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Writer, actor, and model Yrsa Daley-Ward is best known for her emotionally raw poems about mental health, sexuality, love, grief … and addiction. Having used alcohol and other substances to make life feel “larger,” she talks to Ruby about finding an even fuller sense of self in her subsequent sobriety. In this episode we discuss:
-Using alcohol and other substances to make life feel larger.
-The British drinking culture as an escape from tradition and repression.
-Being brought up in a strict religious family by her grandparents – and learning that her birth father had died of liver cancer.
-Discovering alcohol aged 14 and using it to feel more confident as the only black girl in a white, working class town.
-Storytelling as a way to explore the darker parts of ourselves and to feel less alone.
-The role of substance abuse in the archetype of the tortured artist.
-Saving the feelings you’re trying to manage with alcohol up for the next day.
-Quitting drinking to prove to herself that she didn’t need alcohol to be confidence, funny, and creative.
-Different theories about what happens when we “black out” from booze.
-Seeing our drinking histories as all part of a process of self-discovery.
-Finding community and togetherness in the 12-step program – and all the things that make up her sobriety tool kit.
Discover more about Yrsa and her work HERE and follow her on Instagram @yrsadaleyward.
This episode was created in partnership with Seedlip. Use the code SOBERCURIOUS at Seedlipdrinks.com for 20% off your online order and follow @seedlipsocial for recipes and more.
