post tour depression reddit

11 Ways to Beat Your Post-Travel Depression

It's the moment practically everyone dreads: the end of an amazing trip. Returning home, whether from a two-week-long vacation or a multi-year round-the-world trip, can hit you hard, and this post-travel depression can affect everyone. Sometimes it can even begin in the days running up to the end—you always end up feeling a little sad in the days before heading home. As well as a sense of depression, other symptoms you may experience include lethargy, loss of appetite, a lack of motivation, feelings of nostalgia, and—a great way to cope —immediately researching your next trip.

In all seriousness, though, post-travel depression can seriously affect your mental well-being and last for as long as weeks or months. One huge reason why this is the case is that travel is transformative . After you've explored the world, you'll feel like a different person, but everyone you return to can be the same. 

So, what can you do to prepare yourself for post-travel depression, and how can you minimize its effects? These helpful tips will help you get back on track and prepare for another journey.

Keep Busy During the Final Days of Your Travels

© Marco Bottigelli / Getty Images

The last thing you want is for the end of your trip to be overshadowed by a sense of sadness about it coming to an end. To overcome this, make the final few days of your vacation the busiest of the entire trip. This means booking yourself in for classes, taking tours, going shopping for souvenirs, and taking long walks. It helps to keep your mind off the fact that you'll be returning home soon and keeps you enjoying the place you're currently in.

If Possible, Don't Return to Working or Studying Immediately

Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images

Nothing makes you feel like you've returned to reality with a bang than returning home and immediately throwing yourself back into your old routine. This won't be possible for everyone, but if you're one of the lucky ones, aim to give yourself a few days to transition back into everyday life when you return. If you can't take extra time off, it might be worth arranging to end your trip on a Friday so that you can have the weekend to yourself. 

This time will allow you to overcome your jet lag , unpack and do your washing, catch up with friends, or even sort through your memories. Take your time decompressing and the depression won't hit you as hard.

Catch Up With Friends

SolStock / Getty Images

Let's face it: listening to other peoples' vacation stories can be pretty boring, so talking to friends about your trip for any real length of time can be a challenge. When you're battling the post-travel blues, though, this can be a blessing in disguise. Meet up with a friend and chat about what you've been up to in your time apart. Sure, you'll get to share stories from your travels, but you'll also hear about the fun things they've been up to while you've been gone. This will help keep you distracted and lessen your attention on how you wish you were still abroad.

Attempt to Maintain the Mindset of a Traveller

Hinterhaus Productions / Getty Images

When you travel, you'll often find yourself with a different mindset. On the road, you may be all about trying new things, signing up for fun experiences, and eating as much good food as possible. But when you live somewhere, you tend to eat at home, fall into a routine, and rarely sign up to try anything new. This lifestyle definitely doesn't help to boost one's mood. 

Keep the buzz of excitement that comes with travel alive by maintaining the mindset of a traveler. Take a cooking class in your hometown, continue with surf lessons, take a dance class or two, and treat yourself to a nice meal every couple of weeks or so. 

Travel in Your Backyard

J.C. Leacock / Getty Images

Who says that travel has to end when you return home? After returning home, plan to explore where you live as if you were a tourist. Take a walking tour, jump on a tour bus, take a cooking class, visit the most famous monuments, and take tons of photos. You could even plan a museum-hopping day to learn more about the history of your hometown. 

After traveling and returning home with this mindset, you might find that your hometown is a fascinating place to visit.

Share Your Photos With Friends

Teera Konakan / Getty Images

Relive your vacation by sharing your photos with friends on Facebook and Instagram. It'll make you feel as though you're being productive and cheer you up as you look back on your happy memories. Be careful with your privacy settings if you're not comfortable with sharing your vacation with the entire world, though.

Re-Read Your Travel Diary or Travel Blog

Westend61 / Getty Images

Many love to keep a record of those life-changing moments during their travels. If you decided to keep a travel diary or blog throughout your trip, spend some time reliving the best experiences and looking back on what you learned when you return home. 

If you didn't want your writing to take away from your trip, now could be a good time to start a blog. You can reminisce about the best parts of your journey, share your thoughts and feelings about coming home with your friends or anyone else who stumbles upon it and use it as an opportunity to go through and edit your photos. 

Find a Place for Your Souvenirs

David Cleveland / Getty Images

If you purchased souvenirs on your trip, spend time organizing them and working out where to place them. It'll help fill your home with happy memories and inspire you to keep seeing the world.

Start Planning Your Next Trip

JGI/Jamie Grill / Getty Images

One of the best ways to take your mind off the post-vacation blues is by planning your next trip. Start by sitting down and coming up with a list of everywhere you dream of visiting. Next, start coming up with a plan for how you can make it become a reality. With a new focus in your life, you'll have something to keep your mind off of your previous trip.

Start Taking Care of Yourself

Luis Alvarez / Getty Images

When we travel, it can be hard to take proper care of ourselves. Maybe you ate out for every meal and are feeling unsettled from all that rich food; maybe you spent two weeks lying by the pool while letting your exercise routine fall apart, or maybe you spent every night drinking and dancing and are desperately craving a good night's sleep. 

Travel isn't always great for us, so take your return home as an opportunity to start caring for yourself. Decide to eat healthily for a while, join a gym, run, head to a spa, or get an early night. Taking good care of yourself should help reduce your post-travel blues.

Help Out Other Travelers

Tony Anderson / Getty Images

While traveling, you likely ended up relying on the kindness of strangers at multiple points throughout your trip. Whether it was a friendly local who helped send you in the right direction when you were lost or someone at the hostel reception who gave you a fantastic restaurant recommendation, you were probably grateful multiple times for the help others gave you. 

Aim to pay it forward after you return home by helping out tourists who are lost in the place you live. If you see someone staring at a map on their phone and looking confused, ask if you can help them. Suppose somebody makes eye contact with you—smile and ask how they're doing. If someone looks obviously like a tourist, ask if you can do anything to help. You could even spend some time browsing some forums online to see if you can answer any strangers' queries about places you know well. 

It'll keep you busy, help you get back into the routine of chatting to other travelers, and make you feel good about how you're helping others in their times of need. 

Tips and Advice for Dealing With Homesickness

The 11 Best Restaurants in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Vang Vieng Tubing - Less Drinking, More Fun

Why Cruising Solo Is Worth it

Tips for Traveling Solo With a Tour Group

20 Solo Trips in 2020: I Traveled Solo During COVID-19

7 Personal Benefits of Travel

Vacation Countdown: 17 Smart Things to Do Before Leaving Home

9 Reasons to Travel Solo in 2021

Hurricane Season in Mexico

10 Gift Ideas for Those That Love Africa Travel

The Best Destinations in 2019 for Group Travel

Where to Go in 2020: The Best Places to Travel This Year

Responsible Travel in Africa: The Complete Guide

8 Travel Books Our Editors Are Reading Now

Disneyland Tips

Here are 6 ways to combat post-concert depression, so Swifties and the BeyHive alike can feel better after the show

• Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Beyonce's Renaissance Tour have fans in a frenzy.
• After the buildup of such an exciting event, it's normal to feel down.
• Having something else to look forward to can help.

