Sober So Good in Tokyo
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 3
Sober So Good in Tokyo
Sorry about the thread title, had to get that pun out of my head, its been bugging me for ages!!
Well I better start by saying hello to everybody,
I've been lurking here for about three months now reading all of your wonderful and inspiring posts, waiting for the
right moment for me to tell you my story.
(this is the part where you go and have a pee, grab a hot drink and turn the tv and radio off cos I do go on an on a bit when I get started)
Let me begin by saying that I stopped drinking around the beginning of November 2010.
So it's approximately 9 weeks of being sober.
In the past, I've never thought of myself as being an alcoholic. The reason being that I didn't drink to excess
everyday. I would usually drink heavily at the weekends, and that was it.
I then found myself arriving in Tokyo, then everything changed.
As you may or may not know Tokyo is a 24-hour drinking extravaganza.
Up until recently you could buy cans of beer from vending machines on the street, in fact, I think you still can,
but I haven't seen so many around Tokyo these days. You can also buy from supermarkets and 24-hour convenience
stores.
I found myself a job as a bartender, so this meant I was always in the vicinity of alcohol and also the bar that I
worked at encouraged us to drink with the customers.
So we was basically drinking, six days a week with our Sundays off.
As you can imagine, it was a very messy state of affairs. But I was young (27) and I didn't think it would affect me.
Sure, I had the most horrendous hangovers, you could ever imagine, all sorts of terrible withdrawal symptoms. The
whole lot. But I still continued to drink. I never drank in the mornings, I only drank at work.
I left the bar industry and became an English teacher, this is quite normal for most people, travelling around Asia,
and stayed with this job for around three of four years.
In this time, I would often go out drinking with my buddies, but never thinking I had a problem.
Then I got bored with teaching and wanted to go back into the bar business again and I found a job through a friend
of a friend.
I was probably working there for no more than two or three months when I started to drink heavily again.
I would often finish my shift and continue drinking in a bar somewhere pass out in the street, wake up and shuffle
to work in same clothes , reeking of alcohol.
It's only while I'm writing this, looking back, how scary and horrifying it all sounds.
To cut a long story short, I was very good at my job of the happy bartender always making the customers feel
fantastic. I had many great ideas to improve the business, BUT couldn't control my drinking.
I got fired. (Let me think.) A total of around seven or eight times...... FROM THE SAME COMPANY!!!
They kept giving me chances and taking me back and I kept taking the **** and letting them down until no more
chances.
This all happened around six or seven years ago and now we go forward to last year.
I finally convince my old boss that I've mended my ways and he takes me back AGAIN.
Of course, I do the exact same thing again, get drunk while on duty, even though he told me if I drink I will be
instantly fired.
Why on earth would I do this to myself? This was the question that I kept telling myself, in fact, now that I think
about it I always used to think this way when this happened (often).
So I'm sitting at home totally screwed.
I've got no money to pay my rent, all in thinking about is how to make money to survive.
This is the worst ever.
I'm going through all sorts of horrible scenarios, obviously the withdrawal from drink wasn't making any think
better or easier.
So I send a few e-mails to him, explaining how bad I feel and could you give me any kind of work doing anything,
just so that I can pay my rent. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything after what happened previously.
But to my surprise, he took me back and now I'm working in the office doing the promotions and events.
And it's working out very well for me.
I've had nine weeks of thinking about drinking thinking about how can I fill the void imagining what I would do if I
go out with my friends. I haven't been out clubbing or to a bar since I stopped drinking.
I know I will have to do it at some point , but the longer I abstain from drinking the easier it feels (I think).
Not quite sure what I'm writing here, but it feels good to say this all out in the open.
Whenever I miss alcohol and its a frequent thought. I think about all the bad things that happened when I drank,all the broken promises, the lying, not seeing my kids because I was too hungover, the paranoia after a blackout, spending money I didn't have. The list goes on and on and on it. Endless.
And this helps me fight my urges.
Sure, I had some great times on drink, but the bad times easily outweigh the good times.
All because I couldn't control myself.I let the drink, take over me.
Couldn't drink in moderation, that was totally alien to me.
This is the first time in my life that I have truly realised I had a problem. I say 'had'because I'm not drinking now, I am fixing the problem.
I still can't get my head around the thought of never having a drink again, but I expect this will be easier as time goes by.
The funny thing about all of this is I work for a pub chain and beer importer!!
So I'm surrounded by alcohol 24 hours a day!
I have to design things based around alcoholic beverages.
But I don't mind that because drinking is fine, it's just not fine when I'm drinking.
To sum it all up, I feel better with myself that I have accomplished something that I never thought I could.
This isn't the first time I have stopped drinking, but this is the right time.
I'm stopping for all the right reasons now.
Before I didn't quit. I just stopped for a while, now I want to quit/stop for good.
Thank you for listening to me
this is available in audio format on Amazon.com just joking...........
