Ann Dowsett Johnston Wrote the Book on Women and Alcohol—Then Started Over
Ann Dowsett Johnston Wrote the Book on Women and Alcohol—Then Started Over

Recovery Rocks

Recovery Rocks features Ann Dowsett Johnston talking about women’s drinking, her shift into psychotherapy, and the healing power of writing. The conversation touches on trauma, community, daily spiritual practices, and how sobriety can lead to unexpected, deeply satisfying lives.

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37:45•17 Apr 2026

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Women, Wine, and Second Chances with Ann Dowsett Johnston

Episode Overview

Women face intense pressure to be perfect at work and at home, and many use alcohol as a quick way to relax and cope.
Recent data shows worrying trends in young women’s drinking, including higher emergency room visits and early liver disease.
Recovery options have expanded, with strong online communities and a growing range of non-alcoholic drinks supporting lifestyle change.
Writing personal stories can help process trauma and emotions, whether or not publication is the goal.
Simple daily practices such as short journalling, gratitude lists and card pulls can support mental health and creativity in recovery.

“The universe has a better imagination than I do when I put down the glass.”

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Recovery Rocks brings together co-hosts Lisa Smith and Anna David with writer and psychotherapist Ann Dowsett Johnston for a smart, funny and very honest chat about women, alcohol and second (or third) careers. Ann shares how her landmark book, *Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol*, ended up being re-released for a mass-market audience years after its 2013 debut.

She talks about predicting that women would catch up with men in drinking patterns, and how the latest data on young women’s alcohol use is, in her words, “terrifying”. You’ll hear her explain the pressures of perfectionism, the “big fat lie” that women’s lives would get easier, and why so many collapse into the nightly ritual of “hurry up and relax”. The conversation then shifts to recovery and what’s changed since Ann first wrote about this topic.

She highlights the growth of a loud, vibrant sobriety movement, a huge range of non-alcoholic options, and communities like The Luckiest Club, where she now hosts a women’s meeting after feeling shunned in her former 12‑step home group. For anyone curious about writing their story, Ann’s memoir course “From Memory to Memoir” gets plenty of airtime. She explains how writing can help “excavate what’s under your ribcage”, whether you’re aiming for publication or simply trying to understand your life.

The trio compare practices like daily journalling, gratitude lists, tarot cards and short “field notes” as practical tools for recovery and creativity. The episode closes on the unexpected gifts of long-term sobriety: grandchildren, real connection, and lives that look very different from the glamorous fantasies alcohol once promised.

As Ann puts it, “The universe has a better imagination than I do when I put down the glass.” If you’re sober, sober-curious, or itching to write your story, this conversation might spark your next brave step.

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