joy of being the smug one with no hangover and who can actually remember all of the gossip on Monday morning!

Sweet Loving the concept of red underskirts and DMs. Fellow DM girl here, though sadly 50s style does nothing for me as I’m short and end up resembling an ambulant lampshade

Small Doer upper is good. Liking the idea of being a work in progress.

Bakedbeans Sober is the way to travel with the office party, I feel. Oh the smugness and, um, subtle blackmail opportunities later.

Evening Corvid at 5ft1 I probably look like a lampshade too - but one that will kick butt!

Definitely a little more up today - one consequence of being af, I am definitely getting fewer pre-menstrual symptoms, I didn't even realise I was due until this morning. No pain, nothing.

Amen to kicking butt!

And glad AF is paying off in terms of the lessening of PMS too.

Hi!!

Whilst my sleep is TOTALLY upside down and I'm still awake - I've done it. Got rid of all the tablets, spoken to Dr to delete the repeat prescription and got a plan of staying active and doing lots of stretches to relieve my pain.

Daunting but feeling really excited about the future without the fog to deal with.

Had more fun today with my little girl... hopeful x

Morning All.

Great stuff, Filter, make sure you have plans to look after yourself, and support for if it gets tough.

Right, posh frock on, now off to put silly medieval robes over it and be ignored by the chancellor and vice chancellor.

Welcome @Merida, I am also around your age and with toddlers. I totally get it! You can do it.

@nofilter that's great progress!! Yay

I am on antibiotics until Tuesday so am not going to drink at all this weekend. I have a juniper tonic drink, two mocktails and a bottle of fake fizz in the fridge to curb cravings

Day 5 X

I had 2 mini bottles of Prosecco last night and while I did enjoy them I was up for the toilet in the night and my mouth felt like shit this morning. Ugh.

Sweet I trust you rocked both frock and medieval robes. Hope it went well.

NoFilter You’re working hard and it sounds like great progress.

BakedBeans It’s a bummer when the enjoyment comes with penalties.

My day has been one work-related meeting and then very exciting laundry and ironing. Probably the end to the working week I needed though, as it’s been pretty full-on.

Totally crafty. I have come to realise that for everything you think alcohol gives you, it takes more from you. I suppose the decision to be made is whether it’s worth it, and also not being blind to it.

Hit the wine last night ....... 2nd time in 30 the days I’ve been trying for AF which is a lot better than the 3/4 times a week BUT it was only last week & now this week too. I can see how easy it would be to slip back into “well it’s only once a week...then......twice a week....”

Nofilter that’s amazing! Deleting repeat px is a huge step, well done.

Sweet how was the graduation? Is it today you are being a gym bunny?

Merida hi, you have had periods where you have been off it for a couple of days here and there, just keep adding a day at a time.

Googly think I might try your idea of choosing something else to drink but does all the af liquid not result in you being up & down all night to the loo?

Baked it’s never worth it is it? Yet I still keep doing it!

Crafty I hope after a full on week you have a more relaxing weekend.

@bring Yes unfortunately I do go to the loo at least once during the night. I do find I have had a couple of nights recently where I haven't though and it was always every night when I'd had a few drinks so there's some improvement. I'm trying to choose things with no caffeine as that can irritate the bladder and also trying not drink anything too close to bedtime. I found that when drinking alcohol I'd get really thirsty for water just before bed and that made me get up several times before I could settle for the night. I have a young child who likes to wake me several times a night too. I'm a total sleep deprived zombie

Morrisons raspberry mojito mocktail was my friend tonight, and yet another bar of chocolate definitely getting out of the habit of alcohol though, yay! Day 6 for the first time.

Well done googly. I’ve got one of my wee Gordon’s “gin” drinks.

Bringback Try not to be too tough on yourself. It’s a difficult journey (there’s a reason for ‘brave’ in the thread title). My Saturday was, er, busy! A work-related training thing. Planning to relax if possible tomorrow.

Well done on day 6 Googly it’s been ice cream with me no idea where that came from. Never used to like it especially. I think our bodies start wondering where the hell all the sugar (from alcohol) went, hence the sudden sweet tooth.

