I’m in a tough spot socially and financially, some of my choice and some of not. One the one hand I wouldn’t have been here without a social lubricant, but on the other it’s forced me to plateau in life. How does one try to find a niche to work on oneself when it’s so hard to find a mutual acquaintance at best.
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You can attend an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting via online. Just go to their website. I hope you give it a chance.
Alcohol is a time displacement activity. It pushes aside all the other things you could be doing leaving you with just unavoidable necessities like your job. It’s no mystery why the Japanese govt came out and encouraged people to drink more recently when statistics showed a reduction in alcohol consumption. Heaven forbid that the serfs might develop interests outside of their daily grind.
Boozing has a hard time limit anyway. It’s easy to drink in your 20’s and 30’s but after that, it really starts to impact your health and ability to function. Better to step off like a gentleman at your own discretion now than find out later that you need to quit because it’s wrecking your life.
A big problem with quitting is you find you’ve got nothing to do because you don’t have any activities developed to fill the time now available to you that used to be filled with carousing in bars or sinking chu-hi’s at home. You’re gonna need a hobby or activity that fills the gap or you’ll just drink out of boredom.
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Just make it your mission to go sober. Do it for yourself mate. Many people drink because they think alcohol helps them deal with stress and anxieties when in reality alcohol itself creates stress and anxieties – especially the hangovers. It’s a poison that society somehow has decided is socially acceptable. Just be done with it and you might find healthier pastimes where you can meet new friends.
Alcoholics Anonymous operates in Japan with English groups (both in person and online).
If you’re looking for a social support group to help you give up drinking they’d probably be a good place to start.
https://aajapan.org/english/
It’s not that it’s hard to get acquainted with people, it’s that Japanese people are generally risk adverse, which is also applied socially. It can definitely be broken down over time if you are forward to people who socially reciprocate with you. For example, I’ve made some friends from the gym I go to from small talk and slowly pushing a relationship forward like anywhere else. In my experience, bar friends here don’t really stick either and will often also be struggling with these anxieties that are causing them to rely to alcohol to socialize. I hope this helps, Good luck!
Fill your free time up with things that you can’t do while/after drinking. New hobbies, sports, social engagements, volunteer opportunities, religious/community groups, whatever interests you. You won’t have time to drink. As a bonus, you’ll meet people.
If you’re sick (shaking, vomiting) when you go without drinking, see your doctor for a referral to a hospital specializing in addiction treatment. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal.
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Danshukai/æ–酒会 is the Japanese version of AA, your area may have a group, look it up.