It's free on Pirate Bay
Well I better start by saying hello to everybody,
I've been lurking here for about three months now reading all of your wonderful and inspiring posts, waiting for the
right moment for me to tell you my story.
(this is the part where you go and have a pee, grab a hot drink and turn the tv and radio off cos I do go on an on a bit when I get started)
Let me begin by saying that I stopped drinking around the beginning of November 2010.
So it's approximately 9 weeks of being sober.
In the past, I've never thought of myself as being an alcoholic. The reason being that I didn't drink to excess
everyday. I would usually drink heavily at the weekends, and that was it.
I then found myself arriving in Tokyo, then everything changed.
As you may or may not know Tokyo is a 24-hour drinking extravaganza.
Up until recently you could buy cans of beer from vending machines on the street, in fact, I think you still can,
but I haven't seen so many around Tokyo these days. You can also buy from supermarkets and 24-hour convenience
stores.
I found myself a job as a bartender, so this meant I was always in the vicinity of alcohol and also the bar that I
worked at encouraged us to drink with the customers.
So we was basically drinking, six days a week with our Sundays off.
As you can imagine, it was a very messy state of affairs. But I was young (27) and I didn't think it would affect me.
Sure, I had the most horrendous hangovers, you could ever imagine, all sorts of terrible withdrawal symptoms. The
whole lot. But I still continued to drink. I never drank in the mornings, I only drank at work.
I left the bar industry and became an English teacher, this is quite normal for most people, travelling around Asia,
and stayed with this job for around three of four years.
In this time, I would often go out drinking with my buddies, but never thinking I had a problem.
Then I got bored with teaching and wanted to go back into the bar business again and I found a job through a friend
of a friend.
I was probably working there for no more than two or three months when I started to drink heavily again.
I would often finish my shift and continue drinking in a bar somewhere pass out in the street, wake up and shuffle
to work in same clothes , reeking of alcohol.
It's only while I'm writing this, looking back, how scary and horrifying it all sounds.
To cut a long story short, I was very good at my job of the happy bartender always making the customers feel
fantastic. I had many great ideas to improve the business, BUT couldn't control my drinking.
I got fired. (Let me think.) A total of around seven or eight times...... FROM THE SAME COMPANY!!!
They kept giving me chances and taking me back and I kept taking the **** and letting them down until no more
chances.
This all happened around six or seven years ago and now we go forward to last year.
I finally convince my old boss that I've mended my ways and he takes me back AGAIN.
Of course, I do the exact same thing again, get drunk while on duty, even though he told me if I drink I will be
instantly fired.
Why on earth would I do this to myself? This was the question that I kept telling myself, in fact, now that I think
about it I always used to think this way when this happened (often).
So I'm sitting at home totally screwed.
I've got no money to pay my rent, all in thinking about is how to make money to survive.
This is the worst ever.
I'm going through all sorts of horrible scenarios, obviously the withdrawal from drink wasn't making any think
better or easier.
So I send a few e-mails to him, explaining how bad I feel and could you give me any kind of work doing anything,
just so that I can pay my rent. To be honest, I wasn't expecting anything after what happened previously.
But to my surprise, he took me back and now I'm working in the office doing the promotions and events.
And it's working out very well for me.
I've had nine weeks of thinking about drinking thinking about how can I fill the void imagining what I would do if I
go out with my friends. I haven't been out clubbing or to a bar since I stopped drinking.
I know I will have to do it at some point , but the longer I abstain from drinking the easier it feels (I think).
Not quite sure what I'm writing here, but it feels good to say this all out in the open.
Whenever I miss alcohol and its a frequent thought. I think about all the bad things that happened when I drank,all the broken promises, the lying, not seeing my kids because I was too hungover, the paranoia after a blackout, spending money I didn't have. The list goes on and on and on it. Endless.
And this helps me fight my urges.
Sure, I had some great times on drink, but the bad times easily outweigh the good times.
All because I couldn't control myself.I let the drink, take over me.
Couldn't drink in moderation, that was totally alien to me.
This is the first time in my life that I have truly realised I had a problem. I say 'had'because I'm not drinking now, I am fixing the problem.
I still can't get my head around the thought of never having a drink again, but I expect this will be easier as time goes by.
The funny thing about all of this is I work for a pub chain and beer importer!!
So I'm surrounded by alcohol 24 hours a day!
I have to design things based around alcoholic beverages.
But I don't mind that because drinking is fine, it's just not fine when I'm drinking.
To sum it all up, I feel better with myself that I have accomplished something that I never thought I could.
This isn't the first time I have stopped drinking, but this is the right time.
I'm stopping for all the right reasons now.
Before I didn't quit. I just stopped for a while, now I want to quit/stop for good.
Thank you for listening to me
this is available in audio format on Amazon.com just joking...........
It's free on Pirate Bay
Last edited by Tokyo; 01-10-2011 at 05:43 AM. Reason: cos I can
Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 782
Welcome Tokyo - good to have you with us.
It's amazing the variety of paths that bring people here. The insanity of alcoholism seems uniform across cultures, continents and generations but we are always learning more.
