How do you cope?

[kyjenni]

Last year was my first Glastonbury and it blew every other festival I've ever been to out of the water! What I couldn't get over though was the unbearable emptiness and sadness that followed when it was all over. Maybe the lack of sleep was a lot to blame for the tears that were non-stop Monday/Tuesday. How does everyone else cope? Does everyone suffer the withdrawl as bad? Does it get easier??

I can't wait for this year!

[karlpowell]

its always sad for me on the sunday night when all the Big TV screen say see you next year , but no tears

[ukslim]

Last year was my first Glastonbury and it blew every other festival I've ever been to out of the water! What I couldn't get over though was the unbearable emptiness and sadness that followed when it was all over. Maybe the lack of sleep was a lot to blame for the tears that were non-stop Monday/Tuesday. How does everyone else cope? Does everyone suffer the withdrawl as bad? Does it get easier??

[Homer]

I think it’s an age thing. When I was a teen/in my early 20s, we actually used to chat away and have a real laugh on the bus on the way back, whereas now I definitely feel a bit shaky for a day or two (though no tears for me!).

I’m lucky living in Bristol really because I can always tell myself at the end that the St Paul’s Carnival is only five days away! (I‘ve never taken a massive amount of class As at the fest though, and I’m sure I would feel a lot less optimistic if I had!)

[radish]

It's like reverse culture shock - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock - you've got used to being around tens of thousands of mostly like-minded people for an intensified period of time, in a setting where many of the cultural norms of society don't (always) apply and everything's geared towards your enjoyment, relaxation and escape from normal life. Going back to a quiet home with a few or maybe even no people around can leave you feeling a bit wierd, as if something's not quite right. It's even worse if you go straight back to real life and work etc., which I would advise avoiding if possible by taking the Tuesday and even the Wednesday after off.

I've found to cope with the return to normality, either ease into it with a visit to a good-sized pub and/or club, or retreat into another form of escapism such as films/dvds, or hunt out a few Glastonbury friends, or try to be in places where it's busy enough to keep your mind occupied in a non-taxing way (like supermarkets - you inevitably need to go shopping for essentials and it's always nice to bump into somebody else wearing a Glasto t-shirt in Sainsbury's a day or 2 after the festival), or (and this is easier for some than others) sleep.

Give it a few days and you'll still miss the festival, but it'll be more smiles and happy memories than sheer despair at having to put up with working in a job you really couldn't give a flying f**k about when you'd rather be somewhere in a field in Hampshire Somerset.

[hoils]

5HTP usually helps.

[Mardy]

I have never experienced the withdrawal you describe, and I think it's very sad that you do. I'm glad of being clean for the first time in days, and a long sleep in a comfy bed. I look at my photos. I come here and reminisce. I look forward to my next weekend away, whatever that might be. I wait excitedly for GCams to arrive...

I'm probably not at all qualified to give advice, but I'm going to stick my oar in anyway.

(I'm assuming it's not some sort of drug comedown, because I have no advice about that).

It seems like you need to take a good hard look at your lifestyle outside the festival, and why it's not making you happy. Even if you need to make huge changes, it's worth it. Obviously it's not easy to change job, or move to another part of the country, dump a partner, find a partner or whatever it is that needs to happen, but if you're unhappy it has to be done.

Perhaps there are elements of Glastonbury that you can identify as things you could make part of your daily life. Is it the fresh air and the views? Move to the country. Is it the hippy stuff? Maybe you'd thrive in a commune? Music? Get involved in the music scene locally.

etc.

[Ed209]

5HTP usually helps.

[ampersand]

after my first year, the comedown was unbearable. was a depressed sod for about a week

it was better last year, still felt a bit rubbish after it, but not as bad as the first time.

[Katster]

I suffer from Post Glastonbury Depression and it's awful. The worst time it lasted about a month and my mum was genuinely worried about me.

[Chocscoffer]

I suffer from Post Glastonbury Depression and it's awful.

[ivan]

I was still low in September !

Went out into Leeds for my girfriends best mates birthday !

