The Happy RANT THREAD!!!!!!!

[zeitgeist]

i walked out of my job today after three years. it was an incredibly frustrating and discouraging place to have to spend that time, and now that the adrenaline has worn off from wanting to burn the building down, i can begin to celebrate!

[naicob]

i walked out of my job today after three years. it was an incredibly frustrating and discouraging place to have to spend that time, and now that the adrenaline has worn off from wanting to burn the building down, i can begin to celebrate!

Congratulations-- something to be truly happy about!

[A_Northern_Soul]

^ yowza! Well done.

[Mexicola]

Guts! Well done and good luck

[zeitgeist]

thanks you guys

[fujee]

Stickin it to the man! Bet that was liberating. Nice one mate

[Mexicola]

I do need to know, however, did you go out in a blaze of glory (ie. punch the boss, french-kiss that bird from accounts and steal a printer) or simply walk out??

Details! We need details!!!

[Aesthetics]

I'm happy because

I'm discovering loads of great music right now

I quit alcohol after addiction

After years of debilitating depression I feel better now, in part thanks to medication

After an interview I got a job that I really wanted to have, starting next month

The last couple of years I've been working on software which I showed to a Dutch university professor in computer science and he discussed with his research group twice because he was genuinely interested in a collaboration. I feel proud about this because I have only completed elementary school and I'm completely self-taught in everything. You can read more about my project here.

So things are pretty swell

Amazing! Well done and deserved
All the odds are with you Guido. Seems like the stars telling you to move on and giving you all the tools for this new phase, right?

btw, just stumbled upon this. Made me think of you. I think a fair amount of tracks on this release might be of your taste. https://play.spotify.com/album/39J6fvkXanzi5rzLhqUQm3

[Guido]

I'm happy because

I'm discovering loads of great music right now

I quit alcohol after addiction

After years of debilitating depression I feel better now, in part thanks to medication

After an interview I got a job that I really wanted to have, starting next month

The last couple of years I've been working on software which I showed to a Dutch university professor in computer science and he discussed with his research group twice because he was genuinely interested in a collaboration. I feel proud about this because I have only completed elementary school and I'm completely self-taught in everything. You can read more about my project here.

So things are pretty swell

Amazing! Well done and deserved
All the odds are with you Guido. Seems like the stars telling you to move on and giving you all the tools for this new phase, right?

btw, just stumbled upon this. Made me think of you. I think a fair amount of tracks on this release might be of your taste. https://play.spotify.com/album/39J6fvkXanzi5rzLhqUQm3

Wait.. there's more .

I recently got an e-mail from a CEO of a Dutch software company who said my work is "extremely interesting" and other great remarks. He said he's open to meeting me so I will be doing that some time soon.

The next day I wake up to find some mails in my inbox in reply to an e-mail that I had sent to a certain very prominent Dutch technology company who say they are interested to talk with me about my software. I will be giving a presentation to three people of that company next week. Moreover the person who is responsible for recruiting new people there sent me an e-mail he wants to speak after that first talk, not because I applied for a job but apparently since he thinks I'm interesting or something.

I hope the above doesn't come over as bragging. In that case I'm sorry, but I've lived with a massive inferiority complex for most of my life so yeah I'm so happy and over the moon that all of this is happening .

Checking out that music right now..

[fujee]

That's so awesome Guido! How exciting.. good luck!

[Techboy]

Jesus guido i always assumed you had a masters or phd in computer science with that myrrh stuff! colour me impressed!

[naicob]

I'm happy because

I'm discovering loads of great music right now

I quit alcohol after addiction

After years of debilitating depression I feel better now, in part thanks to medication

After an interview I got a job that I really wanted to have, starting next month

The last couple of years I've been working on software which I showed to a Dutch university professor in computer science and he discussed with his research group twice because he was genuinely interested in a collaboration. I feel proud about this because I have only completed elementary school and I'm completely self-taught in everything. You can read more about my project here.

So things are pretty swell

As a fellow addict/abstainer, sometimes depressed elementary school graduate I feel an affinity and genuine happiness for you. Congratulations, everything eventually falls into place.

I snooped around your site and found your chiptunes-- awesome stuff man!

I just had my 2 year 'dry' anniversary a couple of weeks ago after overindulging practically daily for well over a decade-- it was the easiest thing I'd ever done, even if it was hell.

You're an inspiration and sharing your story is great. Thanks.

[North by North]

I'm happy because

I'm discovering loads of great music right now

I quit alcohol after addiction

After years of debilitating depression I feel better now, in part thanks to medication

After an interview I got a job that I really wanted to have, starting next month

The last couple of years I've been working on software which I showed to a Dutch university professor in computer science and he discussed with his research group twice because he was genuinely interested in a collaboration. I feel proud about this because I have only completed elementary school and I'm completely self-taught in everything. You can read more about my project here.

So things are pretty swell

As a fellow addict/abstainer, sometimes depressed elementary school graduate I feel an affinity and genuine happiness for you. Congratulations, everything eventually falls into place.

I snooped around your site and found your chiptunes-- awesome stuff man!

I just had my 2 year 'dry' anniversary a couple of weeks ago after overindulging practically daily for well over a decade-- it was the easiest thing I'd ever done, even if it was hell.