This summer hundreds of thousands of people have spent hours fighting for tickets , picking their perfect concert outfit, talking excitedly with friends, and ultimately watching their heroes — Beyonce or Taylor Swift — live and in person. 

But after the anticipation, effort, and excitement of a monumental concert (or another big event), it's normal to experience a slump or even depression-like symptoms, says psychologist Michele Leno . 

"It's a feeling of 'now what am I going to do?'" Leno said. "It shows up as doom and gloom and a lack of motivation after the event."

The symptoms are typically mild and don't usually get to the point of actual depression, Leno notes. Still, it can take effort — and sometimes professional help — to get back on track after an exhilarating experience like a concert. Here's what Leno recommends to help yourself feel better. 

Identify why the event was so meaningful

Fans have spent months looking forward to, and maybe even obsessing over, their concert date. Sometimes, it can feel like your whole life revolves around the buildup to a big event. So once that passes, you can feel left without direction. 

Leno recommends thinking about what drives you. Get beyond the awesome show, and think about why the concert (or other big event) made you so happy. Then, you can plan more ways to tap into that feeling. And remember, this doesn't mean just clicking purchase on more concert tickets, but really reflecting on what drives you as a person. 

Related stories

"It has to come from inside first," Leno said. 

Tap into your happiness

Hopefully, your concert experience was everything that you hoped for and more. In that case, extend the happiness it gives you. 

Like this first step, this involves some reflection. What made you most happy? Dressing up? Spending time with friends? Listening to live music? Embrace that and find ways to have more of that positive excitement in your life — even on a smaller scale. 

"These events are reminders that happiness is ours to claim," Leno said. 

Show up for yourself

Showing up for an artist you admire is wonderful, Leno says. But it's also a way to show up for yourself — the art you love, the concepts you believe in, and the activities that bring you joy. Keep that self-care energy going even after the concert ends. 

"It's like a self-care moment, focused on you because you're pouring into yourself," she said. Make more of those, whether it's getting drinks with friends or buying a new outfit that makes you feel confident. 

Live vicariously through others

Leno says that when your show has passed, there's always a chance to live vicariously through others. This is also a great strategy for people who weren't able to secure tickets. Rather than feeling jealous or FOMO when you see social media posts about the concerts, try to take a moment to enjoy what your friends are showing you, Leno says. 

Ignore those who don't get it

Leno says the same people in your life who might not have understood your excitement about the concert likely won't understand your letdown afterward. But that's OK. And the fact that they don't get it doesn't make your experience any less real. 

"Ignore the naysayers," Leno said. "Until they experience it."

Reach out for help if you need it

If you're really feeling the blues, reach out to other people, Leno says. Sometimes it's enough to talk to others who went to the concert with you. They might be feeling the same way. 

In other cases, talking with a therapist is a good idea to manage the transition, even if it's just once or twice. 

"Sometimes, needing help is temporary," Leno said.

Watch: Everything you missed in Taylor Swift's 'You Need To Calm Down' music video

• Main content

What post-concert sadness means for people with depression and the healthy ways to cope

So, you’ve made an upcoming concert your personality for months, assembling a unique outfit, planning transportation and memorizing the lyrics to every song in case your favorite artist performs it. 

You’ve already exceeded budget limits but none of that matters because you’re seeing Taylor Swift or Beyoncé live surrounded by fans who’ve done the same. The show is everything you’ve wanted and more until it abruptly ends. What then? 

People use the term “post-concert depression” to describe the dreadful feeling the morning after the performance of their dreams. Motivation, concentration and excitement are down and they are begging to go back to yesterday. 

While a grim mentality for most, post-concert sadness can feel far more agonizing and last longer for people with depression. Dr. Douglas Mennin, clinical psychology professor at Columbia University said the end of a highly anticipated event can attack multiple aspects of functioning. 

See photos: Beyoncé's eye-popping outfits she's wearing for Renaissance World Tour

“It's hard for them to see that the thing that has been good will be around again,” Mennin said. “There's a sense of ‘this won't happen again. I won't be able to get back to that.’”

The time after a highly anticipated concert ends can be emotionally brutal because of the intense change during and after the concert. Whether or not someone has major depressive disorder, the relative difference between the high of the concert and the low of the next day is extreme, Yale University psychiatry professor Dr. Seth Feuerstein shared.

He added that he’s worked with athletes who experience a similar disturbance when a major sporting event ends.  

“I might be an Olympic athlete or in the Super Bowl. When you speak to people who've been in these extremely high experiences, they are extremely resilient people. But they often describe the moments after the lights go off for that event as some of the most challenging for them,” Feuerstein said. 

How anticipation can drive joy in people with depression

The idea that depression prohibits people from experiencing happiness all the time is false. There are various mood fluctuations that can occur whether someone has chronic low-grade depression or anhedonia, Mennin said.

He added that joy from anticipation around an event can look different for people with some form of depression, whether that’s difficulty staying happy due to anxiousness or quickly returning to negativity when the event ends. 

Mental and physical health: Exposure to air pollution increases risk for anxiety or depression. What can you do?

High excitement for a concert can give people high dopamine releases that they continue to crave when the show is over, psychotherapist Dr. Crystal Burwell , who owns a practice in Atlanta, shared.

 “When it's not there, regardless of what this stimulus is in our brain, it doesn't matter what it is, it could be a concert or anything else, our brain doesn't differentiate that. It just gives us those same symptoms of 'I feel sad, I feel depressed,'” Burwell said. 

Attending more concerts isn't the answer

Feuerstein said that if someone with depression finds the energy and access to do things that give them joy, even at a lower level than before, they should do it. 

However, relying on a concert or vacation still weeks away, is not a reliable way to live life, Burwell shared. She discussed treating a client whose depression made it difficult to leave home and be social. In a case like that, Burwell recommends working on simpler small tasks like grabbing coffee. 

“I wouldn't say the answer would be to go to multiple concerts, it may be to put yourself in a position that requires you to leave the house and be social,” Burwell said. “Getting her nails done or getting her hair done, those are kind of superficial things. But the part of the self-care that we're focusing on is what forces her to get out of the house and interact.” 

Mennin said that while grieving the ending of a highly anticipated event is not the same as losing a loved one, they both can bring pain and a perception that happiness isn't as achievable as before. It’s crucial to feel loss without giving into the false belief that you'll never reach that high again.

“Living life is important despite its challenges. And health is the ability to surf those waves. So enjoy that experience when you had it and have good memories of it,” Mennin said.

Proactive vs preemptive anticipation

There is a healthy way to anticipate something fun. We can anticipate proactively by getting excited for an event but by also living in the present, Mennin shared.

Preemptive anticipation is when someone relies on a future event to carry their emotional stability and adds high stakes for it to be flawless, Mennin added.

