Post trip depression

[Anonymous]

"Does hiking compliment one's life, or is it an escape from one's life. Best to move to the first option."

Like most things in life, there is not a black and white answer to this question, IMO. It would surely be preferable if hiking were purely a complement to the rest of one's life, but I suspect for most it is at least partially an escape. Very few are fortunate enough to have their life situations so well sorted out that hiking is 100% complementary. My 2 cents.

[Daniel Cox]

"Perhaps home is not all that good? If one dreads their job, situation, and life outside of hiking then they might be depressed."

I'm a 31 year-old student. It's safe to say I'm not thrilled with my station in life at present. My most frequent study partner and I figured it up earlier in the semester and estimate we spend approximately 65-70 hours a week in class and doing homework/studying.

Before anyone pulls the card- yes, I chose this. And yes it will be worth it when I finally graduate as a Physical Therapist. But right now all my 30's friends enjoy late dinners, weekend fun and disposable income. I'm at home, on a tight budget, with my nose crammed in a textbook and dreaming of the next time I can get out and go hiking.

Doesn't make me any less sad when I see my gear piled in the corner, exactly like it has been for the past 7 months.

[Stephen M]

Posting on a phone so ignore any typos :-)

Up until 4 years ago I lived in my home town of Cork on the south coast of Ireland where I had some pretty amazing Mountains within 45-90 minutes drive, I day hiked most weekends with buddies and work colleagues and Wild camped every couple of months.

When I moved to Belgium I had to start from scratch and started attending Outdoorsmagic meets every 2 months and got to hike and Wild camp in amazing parts of Scotland, England, Wales and France and have made a lot of very good friends.

Three months ago my wife and I moved to Michigan for a 3 year year stint and my first trip was to the Pictured Rocks Trail in the Upper Peninsula, I plan to get out West soon and out East in the Autumn.

I did not want to leave Ireland but if I had not I would of not had the opportunities to hike in different places.

Happy days

[Nick Gatel]

"Like most things in life, there is not a black and white answer to this question, IMO. It would surely be preferable if hiking were purely a complement to the rest of one's life, but I suspect for most it is at least partially an escape. Very few are fortunate enough to have their life situations so well sorted out that hiking is 100% complementary."

I agree Tom. But unless someone has a mental illness, only we can make ourselves mad, happy, sad, depressed, etc. Attitude is foremost. For me everyday above ground is a wonderful day. If I need to work, then having a job is thrilling… others are not so fortunate. If I let the job (or any other aspect of life) affect my happiness or well being, then I need to focus on the positive aspects of the job. If not, I might be happier with a new one or even two jobs. If have had made sacrifices today for tomorrow, then I need to think about what tomorrow brings me, not dwell on the difficulties of today. With a little effort we can control our mental state; and the decision is whether we want a positive state of mind, or a negative one. I have never felt the the need to "escape" from work. But I have felt the need to find a new job. In my mind, a big difference. You cannot escape a job you hate, unless you quit.

[Anonymous]

"I agree Tom. But unless someone has a mental illness, only we can make ourselves mad, happy, sad, depressed, etc. Attitude is foremost. For me everyday above ground is a wonderful day……."

I would be the last person to dispute what you say here, at least in theory, but the harsh reality these days is that a lot of people are stuck in dead end jobs, menial jobs, or just plain miserable jobs with few, if any, options in the current economic climate. Many go to work every day not knowing if they will still have a job at day's end. It is difficult, if not next to impossible, to maintain a positive attitude under those circumstances. For those poor souls, in their millions, I feel a great deal of sympathy. For those of us who, through either good fortune and/or hard work and ability, find ourselves in more pleasant circumstances and still see our hiking as an escape, it might be well to ponder your words.

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