Hi babes, I am still here on another hangover free Sunday.

Last night my 16 year old DS asked me “what are you? 70?in bed at 9.30 on a Sat night”. CF I am a sleep monster right now but despite all this good sleep after a month I would have expected to have more energy.

How are you doing Crafty? Are you finding it difficult at times or are the new af habits settling in nicely? You are right about the sugar too, the body has suddenly lost a big sugar supply. Enjoy the ice cream, my replacement is Lindt dark choc with sea salt right now

Waves to Sweet, trust, small, ma, googly, baked, bringback, Merida, no filter and all other babes who may be reading. Have a good day xx

Hi, babes, hoping your Sundays are peaceful.

I’m sort of getting on with it, Beaches. I’ve gone through phases of feeling unappealingly smug about having ‘done it’ - well, I haven’t done anything beyond the day at hand. The cliche is apt in that it is a day at a time. I’ve then gone through moods of feeling sad and angry. I bloody like alcohol! I’m royally pee’d off that I can’t seem to handle it in moderation. I don’t know if a period of abstinence might mean I’m then able to moderate but I feel too scared to risk the experiment. Also, one of my primary coping mechanisms just went out the window so any other sad/angry feelings that alcohol was medicating nicely have popped up to say ‘hi’. That said, it does feel good to be normalising a sober meal out or a weekend - and realising it can still be enjoyable.

Hi, I've been a bit of a lurker for a while now, but donning my big girl pants and signing up to the battle bus if you'll have me? I know my wine consumption is out of hand, has been for some time. Now I have 2 DC who I need to stick around for, and who need my wages more than wine does.

As much as I know I have an issue with alcohol, and assure myself daily I'll stop tomorrow, I know I need to make that commitment to someone else to actually carry it through. Right now that can't be DP, so I'm turning to you guys. I hope that's ok.

Hi Grateful, you are in the right place, there is lots of support here and all of us relate to the daily intentions that often go wayward. You sound ready for a break from the cycle of drinking, you may have already completed day 1, if so, well done, if not, today’s the day!

Crafty yes to all of your thoughts all the ups and downs, sometimes smug, sometimes meh and sometimes royally pissed off. I do know every single morning I am grateful not to have drunk the night before.

Nice to have you on board, Grateful. I’m quite new here myself and very glad I stopped lurking and hopped on the bus.

Beaches Yes, that is the main thing that sees me through low moments - I had started to really dislike who I was when drinking (not that I started random fights or did anything overtly awful, just the aspects of my personality alcohol seems to magnify).

And I’ve also been sleeping for England since going AF! It’s beginning to feel normal to have an uninterrupted peaceful night’s sleep. Took me ages to stop feeling tired in the day though. I’m just turning a corner and starting to feel more energetic - back to the gym?!

Today is planned as day 1. I never drink in the day, but once it gets to evening, which seems the most hectic part of the day, the urge to grab the wine bottle to de-stress starts. I always think I'll just have one, but that's never the case. So this is it, I've got to stop. The guilt I feel at the thought I might not be around for my kids if I carry on like this is horrendous.

I hope I can be some support for others on here too.

Good luck with day one, Grateful and me too with managing fine during the day but not in the evening. Lots of treats help. Nice bath bombs being one of mine Sounds silly but does make a difference and is distracting.

Grateful hello....this time tomorrow you will be on day 2. Distraction is key, even if it means an extra early night to avoid sitting with a glass in your hand.

Crafty unfortunately all my treats seem to be calorific! Crisps, chocolate, bread....all the carbs

Day 3....again. 3rd time lucky.

Welcome @Grateful you can do it! I like to have tasty non alcoholic drink in and chocolate, and go to bed early. I go to bed around 9pm every night yet am constantly exhausted, hoping being AF helps but I suspect my youngest sleeping through would help the most!

Day 7! Being on antibiotics was a good excuse to not drink last night as we had an impromptu meal out with friends, but I didn't feel I needed to anyway. Shocked. Am eating sooooooo much chocolate though