Today we have Taku. He is 44 years old, lives in Tokyo, Japan, and took his last drink on September 25th, 2021.
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You may have noticed there is a new podcast intro and outro song on this episode by our very own Pablo Church. The song will be available on Spotify and Apple Music next Monday, October 16th.
[03:40] Thoughts from Paul:
Paul reminds us of the difference between sobriety and recovery. Sobriety means not drinking alcohol, but simply removing alcohol doesn't necessarily address the reasons someone drank in the first place. While sobriety is an important step toward health and healing, recovery goes deeper.
Sobriety is abstinence, staying away from something. Recovery is abstinence, and getting to the root of unease that caused you to reach for the drink in the first place. Recovery is the opposite of a dry drunk but just being sober oftentimes goes hand in hand with being a dry drunk.
Recovery is creating a life where alcohol isn't needed. Ask yourself, are you sober or are you in recovery?
[09:07] Paul introduces Taku:
Taku currently lives in Japan and works in translation for an American company. He is married and they have no children. For fun, they enjoy specialty coffee and Taku enjoys playing music and attending live concerts.
Born in Japan and raised in the United States, Taku grew up navigating two cultures and languages. He often felt like he didn't quite belong, and social anxiety made it difficult to feel comfortable in his own skin. At 15 or 16, he discovered alcohol and immediately felt at home. Drinking eased his anxiety and made it easier to connect with people.
What began as a social lubricant escalated in college, where blackouts became part of the picture. After moving back to Japan and entering the corporate world, Taku relied on alcohol to transform from a reserved professional into the funny, outgoing guy at night. Losing his belongings and regretting things he said while drinking became familiar, but he rationalized the consequences.
In his late 30s, Taku transferred to Los Angeles, where his drinking intensified. He drank nightly and regularly drove drunk. During a vacation with his wife, he drank so much that an argument in a taxi led to police involvement and a night in a Riverside County jail. His visa was later revoked, and he quit his job and returned to Japan. Despite these consequences, he continued drinking heavily.
On September 25, 2021, Taku went out with his wife and friends determined to drink "like a gentleman." Instead, he blacked out again and received an angry text from his wife. The next morning, he finally recognized the cycle he had been repeating since his teens: drinking, making mistakes, apologizing, and promising to quit. He began to wonder what life might look like if he simply took alcohol out of the equation.
Taku found Paul's TED Talk and the Recovery Elevator podcast, which helped him commit to exploring sobriety. Two weeks later, he attended his first AA meeting in Tokyo. Despite his nervousness, he found a welcoming community where he could share the parts of his story he had hidden from others without being judged. Connecting with people who understood his experience helped him realize he didn't need alcohol to be himself or to feel that he belonged.
In his first year, Taku thought his drinking problem wasn't severe enough to require a sponsor or the 12 steps. Eventually, he recognized the value of facing his inner struggles and found a sponsor. Now, more than five years sober, he reflects on how accepting help and finding connection helped change his life.
Taku's parting piece of guidance for someone thinking about quitting drinking: "it gets easier, and it gets better."
Recovery Elevator
We took the elevator down.
We got to take the stairs back up.
We can do this.
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