WHO says no booze til you hit Menopause ..... AS IF!

@Cath62 yes, very similar. I’m just reading a book about the effects of emotional stress on the body, and it definitely causes inflammation, which basically sets your body up for diseases. One of our biggest enemies is inflammation, which is why I take a turmeric supplement every day. I used to drink it as tea but it’s too disgusting. Another thing I’ve read that you mentioned is low vit D levels. I’m fair so stay out of the sun, and I’m pretty sure my levels were quite low too, and that’s another supplement I now take. But the main cause of these things is also stress. That’s when the body can’t function properly and goes all out of whack. So of course our cells will start to go haywire in those situations. I also got terrible facial acne when the panic attacks started, roughly 2 years before I was diagnosed. And I had problems with heavy periods. I believe that’s when my first tumour started growing (it was grade 1). Nothing I tried worked. Then I was diagnosed, had surgery and a month later acne gone all on its own. I couldn’t believe it. I asked my first surgeon if it was connected and he said no. I ask myself now and the answer is yes, cos I know myself a lot better than he does. To be fair, I agree with the WHO about excessive drinking etc. I believe it def causes a lot of harm to the body. And im glad they recognise a burn out as something serious which we should try to avoid. I’m just annoyed when, as you said, they mostly target women, and even sometimes use that as a main cause, and not just the WHO. In moderation, I think it’s fine. It’s stress and pent up (childhood) trauma we should be dealing with first. 

Hi @FLClover, your story is much like mine. I raised my son on my own for 20yrs. I suffered prolonged long term stress all that time with intense work pressure, being a sole parent with an ex husband who contributed nothing but $21.67 per month, toxic family at times, deep trauma of the past with many health issues to deal with and on and on I could go. I was so burnt out. Burn out is also something recognised by the WHO. I did use alcohol sometimes to relax and socialise but most definitely my body had suffered much inflammation from all the stress. I had 3 melanoma too prior to bc and each time a melanoma was found i had been through an increased period of stress. I also noticed with both my melanoma diagnosis and bc that my vitamin D levels were very low.  I do think drinking excessively increases the risk of all illnesses and certainly the WHO is probably right to advise people whst the recommended amounts are for both men and women but they seem to target women mostly with the messaging. 

I was having a difficult decade, which culminated in the last two years before diagnosis being extremely stressful and me being badly burnt out from work, almost having a nervous breakdown and uncontrollable panic attacks. Heightened general anxiety and dealing with all the narcissists in my life. Went into depression, lost motivation and couldn’t feel happiness anymore. I’m 99.99% certain that was the cause of the bc. I was actually thinking during that time that I needed to get help before I got a disease, but it was so hard, so there you go 🤷🏼‍♀️. I’d been eating well for a few years already, in an attempt to avoid getting anything nasty, but once again 🤷🏼‍♀️. I’m so lucky that I found it early though. I’ve made some significant changes since and now I feel content, also when I feel happy it radiates through my whole body. It’s weird but so wonderful 😊. Much better than not feeling anything at all, except stress and anger. So I’m not sure what the WHO or other doctors want to say, but from MY experience I know it wasn’t the food I was consuming, and def not alcohol since I don’t drink.  

Like @Cath62 I believe my BC was from 8 months of extreme stress (involving the courts) ... who really knows ?

Yes I was stressed too, from working too hard all the time

@Halla I also had HRT treatment approx 2 years before breast cancer.  I feel stress and HRT added to my risk.  I am a social drinker.  

MicheleR said:

Ive always been a social drinker only. I dont drink at home at all and post treatment plan to limit to special events. Yeah its a risk factor but actually when i went through chemo i drank a lot of water and i found hydrating properly really good and im keeping that - seems slightly in conflict with drinking.

I think bc is probably related to hormones. I had a lot of hormone issues and i suspect was oestrogen dominant. In tge 5 years before bc i went off all birth control and emotionally it was a roller coaster. Maybe this contributed to stress or ability to manage stress? 

 Why does one person get it over others, who knows but cancer isnt a modern day problem, mummified egyptians have been found with cancer i read somewhere. Modern day stressor are probably different and could contribute but any number of things could. 

Why do our cells grow out of control and not get killed off in some people. I have friends who have alway binge drank and they are seemingly fine   

I think its a kind of silver lining that i now am choosing different things, managing stress is one of them. I knew my lifestyle was hurting me but i felt stuck. Could lifestyle have affected my hormones, yes i think so. 

I think I was oestrogen dominant too, and/or PCOS. I always struggled with hormones and PMDD, painful irregular periods, acne, hursutism. That’s probably why I self medicated with the pill, and drinking etc. I also got unexpectedly pregnant at 43 and miscarried. Hormones always have been all over the shop. My mother was the same and had fertility treatment to have me, and failed to have any more kids after me.

I wondered about the WHO advice and whether it is about the disease risk for women themselves rather than potential damage to babies. I drank regularly for most of my life and I accept it increased my cancer risk, along with smoking earlier in life, not having children, taking the pill for 20 years and HRT for the last two before I got cancer. And being overweight. Oestrogen overload all of it. I knew I was taking risks though and did those things anyway.  I never think “why me?” I think “obviously me” I would have been surprised not to get it at some point!!

Ive always been a social drinker only. I dont drink at home at all and post treatment plan to limit to special events. Yeah its a risk factor but actually when i went through chemo i drank a lot of water and i found hydrating properly really good and im keeping that - seems slightly in conflict with drinking.

I think bc is probably related to hormones. I had a lot of hormone issues and i suspect was oestrogen dominant. In tge 5 years before bc i went off all birth control and emotionally it was a roller coaster. Maybe this contributed to stress or ability to manage stress? 

 Why does one person get it over others, who knows but cancer isnt a modern day problem, mummified egyptians have been found with cancer i read somewhere. Modern day stressor are probably different and could contribute but any number of things could. 

Why do our cells grow out of control and not get killed off in some people. I have friends who have alway binge drank and they are seemingly fine   

I think its a kind of silver lining that i now am choosing different things, managing stress is one of them. I knew my lifestyle was hurting me but i felt stuck. Could lifestyle have affected my hormones, yes i think so. 

Well I have always enjoyed a drink or 2. Sometimes I have over indulged and sometimes I have none. I don't believe alcohol caused my bc. I believe stress caused my bc. I had the perfect stress storm about 18 months pre bc. So now, post my  active treatment I love a great glass of wine with a meal.