“It's hard to do. Make sure that concert is great. It has to be the best it can be. You see this in wedding planning or things where people feel there's no room for bad things to happen.” Mennin said. It is crucial to our health to hold onto the exciting and potentially scary aspects of an event simultaneously.

Dr. Kelly Greco, a clinical psychologist at the University of Southern California, said people with depression can have an all or nothing thinking process where they convince themselves that an event like a concert will change their life, which can be troublesome. 

“Whereas we want to look at it as ‘I'm grateful that I had this opportunity, it was positive, and I can still keep the memories alive' and still be part of the fan base and the music and still have those good feelings even without being in the concert arena,” said Greco. 

How to cope with post-concert blues

Here are what experts suggest are healthier approaches to moving forward after a big show.

• Find ways to remember the night fondly. Going on walks while listening to your favorite artist's discography or watching a show can be healthy outlets for keeping the happy memories with you, Feuerstein shared. Watching all the photos and videos taken from the night can return the joy, Greco shared.
• Plan more consistent exciting activities. Having to wait weeks or months to enjoy life is not a healthy response. Greco recommends planning fun moments on a frequent basis to help ease into the daily grind of real life. Going to a concert is just one activity that someone made a meaningful experience that you “can't put all your eggs in one basket," Burwell shared.
• Avoid isolation: Isolating from others due to post-concert blues can make the negative emotions worse, Feuerstein mentioned. Surrounding yourself with others is a superior coping method. 
• Don’t depend on social media to cope: “Seeing other people at the concerts can actually make me feel more distant from it,” Greco said. While tempting to spend hours watching other people at a concert on Instagram or Twitter, Greco said it can feel isolating to see other people watching your favorite artist perform without you present. 
• Allow other activities to be less exciting. Mennin said it’s beneficial to accept that future activities may not be as exciting as the one you spent weeks looking forward to. You should try to find things that are “half as fun or a quarter of fun” rather than believing that nothing else is fun. “If they're able to say, ‘okay, well, this is not gonna be as good, I'll go anyway.' they might find that they actually experienced positivity much more than they expected. So that sense of uniqueness of a concert or something else might not be as true as they think it is.”

Thanks for visiting! GoodRx is not available outside of the United States. If you are trying to access this site from the United States and believe you have received this message in error, please reach out to [email protected] and let us know.

5 Ways to Overcome Post Tour Depression (PTD)

26 Feb 5 Ways to Overcome Post Tour Depression (PTD)

I haven’t told anybody this until now, but after my 1 month tour down the Pacific Coast, I was a victim of Post Tour Depression. Bicycle Touring 101 had a guest post from Hank Raines who talked about this briefly after his cross-country tour with two of his dogs, and the Bicycle Hobo also mentioned this phenomenon  in general terms.

I was back for 2 weeks from my trip. I ate out with all my friends and family. I told and retold my stories about my trip. I was so excited to be in my own bed. Eating food from my refrigerator. Cooking on my own stove. Drinking clean water from my kitchen. All the luxuries of life that I took for granted until I started my bike tour was now back in my life. That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt sad.

My life was now confined in my home and dealing with the trivial, but necessary things in life. The simplicity of life on the road was no longer the case. I have options now. I am not bounded by the limitations of where my bike takes me. I am bounded by the unlimited food options that I can get to with my car. I am like Jeremy Renner in the Hurt Locker when his character returns home and feels overwhelmed by the amount of choices that he now has. Simplicity is ideal when you are bike touring.

I remember thinking, “What now?” My everyday life started to feel insignificant compared to how I lived on the road. On the road, I was writing my own story. The same story that I’ve told my friends over and over again. I have to admit, getting myself back to doing something productive, like updating this blog was tough the first few weeks even though I was somewhat consistent with my blog posting on the road. I pushed through it and a few things helped me snap out of this brief moment of Post Tour Depression.

1. Unpack and Clean

Photo Credit: Darwin Bell via Compfight cc

The first thing I did when I got home from my Pacific Coast tour was pull out all my gear, put them away, and do laundry. The feeling of being home helps prepare you mentally. It reminds you that this is the destination that you’ve been looking forward to while on the road. You get to put away your clothes in your closet. You get to wear other clothes, like t-shirts and jeans.

I also took some time to look over my bike and clean it. I told myself that this is it. My bike is clean and ready to be put away.

I believe the sooner you can unpack and clean, the sooner you can get back into your day-to-day life and adjust quicker, thus shortening the window of the PTD.

2. Do Nothing

Photo Credit: xpressx via Compfight cc

After all that cleaning and unpacking is done, I give myself the option to just do absolutely nothing. I spent a week sleeping in and just relaxing in between lunch and dinner appointments. It is absolutely necessary for one to take the time to readjust on all levels: physically, mentally, and spiritually.

That is why I think it is important that when you are planning your own tour, be sure to leave some time at the end for you to unwind like I did before going back to work. I would imagine that getting into work immediately after a bike tour wouldn’t be productive.

3. Call Someone on the Trip

Photo Credit: Amarand Agasi via Compfight cc

Something I think that would’ve helped, but I did not do, was call someone up from my trip to talk about the tour. I think if we both talked about how we were feeling after the tour, things may have been better just to know that we are on the same page instead of feeling alone with this sense of loss. You both can finally relate to one another and talk about the trip nostalgically.

I highly recommend that you get contact information with folks you meet on the road. A quick chat on the phone or Skype can truly help you through tough times and shorten that window some more.

4. Go On Rides

Salsa Vaya on top of the Verdugos

What helped me further was my friend Evadne finished her ride 2 weeks after I did. Because her trip was cut short in Ventura due to her bike being stolen at the Emma Woods campground, she was motivated to finish her ride. She bought a single speed from Craigslist, and we spent time riding around Los Angeles as a way to train, as well as show her a side of LA from a biker’s perspective.

This allowed me to play tour guide to a place I call home, and it provided me with a bit of adventure, exploring parts of the city that I wasn’t familiar with. This helped me assimilate faster to being home. When we finally decided to take the train down to Ventura to finish Evadne’s ride, I felt the familiar feeling of being on a bike tour once again. This time I camped back home.

Go out and ride your bike once you’re done with doing nothing at all. The endorphins from the bike ride will kick in and help fend off any PTD symptoms.

5. Plan the Next Trip

Photo Credit: Alex Clark via Compfight cc

After a month back, I started to think about the next bike trip. That was when the idea of doing a fall foliage trip came to mind. I’ve never experience a New England fall, so I decided to start thinking about the trip. I eventually talked to Evadne again and found out her friends were also going to do a fall foliage bike tour in October. I immediately jumped at the opportunity, and the trip was fantastic.

I knew I was out of PTD because I was already thinking about the next trip. The cycle started again even though the planning was now out of my hands this time around. Taking a page from my experience, planning that next trip may just be the ticket for you to stave off PTD in your life.

Final Thoughts

Post Tour Depression may sound silly at first, but it is a common thing that I hear more about from fellow travelers. Not just of the biking variety, but also people who go on backpacking trips or coming back from a long vacation. Having ways to deal with your PTD will be the key to minimize its impact.

