It's been a heck of a ride.

Well fuck. Don't really think deleting the account will solve things, but okay.

Leaving a community that has and will bring you joy, won't solve your everyday issues. Been there, done that ...
Good luck and take care.

That's sad news. I hope you will find your way to be happy. Take care.

I know we don't know each other but I hope things start to look up for you soon

Put the bottle away for today, get to bed, catch a good night of sleep, sober up and when you're awake tomorrow, put your thoughts to paper, strategize, analyze, and find out what is the best way moving forward for yourself and for your kids.
Then write down what has to happen to achieve these things.
If, after that, you still think leaving SG helps, do it. If not, delete this topic and stay because you know that there are quite a lot of people here who care about you and are there for you if you need someone to talk.
But for today, turn off the PC and go to bed.

Hey Gaffi,
that's a heavy text.

Are you sure that it is the right time to push a decission for your sg future or not ?
It sounds as you got to the "usual/common" christmas chaos a big bunch on top.
From my own experience i strongly assume that you are more emotional around christmas and new year, so it is often the wrong time to decide something.

Of course you need to know how you feel, how you act and react usually and if you act/react now different and if so, then on top is this positive or negative ? ;o)

Long story short:
I would miss you and see the moment for such a decission as not ideal picked, based on your infos above.

Hold the head over the water and if you need someone to write or talk, then i am always reachable for you.
Contact me anytime on discord or steam.

Not much I can say but if your therapist isn't doing it for you, try looking for another one. Hopefully you'll get out ot this and get better. But right now, I think you're thinking that drastics emotional impulses are the way to go and it usually doesn't end up the way you want.

If that helps, I've experienced something similar in my job a few months ago. Decided to stop trying so hard and started doing the bare minimum to not be fired. Turns out I didn't need to work 45-50 hours a week - I'm currently working around five hours and still getting enough done to not raise eyebrows. With the free time, I've learned to code, played more video games, and started doing daily walks in the park that improved everything else.

Do I still want the promotion they passed me over two times? Yes. But I've decided to prioritize myself and it just feels good. One day they will find out and I'll start my job search again, but until then, I'm enjoying the ride.

Good luck and stay strong

audio books and videogames to fill the void of everyday life, dont know where i would be without them. get bored sometimes, but i always kinda come back around once you find the right games or books. right now doing all of discworld. just trying to consume as much content as i possibly can before i die.

I wanted to open up and vent/let it all out to someone

Please do so. Talk to someone. Preferably in person or at least in voice chat or on phone. Doesn't matter if it's a stranger, as long as they're listening without judging. Don't make rash decisions.

And just in case: if you have any darker thoughts and have no one to talk to in person, please call your national crisis hotline!

In any case I wish you all the best and better luck! I'd miss you here as well.

Hi Gaffi,

I'm sorry to hear you've been going through such a tough time.

If possible, I hope you'll take a moment to think things through. Since you've stepped back from moderating, why not also take a break from gifting and just stick around to join in on the fun occasionally? :)

If your decision is final, just know you'll be missed, and I wish you all the best moving forward.

Sounds like a really harsh time just now for you.

I can't offer much by way of advice but eat, drink and make merry is a good catch all and hopefully an help you out a little.

Always remember that you're not alone and the internet is full of people from all walks of life. There will always be someone who can relate to your predicament.

Best of luck with everything moving forward :)

Others already told you this, and better than me.

But think twice before leaving for good. Sg may have bad sides, but there are also real nice people.

They are not professional theraprists, but they won't make you pay either .

Take some time to ponder your decision, but know that your leave, if you decide to take it, would not go unnoticed.

Sorry you will be missed :(

Sorry to hear that Gaffi. I hope things turn around for you.

So you have a job, a wife and kids. Shouldn't you feel blessed?
You presented all this as if you had to endure the worst of times, while it's actually just standard life experiences.

