Cheers? Why This Cancer Survivor Sometimes Drinks, Even Though She Knows Better

Two-time cancer survivor discusses why sometimes she still has wine or cocktails.

BY Barbara Tako

PUBLISHED March 07, 2018

Barbara Tako is a breast cancer survivor (2010), melanoma survivor (2014) and author of Cancer Survivorship Coping Tools–We'll Get You Through This. She is a cancer coping advocate, speaker and published writer for television, radio and other venues across the country. She lives, survives, and thrives in Minnesota with her husband, children and dog. See more at www.cancersurvivorshipcopingtools.com or www.clutterclearingchoices.com.

Well, what is the answer? I am trying to find a balance with alcohol. Does consuming alcohol really matter to me? Yes, even knowing that it contributes to cancer! In high school, I was a "good" kid. I didn't smoke. I didn't do drugs. I rarely drank. Maybe that is part of why now, as an adult, I do want to blend in with pack - even after the pack has had a couple of drinks. I have tried to blend with "fake" drinks, but then I discovered that maybe I especially want to blend in with the pack after everyone is more relaxed and cheerier. Is it wrong? Especially as a cancer survivor, I just want to feel relaxed and cheerier, too.
Sometimes I participate in drinking to feel the connectedness (whether real or imagined) with my friends. I even recognize that the dull haze may be merely a semblance of a connection, and yes, I do know more and more studies show that alcohol, even in small amounts, can cause cancer. Clearly there are other ways to find connectedness with people, and yet socializing while drinking remains a pretty big part of our culture.

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