We talked with:

• Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge, before spending nearly 20 years in the heady world of advertising. Clare worked hard, played hard and drank even harder. By the time she was 46 years old she knew she had to go sober. She started a blog called Mummy was a Secret Drinker by way of therapy. That blog went viral and became a memoir: "The Sober Diaries." Clare then started writing fiction. Her debut novel — "The Authenticity Project" — is a New York Times bestseller and is published in 30 languages. Her second novel — "Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting" — is out now.
• Karen Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., is an associate professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. She's a medical oncologist and researcher. She focuses on breast cancer, particularly immunotherapy, treatments to reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence and using genomics to guide treatment decisions. She received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Duke University School of Medicine and was trained at the Brigham and Women's Hospital as well as Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• Am I an alcoholic? Clare spent a lot of time Googling this question until she realized the better question was "Is alcohol proving detrimental to my life?" The word "alcoholic" has so much stigma it prevents people from getting the help they need for fear of such a serious label. Clare kept trying to moderate her drinking, but when she found herself drinking out of a "World's Best Mum" mug before noon, she realized it was time to quit.
• Breast cancer and alcohol. Alcohol is a carcinogen, and elevates risk of breast cancer as well as other types of cancer. But Clare — as well as many other educated people — have no idea about the link. And it's unclear if alcohol use among survivors increases risk of recurrence.
• The opposite of addiction is connection. Through her blog, Clare found an online community of people like her who helped support her in her drinking recovery. When she was tempted to start drinking again, she thought, "I can't let these people down." If you're thinking of giving up drinking, you don't have to do it alone! There are many people going through a similar journey.

Can't get enough?

• Purchase "The Sober Diaries: How one woman stopped drinking and started living."
  • From Bookshop.org
  • From Amazon
  • From Barnes & Noble
• Want to read more on the topic? Check out our blog:
  • Alcohol is not your breast's friend: Busting myths about drinking and breast cancer
  • Drinking — It's different for women
  • How much is too much alcohol? Go by the numbers, not by feel

Got feedback?

• If you've got ideas or book suggestions, email us at [email protected]. 
• We invite you to complete the following survey as part of a research study at Mayo Clinic. Your responses are anonymous. Your participation in this survey as well as its completion are voluntary. 

The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional for medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.