You're an inspiration and sharing your story is great. Thanks.

Congrats on the 2 year. I'm a daily myself- for close to 13 years, though I struggle with what over indulging is. I do 4 stiff whiskeys and coke an evening during the week, and more on weekends. I don't let it interfere with work and know any day could be my last, and love the calming/burning effect to the point where I rationalize it constantly and believe I'd rather do it then live without it. I don't want to quit and have a great amount of respect for those that can. I do take milk thistle, but who knows if that does anything. I also come from a family that has a history of long-term drinking. My dad is like me- can hold it like a champ. And he's 59 and there I go rationalizing it again.

Anyway- props to all of you that have made "the stop".

[naicob]

Congrats on the 2 year. I'm a daily myself- for close to 13 years, though I struggle with what over indulging is. I do 4 stiff whiskeys and coke an evening during the week, and more on weekends. I don't let it interfere with work and know any day could be my last, and love the calming/burning effect to the point where I rationalize it constantly and believe I'd rather do it then live without it. I don't want to quit and have a great amount of respect for those that can. I do take milk thistle, but who knows if that does anything. I also come from a family that has a history of long-term drinking. My dad is like me- can hold it like a champ. And he's 59 and there I go rationalizing it again.

Anyway- props to all of you that have made "the stop".

Thanks!

Regarding overindulgence, I think we have to come to a point of realization on our own, and when we don't quite know, it's a struggle.

I'll use myself as an example, but everyone's experience is different. For the sake of comparison and maybe help:

It was always pretty bad, but for the last few years, starting in the morning I drank 5-8 pints at work and then anywhere from 5-10 after work until I dropped. On many weekends I remember being drunk multiple times a day. I drank beer almost exclusively and always told myself and others "it's just beer", "it's not even alcohol", "I don't drink the hard stuff", "It doesn't interfere with my life/work", "I'm a happy drunk"-- rationalizing, irrationally. The truth was that I preferred beer but I would probably drink fermented deer piss if nothing else was available. I drank at work and clients smelled it on my breath, naturally work suffered. I couldn't do anything remotely social without pre-drinking and almost always ended up being the most or the only one hammered. For the most part I wasn't an aggressive drunk, but there were the once in a whiles where I would go out with the specific intent to fight someone or start trouble or simply throw an unnecessary tantrum at home.

As for family history, both sides are/were filled with alcoholics. Both of my father's brothers drank themselves to death before 50. My father was a terrible drunk and has been slowly and painfully dying for the last 5 years because of it-- he's only 61 and handled it...for a time.

It dawned on me one day that I couldn't function without booze. It still took a few more months to fully cement in my brain after hearing multiple friends/neighbours/strangers tell me to ease up on the liquor. One day it finally hit me like a sledgehammer that I was turning into those same family members who I had thought of with disdain for being alcoholics. I was 30 and it was now or never.

A few words of caution-- don't quit cold turkey unless it's the only way, and consult a doctor before you do (to anyone reading). I had no idea just how addicted my body was to booze and suffered terrible withdrawals as a consequence. My BP shot up to 200/120 for about a month (not good considering my father has had 7 strokes), I has a seizure, panic attacks (which unfortunately haven't completely gone away), hallucinations, and probably could have easily died. On the bright side I haven't had any cravings psychologically, not even at the beginning. I sometimes have a craving for a beer (I love the taste) on a hot day, but it lasts mere seconds.

The lines between liking something and being addicted can become blurred and sometimes we need to put on the some introspective spectacles to notice if we've crossed it.

Cheers!

[rainier]

I'm in a totally different boat quitting again now because it's so rare, but I was super surprised by my physical withdrawal the first time I quit. Since I rationalized so much that I wasn't the kind of drinker who got the DTs I didn't expect it all.

I had only one hallucination when I quit, but it will stick with me forever; I was tossing and turning in bed, obsessing over the millions of ways I'd fucked up my life and made an ass of myself, I couldn't relax or sleep thinking about all that stuff. Then I heard VERY CLEARLY someone whisper "Shhhhhhh" in my ear, and my brain was quiet for the first time in like 10 years, and it lasted for quite awhile

I'm pretty sure it was just a chemical reaction, but it made such an impact on me. I was in so much pain, but that one shush made years of nagging crap seem so small. I don't know at what exact point I went from loathing myself to having my back and completely accepting myself, flaws and all, but it really did feel like a miracle, and I can't imagine ever hating myself ever again. I used to think it was totally normal to hate yourself, now it feels so unnatural to me.

[fujee]

That sounds like a powerful moment rainier, glad you're through it all now. Sounds like you now have a very positive and productive outlook

Big respect to all of you, quitting isn't easy.

[fujee]

That sounds like a powerful moment rainier, glad you're through it all now. Sounds like you now have a very positive and productive outlook

Big respect to all of you, quitting isn't easy.

[North by North]

Naicob- thanks for the words, appreciate it. And happy for you. Glad to hear you haven't had any real craving, that's gotta help.

Rainier- happy for you also. Thumbs up.

[TaoTapeTao]

I'm happy that terrible thread was closed...

[polar sky]

I'm happy that terrible thread was closed...