I Was a Secret Drinker with Clare Pooley
Addiction and alcoholism can take many shapes and forms, yet addicts' experiences can be strikingly similar and, in this episode, Daniel is joined by Clare Pooley, an ex-secret drinker to open up about her experience of alcoholism and sobriety.
Clare talks about her viral blog “Mummy was a Secret Drinker”, her background in advertising and how that world fed her addiction, as well as how she has remained sober for over 7 years. Clare also talks about her memoir “The Sober Diaries” and her recent New York Times Bestseller book “The Authenticity Project”.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Clare’s blog was a ‘black comedy’ about her secret drinking, she didn’t expect it to go anywhere but within 2 years she had over 3 million hits. With addiction, it takes more and more over time to get the desired effect. This is why the amount of a substance used can creep up so easily on people. No one told Claire she had a problem with alcohol, she managed to keep her addiction hidden easily. The advertising scene in the 00s was very centred around drinking, it was just how things were done. This certainly impacted Clare’s attitudes around alcohol and was habit forming too. There are a lot of little signs that can signal a problem with alcohol, including drinking along frequently, googling about your consumption and any form of self-medicating. Asking yourself if you are an alcoholic or even an addict isn’t the right question. What you need to ask yourself is if the alcohol or addiction is impacting your life negatively. Being sober allows you to present in every day, effectively adding years to your life.
BEST MOMENTS
“The thing about addiction is everyone's experience of addiction is similar”
“I didn’t want to quit drinking, I thought my life would be over”
“What you should be asking, is if alcohol messing with my life?”
VALUABLE RESOURCES
CONTACT METHOD
ABOUT THE GUEST
Clare Pooley
Clare Pooley spent nearly 20 years in the heady world of advertising, working hard, playing hard and drinking harder. In 2015 she realised that her alcohol consumption was out of control and quit drinking. She started writing 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 turned to fiction. Her debut novel - The Authenticity Project - was a New York Times bestseller, a Radio 2 Book Club pick, was translated into 30 languages and won the RNA debut novel award.
The People on Platform 5 is Clare’s second novel. Insta: @clare_pooley
Twitter: @cpooleywriter
ABOUT THE HOST
Daniel O’Reilly
Daniel O’Reilly is one of the UK’s Largest Influencers, a comedian, actor, musician, viral video star and social influencer. With a portfolio of businesses Daniel enjoys a busy lifestyle mixed with business and pleasure. Daniel is a father to two beautiful girls and enjoys spending quality time with them and his wife Shelley. With 2022 being a busy year, Daniel sold out his O2 stand-up show, released his British movie 'The Last Heist' and is currently preparing for the upcoming release of his other film 'Miss The Kiss'. Daniel is a creative through and through, with a passion to strive in everything he does. Daniel is looking forward to the release of his podcast 'Menace 2 Sobriety' in 2023, his long-term position on GB News, Headliners, and the growing slate of films in the works with his production company, HYPRR.
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Daniel O'Reilly's newest venture sees the creation of his Menace 2 Sobriety podcast, a series of relaxed and open conversations with different guests and varied experiences.
After recently being diagnosed with severe ADHD and beginning his sobriety again, Daniel also set up a page on Facebook and Instagram called 'Men And Their Emotions' (M.A.T.E) an accessible, open and supportive group for MEN to post their feelings, thoughts and current life issues. Upon seeing the responses from men around the world to some of the posts on the group he was blown away and continues to be touched by the kindness and support offered by strangers. This all led to Daniel wanting to start up his own podcast and invite guests to join him in opening up about past experiences and talk about all things mental health, family & sobriety.
The podcast will see Daniel and his interesting guests' sharing their personal stories and learning experiences that they hope will help other people; whether it encourages one person to ask for help, talk to family about their struggles with getting sober/clean, or realise that they aren't alone. The Menace 2 Sobriety podcast has been created by Daniel to help people fight their own gremlins.