Do you have other strategies to address PTD? Have you tried some of the ways I’ve listed? Please comment below and let me know.

No Comments

BicycleHobo

Thanks for the link and mention about my post. You are quite right that this is a real thing…I experienced it on long bike trips, and after living abroad, once you settle down things start to close in. Stay active…not like that cat [and me]

• Forums New posts Trending Search forums
• What's new New posts Latest activity
• Members Current visitors Trophies

In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

How do you fight Post-Tour-Depression

• Thread starter TShame
• Start date Jul 25, 2011
• Professional Road Racing
• Jul 25, 2011

I watched all of the mountain stages live, including every minute of Thursday's race. I look forward to it every year. I especially enjoy the time trials as well. (I can watch the last 10 minutes of a flat stage and be satisfied.) Every year, starting Sunday, I feel depressed once the Tour is over. I am really happy for Cadel. I picked him to win, Andy second, and third Alberto. ( He doesn't race smart. All of that effort attacking Wed, even downhill for nothing, at best he would have gotten 10 seconds. Then he ran out of steam the next day. Wonder why, duh!) I cheered Tony Martin, even though I know Cancellara is faster when he is rested. I'll be rooting for Wiggins (My original pick for second place) when the Vuelta comes around. So, what do you do for the post Tour blues? Ride a century? I bought a new racing tire, new bottom bracket and new chain lube.  

ericthesportsman6

You do realize that cycling exists outside of July. Next week-San Sebastian classic, less then a month away-Vuelta. No depression necessary. EDIT: Didn't see your comment about the Vuelta  

San Sebastian in a week. Always fun to watch on the Spanish stream.  

I saw every single minute of every single stage, but tomorrow i will get up and watch the Tour de Wallonie, next weekend San Sebastian, then theres Poland, Eneco and countless others. It was a good tour, but its nothing worth getting depressed over.Its only a bike race  

Well to be fair, the Tour does orientate life around cycling slightly more. I know that might seem as a joke coming from someone who has managed to spit out 20 posts a day on average for 13 months, but during the Tour i can read reactions from around the world. The coverage starts earlier. Theres a panel on Eurosport. Its on pretty much from the moment I wake up till about 5 and from then on im able to read articles on websites that usualy dont say 1 word about cycling, and spend more time on the forum as there is far more discussion. So i miss all that, even though im very excited about the Vuelta, Poland, Lombardy, Canadian races, Worlds. Thats when the real depression kicks in though. Also there is no way of watching San Sebastian for me as its the only race ES dont cover.  

I guess its the 21 races in 23 days, then complete withdrawal symptoms. All of my old Tour races, like Greg Lemond's famous time trial victory are all still on video tape. Maybe I'll watch some you-tube videos tomorrow. Any recommendations for you-tube? (besides the girl on bike commercial)  

TShame said: I guess its the 21 races in 23 days, then complete withdrawal symptoms. Click to expand...

Talk about the Vuelta. Should be boosted by all the Tour casualties. http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=13803  

mewmewmew13

AussieGoddess

The other problem is that the better races do come before the Tour. I mean Vuelta is the weakest GT and Lombardy is the weakest monument. Paris Tours is the weakest of the historic classics. Eneco Tour is the weakest World Tour race. Only the World Championships and the Tour of Poland can compete with the importance of races that come before July, and the worlds course is a bit crap this year. Crowd wise its also a bit of a letdown after you see thousands of people packed on places like Alpe or simply as the race goes through towns. The Giro and Flanders can compete with those crowds and the passion but the Autumn races do not. Still in this epic 2010 Season recap video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVVyxDkxezg the best song is reserved for the post July period which means after watching it 50 times i have better memories of the Autumn period from that season anyway. And im really liking this new Colorado project, and those epic Canadian races from last year so maybe the Autumn part of the season is in the proccess of upgrading itself. Edit: watching that video again has got me excited for the Vuelta. And it reminded me why Anton is such a class act. A shame Johnny Walker wont be there but others will I guess.  

For me it's more of a withdrawl type thing. I also get it at the conclusion of the Olympics (particularly summer). Most of the year I watch my races on a crappy web stream alone and when the race is over that's it. Maybe with Flanders, PR, and Giro some guys I ride with will have some interest but aside from that it's a pretty solitary hobby. With the Tour I get coworkers, neighbors, friends/family emailing and calling with all kinds of questions. Has a dog ever casued a crash? Why do they stay all bunched up? How much do those bikes cost? etc...I go out to eat le Tour is on the TV in the Bar. Everyone on the group ride are discussing and making predictionsit's a blast. What do I do to get over it? Usually go out and ride more!  

Go buy beer (good beer, which rules out about 90% of Australian beer) and watch the rest of the cycling calendar. Eurosport don't seem to cover Polonge either, at least in Australia we don't get coverage (not in the past we haven't).  

online-rider

TShame said: I watched all of the mountain stages live, including every minute of Thursday's race. I look forward to it every year. I especially enjoy the time trials as well. (I can watch the last 10 minutes of a flat stage and be satisfied.) Every year, starting Sunday, I feel depressed once the Tour is over. I am really happy for Cadel. I picked him to win, Andy second, and third Alberto. ( He doesn't race smart. All of that effort attacking Wed, even downhill for nothing, at best he would have gotten 10 seconds. Then he ran out of steam the next day. Wonder why, duh!) I cheered Tony Martin, even though I know Cancellara is faster when he is rested. I'll be rooting for Wiggins (My original pick for second place) when the Vuelta comes around. So, what do you do for the post Tour blues? Ride a century? I bought a new racing tire, new bottom bracket and new chain lube. Click to expand...

The Hitch said: The other problem is that the better races do come before the Tour. I mean Vuelta is the weakest GT and Lombardy is the weakest monument. Paris Tours is the weakest of the historic classics. Eneco Tour is the weakest World Tour race. Only the World Championships and the Tour of Poland can compete with the importance of races that come before July, and the worlds course is a bit crap this year. Crowd wise its also a bit of a letdown after you see thousands of people packed on places like Alpe or simply as the race goes through towns. The Giro and Flanders can compete with those crowds and the passion but the Autumn races do not. Still in this epic 2010 Season recap video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVVyxDkxezg the best song is reserved for the post July period which means after watching it 50 times i have better memories of the Autumn period from that season anyway. And im really liking this new Colorado project, and those epic Canadian races from last year so maybe the Autumn part of the season is in the proccess of upgrading itself. Edit: watching that video again has got me excited for the Vuelta. And it reminded me why Anton is such a class act. A shame Johnny Walker wont be there but others will I guess. Click to expand...

craig1985 said: Go buy beer (good beer, which rules out about 90% of Australian beer) and watch the rest of the cycling calendar. Eurosport don't seem to cover Polonge either, at least in Australia we don't get coverage (not in the past we haven't). Click to expand...

Spend the first week post tour catching up on sleep and making it up to my wife, who gets forgotten about this time every year!  