Well done on your 9 months and good luck on your journey!
It's amazing the variety of paths that bring people here. The insanity of alcoholism seems uniform across cultures, continents and generations but we are always learning more.
Well done on your 9 months and good luck on your journey!
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Tokyo
Posts: 3
Yep, you can say that again.
How is London these days?
Haven't been back home for quite some time.
Miss the snow.....
Wish it was 9 months......9 weeks.....
and to think you got a lighthouse as an avatar....tsk...
How is London these days?
Haven't been back home for quite some time.
Miss the snow.....
Wish it was 9 months......9 weeks.....
and to think you got a lighthouse as an avatar....tsk...
Dismember
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: The Mitten, USA
Posts: 1,641
Also, welcome Tokyo.
I can imagine it would be tough keeping things in control there. Sounds a lot like Las Vegas or the "microbrewery capital of the USA" where I live. But sobriety can happen anywhere. It's not so much exposure to alcohol that is problem but the will to use it.
Congrats on nine weeks! You'll see plenty more, I'm sure you can ("K, you shoo can!" ... my bad attempt at trans-linguistic pun.)
I can imagine it would be tough keeping things in control there. Sounds a lot like Las Vegas or the "microbrewery capital of the USA" where I live. But sobriety can happen anywhere. It's not so much exposure to alcohol that is problem but the will to use it.
Congrats on nine weeks! You'll see plenty more, I'm sure you can ("K, you shoo can!" ... my bad attempt at trans-linguistic pun.)
to the family!
Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 114
Hey Tokyo:
Welcome. Glad you made it!
Have you tried any AA meetings (or something similar) yet? It has been my own experience (and it is different for everyone) having the face-to-face interaction with fellow alcoholics. There is just something about the immediate bonding that occurs between people who know EXACTLY what you are going through. No judgment, no preaching... just a sincere desire to help and be helped.
Have you found The Big Book yet? Captivating reading, my friend. It explained what I was facing, and how I could correct my course, better than anything I've ever come across, anywhere. And trust me, I have a MOUNTAIN of self-help books to prove it. LOL!
Your employer, it seems, would probably support you in all your efforts to stay sober, even if that would mean leaving work for a meeting???? Obviously I don't know... just throwing it out there...
I, too, used to feel 'sorry' for myself at the thought of never drinking again. But after this last 'stunt' in my life, which led me to AA, I really have no problem with that thought. I don't dwell on it, but... I've had my time with the booze. I'm 44, a bit further down the path of life than you... however, at this stage in my life, I'm ready to go do something else now. I have no idea what that might be yet, but to even have the OPTION to go do something else... sober... is an exciting thought. For me.
Anyways, love your sense of humor, and your insights. Please keep coming back!
Welcome. Glad you made it!
Have you tried any AA meetings (or something similar) yet? It has been my own experience (and it is different for everyone) having the face-to-face interaction with fellow alcoholics. There is just something about the immediate bonding that occurs between people who know EXACTLY what you are going through. No judgment, no preaching... just a sincere desire to help and be helped.
Have you found The Big Book yet? Captivating reading, my friend. It explained what I was facing, and how I could correct my course, better than anything I've ever come across, anywhere. And trust me, I have a MOUNTAIN of self-help books to prove it. LOL!
Your employer, it seems, would probably support you in all your efforts to stay sober, even if that would mean leaving work for a meeting???? Obviously I don't know... just throwing it out there...
I, too, used to feel 'sorry' for myself at the thought of never drinking again. But after this last 'stunt' in my life, which led me to AA, I really have no problem with that thought. I don't dwell on it, but... I've had my time with the booze. I'm 44, a bit further down the path of life than you... however, at this stage in my life, I'm ready to go do something else now. I have no idea what that might be yet, but to even have the OPTION to go do something else... sober... is an exciting thought. For me.
Anyways, love your sense of humor, and your insights. Please keep coming back!
Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31,179
Welcome to SR ((Tokyo)) - congrats on the 9 weeks!!
I'm a recovering crack addict and I, too, couldn't think of NEVER using again. I don't really think of it in terms, like that, anymore. I just keep doing it one day at a time, and they've added up to a few years.
Glad you're here!
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
I'm a recovering crack addict and I, too, couldn't think of NEVER using again. I don't really think of it in terms, like that, anymore. I just keep doing it one day at a time, and they've added up to a few years.
Glad you're here!
Hugs and prayers,
Amy
Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 521
Welcome to SR. It is a tool that has been very helpful in helping keep me sober. It has been alittle over 60 days for me. But, I am hopeful that this time it is the time that will stick for me. I am grateful that whenever I have come here I have been accepted for who I am and everyone has always listen and offered the advice that I needed. Anyway welcome to the group.
My husband would be jealous of you he wants to go to Japan SOOOO bad. He loves everything about the Japanese culture. Wish I could visit!
My husband would be jealous of you he wants to go to Japan SOOOO bad. He loves everything about the Japanese culture. Wish I could visit!
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