Top 5 happiest life experiences - how many drug related?

[ScotchMist]

Great post Scotchy

The definition of happiness is an odd one. I think a lot of us, me included are not sure how to untangle it in the mix with feelings, emotions and moods....

NSFW:

Emotions are chemicals released in response to our interpretation of a specific trigger. It takes our brains about 1/4 second to identify the trigger, and about another 1/4 second to produce the chemicals. By the way, emotion chemicals are released throughout our bodies, not just in our brains, and they form a kind of feedback loop between our brains & bodies. They last for about six seconds.

Feelings happen as we begin to integrate the emotion, to think about it, to “let it soak in.” In English, we use “feel” for both physical and emotional sensation — we can say we physically feel cold, but we can also emotionally feel cold. This is a clue to the meaning of “feeling,” it’s something we sense. Feelings are more “cognitively saturated” as the emotion chemicals are processed in our brains & bodies. Feelings are often fueled by a mix of emotions, and last for longer than emotions.

Moods are more generalized. They’re not tied to a specific incident, but a collection of inputs. Mood is heavily influenced by our environment (weather, lighting, color, people around us), by our physiology (what we’ve been eating, how we’ve been exercising, if we have a cold or not, how well we slept), by our thinking (where we’re focusing attention), and by our current emotions. Moods can last minutes, hours, probably even days.

No wonder we get confused 8(

YAY.... It has only taken me 2,961 posts for someone to say great post..

You've made me actually happy :D

Great post by you also koneko

And Sadie,

 

[Sadie]

High five to Koneko for making our Scotchy happy! This makes me so happy!!!!

 

[One Thousand Words]

I'm just going to throw this in here, because it seems apt for the way this discussion is going:



George Monbiot, in the Guardian the other day.

What used to make me happy was making lots of money, buying stuff, having "status" and being regarded as "successful".

I think all of that bullshit way of thinking gradually eroded from the moment I took my first ecstasy, was further eroded much more the first time I took LSD, and has been blown out of the water by meeting and subsequently marrying someone who's taken me in a completely different direction. Which I am very much glad of.

I dunno where I'm going with this. But 10 years ago, I wanted a Range Rover because it would have looked cool as fuck. Now I want an old 4x4 because I can go wild camping with it. The experiences are what will make me happy, not the fucking "thing" itself.

You're not the only one having a mid-life existential crisis, Allein.

You do realise you could get yourself a Defender and have the best of both worlds don't you?

Drugs are not happiness, being high is. Unfortunately newtons laws mean drugs also result in unhappy come downs, or unwanted illness if abused.

Some people can suck the fun out of even a fart joke, and that's fine if you want to, but don't be surprised if the rest of us avoid you like the plague because life is too short to worry about problems. To paraphrase Jay Z, you gotta brush that dirt off your shoulder

 

[Sadie]

^^ wisdom has spoken yet again^^

 

[One Thousand Words]

I've been talking to Jesus and he says I'm right

 

[Ismene]

life is shit without drugs?

I probably wouldn't argue too much

But seriously folks, if we look at monbiots suggestion about creativity for example - has creating ever been a route to happiness? John Lennon created a shitload but he was as miserable as sin.

Surely there's a reason why LSD has been successful in treating terminal patients while maybe baking a cake wouldn't?

 

[Sadie]

I probably wouldn't argue too much

But seriously folks, if we look at monbiots suggestion about creativity for example - has creating ever been a route to happiness? John Lennon created a shitload but he was as miserable as sin.

Surely there's a reason why LSD has been successful in treating terminal patients while maybe baking a cake wouldn't?

I've found many drugs spark my creative side. Somedays I think the two go hand in hand. Lets just say I'm a bland bastard these days. Perhaps its the joy you get whilst off your tits and being creative that becomes the real pleasure.

 

[Pagey]

Only one would involve drugs, and that's when I got ego death from aMT. Indescribable.

 

[masaz]

I think most of mine, bar getting engaged and being there when my best mate found out she was pregnant with her daughter (been trying for ages), all of mine are drug related. I can't think of any momentous occasions in my life that haven't been awful or that I would count as the happiest. I could count out five happy non-drug related moments but I have been happier on drugs than I have during those. Mushrooms feature very heavily, as does acid.

That said, I am a lot happier in general nowadays, and while it's not overwhelming like charging about in the snow in your pants chasing rainbows is, it's nicer cos it's a nearly constant thing now. I don't do many drugs any more though I mostly attribute that to growing up, settling down, not being fucking skint and generally not stumbling through life like 'wtf'. So I guess what I am saying is I value that over the drug related experiences cos it's something I've done myself, even if the actual feeling of happiness (euphoria?) was stronger with the drug-related experiences.

Basically

Happiness for me is a very sober thing. And is a daily thing. I find happiness in so many things. I am grateful for the simplicity in happiness.

It never was, but it is now. Ask the same question again in ten years and I'm fairly sure my top five list will maybe include one instance or so that was drug-related. Happiness is a constant but slow burn now with occasional really high points instead of something I could only sort of force through drugs.

 

[One Thousand Words]

John Lennon created a shitload but he was as miserable as sin.

Lennon cheated on Yoko while she was in the next room and she threw him out. He drowned his sorrows in LA, turning into a miserable drunk.

Creative or not, being a douche is universally a great way to fuck up ones life.

 

[bummer]

Lennon cheated on Yoko while she was in the next room and she threw him out. He drowned his sorrows in LA, turning into a miserable drunk.

Creative or not, being a douche is universally a great way to fuck up ones life.

A lot of celebs end up miserable. All the sex, drugs, expensive objects and friends in the world and they just whinge and feel sorry for themselves.

Imo that is one of the things that shows that happiness is a journey not a destination.

I'd disagree with a lot that's been said here. Genuine happiness *is* mostly earned.

For example. People have mentioned having kids. Anyone with functioning genitals can make a kid.
But creating a happy environment where the kids can thrive ? That shit takes work.
Getting a qualification, passing a test, having a nice garden, eating something you grew yourself, loosing weight, gaining weight, blah blah blah the list is endless.

A lot of the good things in life won't just fall out the sky and into your lap.

 

[Tangerine Dream]

The day I gave birth to my baby girl.

Erm, wait that was a dream. Let's go with, acid with friends + 2cb, mushrooms with friends, backpacking across europe with friends drinking lots, MDMA at exit festival with a good friend while the other was nicked and ate bone soup in jail. Florida with family when my dad hadn't fucked off with the local bar maid and I was young enough to appreciate theme parks and old enough to go on all the rides. Or tall enough. Ah memories!

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Happiness is a warm gun...