I feel the let-down, too. However, I know that around the corner is one of my other favorite wastes of time - fantasy football. It takes a bit of mind-bending but soon I will care less about cycling and more about football stats. Of course, that wont stop me from riding, watching world cup mtn biking, etc. its good to diversify!  

auscyclefan94

I feel sad after the tour, it is just a shame that the biggest event in cycling ends even if the tour is dissapointing. I don't know why but I always feel sad.  

There are plenty of great cycling races, but nothing quite compares to the Tour. Not necessarily because of the quality of racing, but because of the magnitude of the event.  

Swabian Lass

The Hitch said: The other problem is that the better races do come before the Tour. I mean Vuelta is the weakest GT and Lombardy is the weakest monument. Paris Tours is the weakest of the historic classics. Eneco Tour is the weakest World Tour race. Only the World Championships and the Tour of Poland can compete with the importance of races that come before July, and the worlds course is a bit crap this year. Crowd wise its also a bit of a letdown after you see thousands of people packed on places like Alpe or simply as the race goes through towns. The Giro and Flanders can compete with those crowds and the passion but the Autumn races do not. Click to expand...

I always have a cycling depression after Liège and the Tour. Sure, there are great races right after them, but still...the best part of the season is well behind us now. It's worse after Lombardia of course, then it get's so bad I even watch cyclo cross to pass the winter.  

TRENDING THREADS

• Started by Netserk
• Mar 28, 2024
• Replies: 2K

• Started by Dreginald
• Monday at 9:29 PM
• Replies: 1K

• Mar 25, 2024

• Started by Devil's Elbow
• Mar 17, 2024

• Started by Lequack
• Feb 29, 2024

• Mar 12, 2024

• Started by DNP-Old
• May 6, 2018
• Replies: 24K

Latest posts

• Latest: Mayomaniac
• A moment ago

• Latest: Froome
• Latest: rghysens
• 11 minutes ago

• Latest: Didinho
• 47 minutes ago

• Latest: Miha81
• Today at 12:57 PM

• Latest: argyllflyer
• Today at 12:40 PM
• Latest: Paco
• Today at 11:49 AM

Moderators online

Share this page

• Advertising
• Cookies Policies
• Term & Conditions

Travelling Without a Passport

Post-Vacation Depression? Here’s How to Beat It!

Post-vacation blues. Post-holiday blues. Post-tour depression. Depression after vacation. There are countless names for the feelings of hopelessness and sadness one feels after a vacation. Coming home from traveling can be harder than people think, especially if you have been gone for longer than just a couple of weeks. We’re saying it: depression after vacation can be downright debilitating.

When I returned from Europe after three months abroad, I really felt the post-travel blues, and it’s no wonder why. After all, what does travel offer us, if not freedom, excitement, and inspiration? Whether we’re strolling the streets of Madrid or reaching Everest Base Camp, our time spent traveling is an empowering experience where we become the masters of our own schedules. So when you go from waking up to new sights, sounds, and smells every day to waking up in your bed, in your own town, where everything looks exactly like you left it…things can feel pretty bleak. Think of it as a reserve culture shock!

I made the decision after my tour through Europe that I wouldn’t fall prey to depression after my next vacation, so most recently, after spending three months in South America, I returned home ready for it.

In the midst of the battle, I came up with these five easy steps to conquer the transition from world traveler to regular old local.

1. Give yourself a week to wind down

This might sound silly to some people since you came home from an exciting and appealing experience. What some people don’t know is that when you spend a couple of months or even a year constantly bouncing around, it’s exhausting. Spend some time relaxing instead of immediately diving into real life. I mean, don’t do this for several months, but give yourself a week to get used to being home without worrying about how you should feel or what you should be doing. Don’t even unpack your suitcase if that feels too straining; just *breathe in* and *breathe out,* show your pet some love if you have one, or just catch up on Netflix.

2. Focus on something important

After a week or so, focus on something that contributes to your life at home. It will not only help you get used to the return, but it will give you a sense of purpose. When I came back from Europe, there were times I felt useless because I didn’t have a job and was living with my parents. I wasn’t going to let that happen again. 

At my age, one of the biggest stressors for people that have been away for an extended period of time is looking for a job. This is what I have decided to focus on, applying for jobs that are of high interest to me and setting up informational interviews with industry professionals.

Another option could be to redecorate your home, paint a piece of furniture a new exciting color, sort the boxes in the attic/basement, or simply rearrange the furniture. You’ll be paid in positive feelings and a sense of priceless productivity. 

3. Researching your next trip never hurts

Whether you have come home from an 8-day vacation or a longer adventure, everyone knows how it feels to come home and want to go somewhere new. It doesn’t hurt to research. This gives you something to do and look forward to. Learning more about the world can benefit you anyway, so why not expand your knowledge while you have time?

You can log into Pinterest , or start a new scrapbook that contains all the dreamy images you need to inspire your next trip abroad. Keep your eyes on the prize, and don’t let a potentially depleted bank account discourage your dreams. With something to aim for, saving will be easier, and you’ll be back on the trail again sooner than you think.

4. Keep busy, busy, busy…and busier

This one is important. You’re constantly bouncing around while traveling, meeting new people, doing multiple activities a day, and planning. You become used to that lifestyle, then you come home, and it stops. Don’t let it! Keep yourself busy.

Go to the gym, start cooking, pick up a book, see friends you haven’t seen in a while, learn a new language, do some research on cool events and new restaurants that have opened in your neighborhood, or just do anything! Everything! Eventually, you’ll get back to normal.

5. Print your photos and make your album

This is a great thing to do while transitioning back to life at home. You’ll be able to see all your memories printed and tangible, allowing you to remember the journey and recall the quiet moments you may have forgotten throughout the adventure. It takes time, and it will allow you to come to terms with the fact that you’re back home. For me, making the photo album provides a sensation of closure and thankfulness for the good moments and fond memories. And it’s a reminder that there’s always a chance to go on another trip in the near future!

Did I miss a tip that you think is essential? Add yours in the comments section below!

Are you sick of reality already? Then find your next tour now. 

What is post-vacation depression?

Post-vacation depression is the feeling of hopelessness and sadness you can feel after a vacation. Coming back home from traveling can be harder than people think, especially if you have been gone for a longer period and gotten used to someplace else or distanced yourself from your every day at home.

What shall you do if you are sad after a vacation?

• Give yourself a week to wind down.
• Focus on something important that will have an impact on your life at home.
• Keep busy, busy, busy…and busier.
• Print your photos and make your album
• Researching your next trip on TourRadar never hurts.

What to do if you are severely depressed after a vacation?

If your symptoms fall into the clinical definition of depression , make sure to get in touch with your doctor or a therapist in order to decide which are the recommended next steps for taking care of your mental well-being.

Why do I feel sad or weird after a vacation?

There are many possible reasons, but it’s possible that since you lived a “different” life for a while, now you are reconsidering many aspects of your “usual” life.

To feel better, browse our tours and find your next destination on TourRadar ! Something to look forward to always helps.

