This week we’re addressing abortion because even though one in three women in the UK will get an abortion at some point in her life, it remains a taboo topic that is much under-discussed and around which there is woefully inadequate information.

Joining Emma-Louise is Alannah Ross, who discusses how her experience of getting an abortion several years ago ultimately prompted her to set up Seek, a platform whose mission it is to transform the experience of all forms of pregnancy loss by bringing together expert-led practices to support, educate and empower healing. 

Emma-Louise is also joined by nutritionist Le’Nise Brothers who specializes in women's health, hormones and the menstrual cycle. Le’Nise shares her expert insight on the hormonal impact of losing a baby and the differing ways she advises the women she works with to care for themselves following an abortion.

Le’Nise also happens to be as obsessed with busting taboos as we are at Daye, hosting the Period Story podcast featuring conversations focused on busting myths around menstrual health. Her first book’, You can have a better period, is out in March next year.

In part 2 of our focus on substance addiction, Emma-Louise speaks to Professor Judy Grisel, a behavioral neuroscientist with expertise in pharmacology and genetics, whose research focuses on determining root causes of drug addiction. She studies sex differences in the role of stress and endorphins on drug reward and works to identify innate factors that contribute to individual differences in the liability toward addiction. 

Professor Geisel has written a book about her personal struggle with alcohol and cocaine addiction, ‘Never Enough’.

In the first part of this episode, we heard from the brilliant writer, Kuchenga, about her experience with alcohol and drug addiction. If you haven't yet listened to that episode yet, we suggest you do right away. 

This week we’re turning to a more commonly discussed, but often greatly understood topic of substance addiction. Joining Emma-Louise to discuss her personal experience with drug and alcohol addiction is writer and journalist, Kuchenga. 

In her own words, Kuchenga is a “Black transsexual feminist whose work seeks to cleave souls open with truth and sincerity”, which is exactly what she does in this podcast episode as she recounts her journey to sobriety and the joy she has found since getting there. 

This week’s episode was so jam-packed with information and insight that we’ve broken it up into two parts, so head on over to ep 5 part 2 for Emma-Louise’s interview with an expert in the field of addiction.