Your new job might turn out to be amazing. If not, switch again. You don't have to stay for another 17 years. And who knows, your current employer might miss you enough to offer the promotion.
Daily game sessions with your kids are exceptional. Them developing their own priorities has nothing to do with loving a parent less.
And your marriage hasn't ended yet, right? So fix what's going wrong.

I hope you don't mind the "alternative" view. But I don't think that joining the "oh no, how terrible" choir would do you any favors.
And if you still should insist on leaving SG: My best wishes.

I'm sorry to hear how things have turned out for you Gaffi. I think you should still stay on SG and just be less active if it is some kind of distraction for you. I wish you the best of luck in life.

Fuck.

I'm probably echoing some of what other's have said already...

Deleting your SG account seems like a trauma response more than something that you really want to do. You are kinda lashing out at the things that made you happy. I think we can all be guilty of this when life throws more than a few lemons at once. If you need a couple of months away from SG, take that time. Then you'll be making a decision that is genuinely yours.

And if the therapist isn't working out, find another one. Everyone is different, and so you're not going to find every therapist helpful. They need to click with you somehow. And if the next one doesn't work out, find another.

I honestly hope that your new job is the start of something better. I've not stayed anywhere for that long because the only significant raises I got were by switching companies. The carrot on a stick thing is to keep you from moving on. You deserve for this to go well for you after everything. I'm rooting for you!

And your kids will find Dad cool again when they grow past the "my parent's are embarrassing" phase. Teenagers are idiots for a while, then they grow out of it.

Make sure you have that overwatch downloaded on your devices as once teenagers found themselves they tend to try find their parents again. A good old shared fun should help with it.
Take care!

Kids will be kids. Yeah, the grow up, they have other interest, while they are trying to find themselves. I fully expect my daughters to tell me how much they hate me when they grow up, and soon they will tell me, oh, please, oh, please, just stop telling stories, they are grown ups now.

It's a phase. They will also grow out of it.

About your wife, it may eventually be a divorce, maybe you will patch up. Be strong.

About your job, it wil be a challenge. A big one. But if you chose to leave your job, have it clear that at least you are taking charge of your own destiny, as much as is possible today.

That's a little help I thought about giving. If you leave SG, you will be extremely missed. You can just leave unactive the account. Who knows? Maybe one day you can check how the rest is doing

Whatever happens, be strong. At least you have touched some people here.

There is never a good time to make tough decisions, dont beat yourself up on that one. Theres always a holiday, a birthday, etc making it a "bad" time to make the decision. Personally, I found that when I finally made the tough decision, I waited a year or two too long to do it. Your milage may vary so dont do what I do.

Flip side is I've seen several friends, I was sure they were getting divorced, half did, the other half didnt and pulled together to be on the same page and actually enjoy their partner alot more for the respect of both working thru it. Including after the children have left the nest.

Sex... Fuck, thats a tough one on any marriage at so many levels. Especially after raising kids, the marriage may become about raising the kids only.

Marriage is about being compatible and on the same page on basic driving needs. Having each others back. Securing the future as things slow down. Yet still keep the "chase" in the equation to keep the day to day routine on its toes, and keep the competitors outside of the scenary.

Thanks for attending my penny Ted Talk of 60 seconds. I should probably send you a penny for listening.

Well I am certainly not a pseudo therapist like some people around here seem to think they are but for what it's worth life is pretty rough all around. Most people either don't care or actively seek to make things more difficult for other people, it's sad but not much of anything can be done about it. I would just say enjoy life as you see fit and don't worry about other people since that is the status quo. YOLO
Wife wants other men? Dump her, get back in shape and find someone 20 years younger than her. Let her fuck around first though so you don't lose the kids and don't have to pay her anything. Trust me, taking the high road almost never pays off. Play dirty. Fight fire with fire. And find happiness where you can.
Just my 2 cents.

damn. Life is a house of cards?

I hope whatever you decide to do with your life (and with your SG account) turns around for the best