LostinJapan

I have to say, I am thrilled with the amount of support available online! I live in Japan...hours from the nearest city, not that I even speak japanese, so I've been sort of freaking out about how to deal with this. I've just recently admitted that I REALLY need to take charge of my drinking (by cutting it out altogether, since it's a bloody silly thing to do), and have just hit 5 days sober. Not an easy feat given that I had 2 drinking parties (yep, really called this) for work this week. And they aren't optional. Anyways, I felt great for the first day or two, but generally feel sick now....foggy messed up head, lethargic, nauxious...actually it all seemed to get the worst today. Is this normal? 5 days in? I actually didn't think I drank enough to get withdrawal (2-6 beers a night 5 nights a week. ok, been closer to 6 more and more lately.)
Anyways, any help, advice or suggestions would be hugely appreciated. Thanks

phoenix

Welcome and congrats on 5 days!

I'm sure what you are feeling is normal enough.Not sure what to suggest as far as whether seeing a doctor is an option.If it is,it wouldn't hurt to check in just to be sure everything is ok.

The good news is that those feelings won't last,and you should start feeling better soon.Meanwhile,get plenty of fluids, eat well,and get plenty of rest.You are recovering and it's important to treat yourself accordingly.Keep us posted

phoenix

marilyn s

Hi,
I lived in Kobe Japan when I was 15 & 16 years old. I didn't become an alcoholic until my 20's but I can certainly understand your delema. I remember being able to go out and buy alcohol at any time any place even at that age. I also remember how much the Japanese liked to drink. I did a search on ***** and there are sites for English speaking AA meetings there. Try www.aajapan.org. You can download the language text. Of course it helps if you're near a big city, I don't know how deep into the rice patty you are. Mean while at least you can do meetings online, and get support through this board. I'm sure you'll find lots of people who would like to e-mail back and forth (including myself) and I've even found a couple of sponsers online. I loved living in Japan, I had a great time...I hope you do too. Hang in there, you'll start to feel so much better soon.

Jimz

My reference indicates that

"Alcoholic tremors 1. occur within 12 hours of the last drink. 2. May subside within 3 to 4 days or progress to a more severe state. 3. Symptoms: a) Movement disorder, coarse general tremor, perception changes b) GI upset, sleep disturbance, anxiety, hypervigilance. "

LostinJapan:

If the above describes you after 5 days of total sobriety, you probably should consult a medical person just in case you are progressing to a more severe stage of withdrawal. Make sure you are eating well and drink plenty of water (I know this part from first-hand experience -- however, I have been lucky and have had mild withdrawals. Each person is different.)

Cheers -
Jim

LostinJapan

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for your replies and support! Well, here I am day 6, and still kicking. I do feel better today. At least better spirits! I think a lot of my probs are psycho-somatic.
I spent a lot of time last night researching withdrawal, and got myself all worked up and panicky. Apparently the worst symptoms, if they are gonna appear, show up 84 hours later at the latest...so I should be golden. I would love to go to a doctor...if it wasn't sucha hassle here! I haven't found any who speak a lick of English yet, so i wouldn't know how to tell them anything beyond "i have a headache". Anyways, just freaking
out a bit as this is my first (and last!) time quitting, so I don't
really know what to expect.
Marilyn, I live faaar into the rice paddy. My village has 4000 people in it, we are kinda isolated in the moutains, and the nearest city, Fukuoka,is 3 hours (or 100$!) away. But Japan is great. It is stunningly beautiful, and the people are amazing. That is, when they aren't trying to grab my bits n' pieces, or stroke my hair on the sly! That's all part of the adventure, tho.
Anyhow, getting email buddies is a fantastic idea. I also have some books and stuff on the way.
Thanks again everyone

Peter

Hi Lostinjapan.Welcome to the forum and it is so good to have you.

If getting to meetings is not easy for you right now then it may be a good idea to hangout here for a while.There is a lot of good support available online,but as soon as you can you should try and get to a face to face meeting.

Enjoy the adventure.Dont let alcohol spoil the experience.

Congratulations on your six days sober.

Peter.