Dealing With Post-Trail Depression |
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Post-trail depression is a common experience in long-distance backpackers and other outdoor athletes.
Transitioning from an immersive, months-long experience on trail to everyday life is psychological whiplash.
Psychological recovery following a major mountain adventure is just as important as physical recovery.
There are many strategies that can help facilitate healing from post-trail depression.
Post-trail depression is difficulty adjusting back to “regular” life following a major adventure. Common experiences include feelings of sadness, anxiety, restlessness, loss of purpose, lack of interest in activities typically enjoyed, low energy, feeling easily overwhelmed by everyday decisions, and generally feeling out of place.
Post-trail depression is commonly experienced by long-distance backpackers, though anyone transitioning from a major mountain adventure back to their everyday life can experience this phenomenon.
Put simply, transitioning off trail is psychological whiplash.
Long-distance hiking or any mountain adventure is a wholly immersive experience. The stressors of everyday life fade away. While a mountain adventure can involve complex decisions around risk mitigation, the bulk of daily decisions will center around a few basics: how far to walk, what to eat from your pack, when to refill water, etc.
This is a stark contrast to everyday life, where we are constantly bombarded by information, stimuli, and decisions.
In addition to the adventure itself, you may have also spent weeks or months preparing for the physical, mental, and logistical demands of the trail. After the trip is complete, you may find yourself with large swaths of unstructured time. This can contribute to feelings of purposelessness, lack of direction, and generally feeling unsure of “what’s next.”
It can also feel overwhelming to return to responsibilities and anxieties in everyday life. From the moment the adventure concludes, stressors that were avoidable or non-issues on trail (e.g., finances, housing, employment) suddenly come back to the forefront.
It can feel like drinking from a firehouse as soon as you return to cell phone service.
Long-distance adventures can be a transformational, life-changing experience. This can stir up existential questions around identity, meaning, and purpose. These questions may not have immediate answers, yet everyday life demands constant forward progress and momentum. This can create pressure, anxiety, and overwhelm.
It’s also important to note that these psychological aspects of recovery are also occurring in the context of the lengthy physiological recovery from what was likely an extreme effort. Emotions may feel especially tender while in the earlier phases of physiological recovery.
Luckily, there are many things that can help with post-trail depression.
Be gentle with yourself.
Patience and self-compassion are critical in the early phases of post-trail adjustment. Outdoor athletes tend to fall into perfectionistic thinking traps and want answers right away.
What is needed here is time. Just like you wouldn’t expect to be fully physically recovered within a few days, the same is true for psychological recovery.
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Minimize decisions where possible.
Some decisions may need to happen right away, such as figuring out housing or employment. Other decisions may be less critical and can wait a few months. Take some pressure off yourself by deferring non-critical decisions to a later time.
Even limiting choices for activities such as grocery shopping can be helpful (i.e., “I can buy brand X or Y of yogurt, even if more options exist”).
It’s very likely that your core values have changed since you left for your adventure. Values are the inner compass points and guiding principles in life that are personally and freely chosen. Values clarification exercises can be a useful starting point to understand what truly matters to you at this juncture, which can inform action.
Find ways to connect with nature, community, and movement.
It is likely that these are three aspects of life that matter to you. While it may look very different to connect with any of these parts of life during your recovery from the trail, staying engaged is crucial. Here’s where it can be helpful to challenge all-or-nothing thoughts:
You may not be able to hike all day, but can you get outside for a gentle walk?
You may not have a strong outdoor community in your hometown, but can you send one text a day to a friend from the trail?
You may not live close to the mountains, but can you visit a local park?
This can take some time to figure out, but it can help to establish new goals – and they do not need to be related to physical activity or the outdoors. Learn a new language, try a pottery class, or plan a trip to visit a friend. It helps to have something to look forward to in the future, and to tap into other parts of identity aside from athletics.
Know that you’re not alone.
Many individuals struggle with reintegration back into everyday life. Talking with trusted supports (especially friends from the trail) can help alleviate feelings of shame or isolation regarding the experience you’ve been having.
Understand the line between difficulty adjusting and clinical depression.
When post-trail depression doesn’t let up within a few months or gets steadily worse to the point it interferes with daily functioning, it may be time to consider seeking out additional mental health support.
Working with a therapist who understands the unique aspects of mental health in outdoor athletes can help.
Some individuals also benefit from medication management for their symptoms.
In sum, post-trail depression is a common experience following any major mountain adventure. Just like the physical aspect of post-trail recovery requires attention, time, and patience, so does the psychological aspect of recovery—and all aspects of recovery deserve care as you journey back into everyday life.
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