Based in Toronto, Katie has travelled to over 25 countries and loves going to new places, trying new food and cooking as much as she can. After living in Banff, Alberta for two years, she continued to travel Europe and South America extensively. Now, she continues to see the world one step at a time.

Related Articles

• Food & Drink

Your Guide to Amsterdam’s Secret Bars and Speakeasies

One of the most popular cities in Europe, Amsterdam has no...

• Tips & Tricks

Best Destinations for People with Disabilities

The world and its wonders should be available to one and...

The Seven Most Scenic Train Rides in Europe

Forget planes, buses or automobiles: 2024 is the year of the...

Why Do I Get Anxious About Going on Holiday?

Get unlimited access to the world's best travel stories. subscribe now., privacy overview.

Independent Music Promotions

Promotion & PR Services for Music with Depth

Dealing With Post Tour Depression

Post tour depression is a really interesting thing. After three weeks of the stress on tour you find yourself longing for it again after a few days for some stupid reason. Even though weeks turned into years on the road and you thought you were going to die you can’t wait until you get to go out again for no other reason than that tour still seems simpler than regular life. As much as you might hate the late nights and early mornings at least tour means that you don’t have to deal with all the usual torments that makes life in this industry such a nightmare for so many. Touring is a different sort of torture and it can be easy to lose track of it.

As a band manager I charge the industry standard of 10% of the gross. This means that every day when we tally the previous nights earnings I know exactly what I made. When I come back to my day to day life consulting for bands and writing my income becomes a lot less quantifiable, but a lot less unstable. While I certainly make more per hour when I’m at home, being on the road provides a certain comfort. There is the knowledge that I am currently in the process of making money and unless I get physically sent home I can pretty much guarantee that I am going to end up getting paid. It’s weirdly reassuring and it means tat you only really need to be focusing on touring rather than all of the madness that comes in day to day music industry life.

That being said tour is not always fun, I have a ton of articles about that. I’m not trying to say that tour is fun, merely that it is a lot more straightforward. And when you are stressed out with the day to day bullshit of having a music industry office job then sometimes you long for the road. Hell, the time zone issues alone have me going to bed way later than usual, and considering some early morning meetings I have coming up this is going to be less than ideal. Sure I’m getting enough sleep and am not locked in a van with a bunch of sweaty dudes, but at the same time, my life is infinitely more complicated when not on the road.

Maybe it’s a Stockholm Syndrome type thing. I still haven’t ruled that theory out. Alternatively the road could just be that much better than real life, but I somehow doubt that. I think ultimately the reason that we get post tour depression is that even after years on the road there is a certain romance to touring. Every night there are new people, old friends, and attractive girls. Then you go home and it’s like “Oh, well uh, what else do I have to dig?” It’s hard to sink back into normal life because you find yourself no longer driving forward like a machine. Again – you get exhausted and it sucks, but it’s the mechanical drive that is going to keep you fresh faced and excited for the new challenges that this industry will launch at you when on the road.

Meanwhile on the home front it’s just people constantly flaking on you and the knowledge that no matter how hard you work you are still going to have to deal with people screwing you over. On tour you can move on to the next thing, after all the next day you will be a few hundred miles away. One asshole doesn’t necessarily have super long term consequences. At home you have to fix issues over the long term. The road provides a certain freedom, it forces you to embrace the impermanence of the human condition and reminds us why we do this in the first place. It’s easy to get bogged down at home, we need to circle back to that vital freedom.

I’m having a hard day, perhaps that’s why I felt compelled to write this article, but I genuinely believe it’s so much more than that. Musicians across the globe have complained about post tour depression. It’s hard to go from something exciting and vicious back into the fairly bland ether that is normal life. It has its place to be sure, regular nights of sleep and no travel is good for the psyche but man the road sure is fun. Now I have to spend a week sober and make sure I didn’t accidentally break myself on tour, but that’s fine, because ultimately the wounds that I bear are the wounds of love, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Related Posts:

• Marketing & Promotion
• Booking Gigs & Touring
• Legal & Money
• Licensing & Publishing
• Digital & Technology
• Songwriting
• Discover Gigs
• Strategies for Success
• Motivation & Inspiration
• Success Stories

5 Ways to Combat Post-Tour Depression

For anyone who’s ever been on the road for more than a few days, it is known fact that Post-Tour Depression (PTD) is real. Coming back from being on the road can feel like never-ending jet lag for some, while others can experience a serious case of mood changes, increased anxiety, stomach issues, and even severe withdrawal from the outside world.

If left ignored, these symptoms can snowball into very dangerous illnesses, both mentally and physically. It’s not surprising, given the lifestyle many experience while on tour.

Life on the road can lead to a feeling of extreme isolation, no matter how many people are around you at any given moment.

As quoted in The Guardian , Matan Zohar, a Grammy-nominated producer who goes by Mat Zo, said of touring, “Ninety-nine percent of touring is the airports, the hotels, sitting in a metal tube for up to 16 hours at a time… It’s easy to let your mind and body slip into decay, even for a person with a healthy emotional state. For those with anxiety, hotel rooms are like prison cells.”

Over the last few years, PTD is something that our industry has started to shed a brighter light on, however more needs to be done to equip musicians with the tools they need to combat its effects.

According to a report published in 2015 in The Age , a digital news site covering Victoria, AU, the number of people in the entertainment industry with depression leading to suicide (or attempts thereof) are staggeringly higher than compared to the general population:

The results of that survey of 2900 people, ranging from singers and actors to roadies and riggers, found that the rate of attempted suicide in the industry is more than double the rest of the population. In the past 12 months, workers in the entertainment industry considered taking their own lives almost seven times more than the general population.

We may never be able to avoid the effects being on the road has on one’s mental and/or physical state, but we can set some boundaries in place to help combat the strength of those effects.

If you’re planning on touring in the near future, consider this list of five ways to combat the effects of PTD (in no particular order):

1. Acknowledge PTD

If you’re going out on tour, the simple act of recognizing what you might face upon your return can help you avoid the shock of the emotional roller coaster you may experience, especially if you’re new to touring. In addition, it can help alleviate the feeling that what you’re going through isn’t normal — because it is.

2. Have a plan in place

If you’re leaving for an extended period of time you may decide to end your apartment lease or quit your day job or even sell your furniture. Be sure that you take time to plan how you will handle the transition upon your return. While you can’t possibly predict how you’ll feel, having plans in place to see certain people once you’re back in town or a game plan for applying for a new job once the tour wraps can help you stay focused and purposeful, especially at a time when you may feel lost and drained.

3. Alert others

As stated above, touring can feel very isolating, mainly because those closest to you may have no understanding of what life on tour is really like. Letting them know what may be in store for you emotionally, and how you’d like them to show support, can allow them to feel empowered to take action, especially when you may hesitate to ask for it in the moment.

4. Keep strict boundaries

When you first arrive back, try to say, “No” to as many things as possible until you’re re-adjusted. Bringing on too much too soon can make you think you’re okay, until suddenly you’re not. Don’t let your moods play tricks on you. You may experience an ever-changing mix of adrenaline, lethargy, anger, gratitude, and anything in between. Give yourself time to settle back in before you make any big decisions.

5. Push your self-care routine into overdrive

Self-care should always be a priority in your day, however if there was ever a time to make it a top priority, this would be the time. Be easy on yourself. Having a plan in place will help decrease the feeling of urgency to do things as well.

Lastly, consider this a bonus tip: don’t wait to get help . Knowing what you may encounter after a tour can help you plan ahead with how you treat your mind and body while on the road.

Leverage the tight bonds you form with your tour mates into a support network for when you all return home. Stay in contact with one another and check in on each other. Share how you’re doing, even if (read: especially if) you’re not doing that great.

And, if time goes by and you feel things are not getting “back to normal,” be sure to seek professional help to work through what you need in order to transition back to your post-tour life.

If you, or someone you know, are suffering from PTD or other related forms of depression or anxiety don’t wait. Reach out to Lifeline at any time to speak to someone who can get you the help you need.

Touring can be an extremely lucrative and rewarding experience for any musician. Make the most of it by knowing what you’re up against and preparing accordingly.  

Suzanne Paulinski is a mindset coach and founder of The Rock/Star Advocate . She helps music industry professionals gain confidence and clarity in their goals with a healthy work/life balance. Her book, The Rock/Star Life Planner is now available on Amazon.

Topics: Musician Success Guide , Motivation & Inspiration

Get weekly updates on articles, gigs, and much more!

Popular posts.

Popular Posts

Posts by Topic

• Music Business 101 (1063)
• Musician Success Guide (922)
• Marketing & Promotion (686)
• Honing Your Craft (621)
• Features (595)
• Strategies for Success (565)
• Booking Gigs & Touring (343)
• Opportunities (329)
• Performing (277)
• Musician Life (230)
• Recording (219)
• Motivation & Inspiration (169)
• Songwriting (159)
• Digital & Tech (157)
• Legal & Money (151)
• social media (139)
• Tips of the Trade (132)
• Sonicbids Success Stories (116)
• festivals (116)
• ask a publicist (104)
• most read articles (90)
• Columns (88)
• ask a music journalist (61)
• sonicbids (55)
• guitar (52)
• Licensing & Publishing (51)
• Interviews (49)
• networking (45)
• streaming (42)
• youtube (42)
• Licensing, Press, & Contests (39)
• mixing (36)
• branding (33)
• Angry Sound Guy (32)
• opinion (32)
• hip-hop (30)
• production (28)
• industry (24)
• facebook (21)
• spotify (19)
• instagram (18)
• Ask a Music Lawyer (16)
• crowdfunding (15)
• nashville (15)
• holidays (14)
• nonprofit (14)
• New York City (13)
• infographic (13)
• twitter (13)
• Audio 101 (12)
• Site Updates (12)
• bonnaroo (12)
• copyright and your band (12)
• hot links (12)
• website (12)
• boston-calling (11)
• road to austin (11)
• Lesson Learned (10)
• mastering (10)
• distribution (8)
• los angeles (8)
• office gig (8)
• office-gigs (8)
• songwriters hall of fame (8)
• folk-alliance (7)
• managers (7)
• toronto (7)
• atlanta (6)
• international-songwriting-competition (6)
• profile (6)
• record-labels (6)
• Health and Wellness (5)
• grammys (5)
• playlist (5)
• producing (5)
• reality check (5)
• snapchat (5)
• tinderbox (5)
• Tour Smarter (4)
• UBERSession (4)
• billboard (4)
• bonnaroo-music-festival (4)
• brooklyn hip hop festival (4)
• bumbershoot (4)
• john-lennon-songwriting-contest (4)
• music-news (4)
• play-bonnaroo (4)
• record deal (4)
• session musician (4)
• the box tiger (4)
• A&R (3)
• Artist Spotlight (3)
• DIY CD guide (3)
• arezzo wave (3)
• chicago (3)
• concert-photography (3)
• folk alliance conference (3)
• halloween (3)
• house concerts (3)
• house-of-blues (3)
• international (3)
• international pop overthrow (3)
• linkedin (3)
• magisto (3)
• music-industry (3)
• music-videos (3)
• musikfest (3)
• northside (3)
• paper city music festival (3)
• pop-montreal (3)
• portland (3)
• primavera (3)
• royal-teeth (3)
• savannah stopover (3)
• seattle (3)
• soundcloud (3)
• steve rennie (3)
• summerfest (3)
• valentines-day (3)
• vh1 save the music (3)
• yellow-phone (3)
• Booking Gigs (2)
• album-release (2)
• alex and ani (2)
• athens slingshot (2)
• bandcamp (2)
• beatz n' treatz (2)
• bluebird cafe (2)
• boston calling block party (2)
• boston urban music festival (2)
• botanique (2)
• bring your own board (2)
• cassettes (2)
• collaboration (2)
• concert window (2)
• conferences (2)
• dead prez (2)
• dewey beach (2)
• erin lowers (2)
• festival (2)
• filter magazine (2)
• griswolds (2)
• guitars (2)
• indie week europe (2)
• indie-week (2)
• jansport-battle-of-the-bands (2)
• kickstarter (2)
• midpoint (2)
• music-video (2)
• noise-pop (2)
• pandora (2)
• pinterest (2)
• promoters (2)
• songwriting-contest (2)
• stupiddope (2)
• unraveled (2)
• wayne coyne (2)
• websites (2)
• youbloom (2)
• 35 Denton (1)
• 360 magazine (1)
• 8tracks (1)
• April Fools (1)
• COVID-19 (1)
• Elements Festival (1)
• Film Scoring (1)
• Focus Wales (1)
• HipHopGrindersTV (1)
• Imagine Festival (1)
• MAKE entertainment (1)
• Microphones (1)
• Quarantine (1)
• Song contests (1)
• Songwriter Equity Act (1)
• Telluride (1)
• The Flaming Lips (1)
• Touring (1)
• Vistaprint (1)
• ableton (1)
• acoustica (1)
• amazon, (1)
• american authors (1)
• american trash (1)
• american-idol (1)
• annalise emerick (1)
• atlanta pride (1)
• audiocommon (1)
• balancer (1)
• band-photos (1)
• bb king's blues club (1)
• bein the beat (1)
• bigticket (1)
• black pistol fire (1)
• black potatoe (1)
• blackout experiment (1)
• bluegrass (1)
• boston greenfest (1)
• boxerstock (1)
• brite lite brite (1)
• brooklyn queens day festival (1)
• budgeting (1)
• bushwackers saloon (1)
• butch vig (1)
• capitol hill block party (1)
• chase park plaza hotel (1)
• coachella (1)
• college radio (1)
• collegefest (1)
• competitions (1)
• conference (1)
• creative commons (1)
• creativelive (1)
• culture collide (1)
• darlingside (1)
• david bash (1)
• desmond child (1)
• don schlitz (1)
• dwight and nicole (1)
• electric city (1)
• etiquette (1)
• evan lamberg, (1)
• exist-elsewhere (1)
• falcon ridge (1)
• fender music foundation (1)
• festival lima (1)
• fluence (1)
• fontanas (1)
• free bike valet (1)
• gathering of the vibes (1)
• getting the gig (1)
• girl-talk (1)
• girls rock camp alliance (1)
• great american song contest (1)
• green light theory (1)
• haley bonar, (1)
• hard in the paint (1)
• harry connick jr (1)
• hillary reynolds band (1)
• hopscotch (1)
• in your face records (1)
• independent-music-awards (1)
• innovation (1)
• it happened to me (1)
• jack white (1)
• jamie n commons (1)
• jennifer sellers (1)
• joel eckels (1)
• kahbang (1)
• karel music expo (1)
• kate-diaz (1)
• kerrville folk festival (1)
• kurt cobain (1)
• lancaster music festival (1)
• leadership (1)
• liner notes, (1)
• london international arts festival (1)
• lost in fabric (1)
• louis meyers (1)
• lovely bad things (1)
• make music new york (1)
• mark batstone (1)
• mayfair (1)
• memphis (1)
• microkorg (1)
• music education (1)
• music supervision (1)
• music theory (1)
• music-business-predictions (1)
• musicares (1)
• new england americana festival (1)
• nirvana (1)
• noteborn music (1)
• okeechobee (1)
• oktoberfest (1)
• one man band festival (1)
• parnters (1)
• party on the plaza (1)
• patreon (1)
• pecan street festival (1)
• peforming (1)
• pharrell (1)
• philadelphia folk festival (1)
• pledgemusic (1)
• pomplamoose (1)
• portable (1)
• positivity (1)
• pressing (1)
• rachael-sage (1)
• radio KSCR (1)
• rah-rah (1)
• record-store-day (1)
• recording festival (1)
• red line tap (1)
• rejection (1)
• release music magazine (1)
• renaissance-hotels (1)
• residual kid (1)
• resources (1)
• roadtrip nation (1)
• rock the house (1)
• seattle hempfest (1)
• seattle wave radio (1)
• setlist (1)
• sims foundation (1)
• singer-songwriter (1)
• songwriteruniverse (1)
• stage fright (1)
• stargaze (1)
• steven matrick (1)
• strawberry-music-festival (1)
• streamng (1)
• supermonkey (1)
• susan cattaneo (1)
• swan dive (1)
• symphony crack orchestra (1)
• synchtank (1)
• talent buyer (1)
• taylor swift (1)
• temecula valley (1)
• tha alkaholiks (1)
• the audible doctor (1)
• the brain trust (1)
• the novel ideas (1)
• the orwells (1)
• the reason (1)
• the record company (1)
• the roots of music (1)
• the veevees (1)
• the vickers (1)
• tony hawk (1)
• toya delazy (1)
• trademark (1)
• under the radar (1)
• unsigned only (1)
• utopiafest (1)
• vaughn lowery (1)
• video games (1)
• water for children (1)
• weird al (1)
• wemf radio (1)
• whisky a go-go (1)
• white like fire (1)
• wild adriatic (1)
• winterfolk (1)
• wu-tang (1)
• x ambassadors (1)

Get advice in your inbox weekly.

45 Main Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA

[email protected]

https://www.sonicbids.com/contact/

Sonicbids  © 2016

Privacy Policy   |   Terms & Conditions

latest in World News

Motorsport icon's wife dead at 77

Cave packed with artifacts, mummies that some believe to be...

111-year-old man born same year Titanic sank is now oldest in...

Some Ibiza locals resort to living in their cars as influx of...

Ukraine denies Russia's claimed takeover of eastern town

Two planes collide on the ground at London's Heathrow Airport

None of Forbes' billionaires under 30 are self-made for first...

Israel recovers body of hostage seen alive in December video...

Breaking news, physically healthy dutch woman, 28, decides to be euthanized due to crippling depression.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

A physically healthy, 28-year-old Dutch woman has decided to legally end her life due to her struggles with crippling depression, autism and borderline personality disorder, according to a report.

Zoraya ter Beek, who lives in a small village in the Netherlands near the German border, is scheduled to be euthanized in May — despite being in love with her 40-year-old boyfriend and living with two cats.

Ter Beek, who once aspired to be a psychiatrist, has been dealing with mental health struggles throughout her life.

She said she decided to be euthanized after her doctors told her, “There’s nothing more we can do for you. It’s never gonna get any better,” according to t he Free Press.

“I was always very clear that if it doesn’t get better, I can’t do this anymore,” ter Beek said.

She is just one of the growing number of people in the West who have decided to die rather than continue living in pain that, unlike a terminal illness, could be treated.

More people are deciding to end their lives while suffering from a slew of other mental health problems like depression or anxiety amplified by economic uncertainty, climate change, social media and other issues, the Free Press reported.

“I’m seeing euthanasia as some sort of acceptable option brought to the table by physicians, by psychiatrists, when previously it was the ultimate last resort,” Stef Groenewoud, a health care ethicist at Theological University Kampen, in the Netherlands, told the outlet. 

“I see the phenomenon especially in people with psychiatric diseases, and especially young people with psychiatric disorders, where the health care professional seems to give up on them more easily than before,” she added.

Ter Beek plans to be cremated after she’s euthanized on the couch in her living room.

“No music,” she said.

A doctor will first give her a sedative, followed by a drug that will stop her heart. Her boyfriend will be at her side until the end.

“The doctor really takes her time. It is not that they walk in and say, ‘Lay down, please!’ Most of the time it is first a cup of coffee to settle the nerves and create a soft atmosphere,” she said.

“Then she asks if I am ready. I will take my place on the couch. She will once again ask if I am sure, and she will start up the procedure and wish me a good journey. Or, in my case, a nice nap, because I hate it if people say, ‘Safe journey.’ I’m not going anywhere.” 

There will not be a funeral. Ter Beek, who does not have much family, said her boyfriend will scatter her ashes in “a nice spot in the woods” that they have picked out.

“I’m a little afraid of dying, because it’s the ultimate unknown,” she said.

“We don’t really know what’s next — or is there nothing? That’s the scary part.”

The Netherlands became the first country in the world to make assisted suicide legal in 2001.

Since then, it’s become an increasingly popular option.

In 2022, there were 8,720 euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands — representing roughly 5% of all the country’s deaths and up from 4% from the year prior, according to Dutch media .

In February, the 93-year-old former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife died hand in hand by euthanasia.

Keep up with today's most important news

Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update.

Thanks for signing up!

Please provide a valid email address.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Never miss a story.

Critics of suicide legalization say that people like Ter Beek have been encouraged to kill themselves by the law, with many likening the suicide surge to a contagion, according to the Free Press.

Ter Beek blasted the Free Press article on Twitter Tuesday and announced that she would be leaving social media ahead of her death.

“It was an honor for me to provide insights to people who were open to learning something,” she posted.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to  SuicidePreventionLifeline.org .

Share this article:

Advertisement