My g/f asked if I was OK and I replied

" I would rather be dancing in a field ! "

[Wanderlei]

Yeah, it is a little bit depressing when it ends. I left the festival a day later than most last year and it's really weird walking past all the rubbish and empty tents. You expect to see a tumbleweed roll past you! It's like you're stuck in some post-apocalyptic Stephen King book.

[Fezler69]

Its horrible on Monday morning - the atmosphere is completely different straight away - all you want to be is at home.

I find not putting enough petrol in the car to get home helps - going past a service station as the red light comes on then seeing a sign saying the next one isn't for 30 miles. You get shouted at by the missus, you feel sick as you are probably over the limit and will have to either walk or call a break down man whilst still slightly drunk. The rain then starts and the car starts shaking as it splutters its way to emptiness. Luckily, you get to the petrol station just in time to refill. You set off again and the rain really starts - the windscreen wipers are going ten to the dozen and you really can't see anything. You drop to 20 miles an hour and it takes 7 hours to get home. You arrive to a scene of destruction, the worst floods in 100 years have hit and the cities underwater. Abandoned cars strewn over the town, people crying in the streets, police blocking off your route home. You zigzag through the apocalyptic landscape and finally pull up outside an empty, cold, grey house. But theres a Pizza Hut only minutes away. Soon, after a long bath and lots of tea - you are tucked up on the sofa with a duvet and Glastonbury highlights on sky plus with said Pizza Hut - and things couldn't be better. Just like the first bath back after scout camp and a fish finger sandwich.

It could just be me though.

[Wanderlei]

I find that hard drugs are the only way to ease the pain lol

[Bluearsedfly]

Its horrible on Monday morning - the atmosphere is completely different straight away - all you want to be is at home.

I find not putting enough petrol in the car to get home helps - going past a service station as the red light comes on then seeing a sign saying the next one isn't for 30 miles. You get shouted at by the missus, you feel sick as you are probably over the limit and will have to either walk or call a break down man whilst still slightly drunk. The rain then starts and the car starts shaking as it splutters its way to emptiness. Luckily, you get to the petrol station just in time to refill. You set off again and the rain really starts - the windscreen wipers are going ten to the dozen and you really can't see anything. You drop to 20 miles an hour and it takes 7 hours to get home. You arrive to a scene of destruction, the worst floods in 100 years have hit and the cities underwater. Abandoned cars strewn over the town, people crying in the streets, police blocking off your route home. You zigzag through the apocalyptic landscape and finally pull up outside an empty, cold, grey house. But theres a Pizza Hut only minutes away. Soon, after a long bath and lots of tea - you are tucked up on the sofa with a duvet and Glastonbury highlights on sky plus with said Pizza Hut - and things couldn't be better. Just like the first bath back after scout camp and a fish finger sandwich.

It could just be me though.

[Homer]

It's weird, I certainly have an urge to carry on being around the people I spent the weekend with. For a few years we had a tradition of all meeting up again in the evening (we only live in Bristol) and having a takeaway curry and watching the videos my mum had kindly taped for me.

I can certainly recommend watching the videos - they're easy to stare at without thinking and provide a nice halfway house that eases you back into real life!

[glastofun]

I do experience the glastonbury come down, but this is the second thread of it's nature on this forum in the last couple of days. I'm not sure why people are fixated on this at this particular moment. The festival is about a month and a half away - you should be getting excited and feeling up beat. Pull yourself together!

[cassandra13]

Hi there, I have fortunately never suffered the degree of depression in the first post but agree that coming back into the post Glasto world can be strange. We stay in the campervan fields so don't see the site after the sunday night, the only year we went on site after that was horrid, seeing it all coming down and looking grim was depressing, won't do that again! I do come home to a home I love living in, and don't have to do a job I hate so my advice may not be too helpful. Ukslim's ideas sound good and worth doing even for those of us who don't suffer to the extent of the first poster (sorry to hear you felt so bad after such a great festie). Life happens only once, best to enjoy it. I usually try to think of the good things back home, like the first clean flush loo (I'm quite easily pleased!). As well as trying 5HTP and ukslim's advice, before you go to Glasto make sure you have another event in mind for later in the year, another festie, holiday away, then you can look forward to that and enjoy the memories of Glasto in a positive way. Hope this years festie gicves you all you need and more that you want, have fun.

[cassandra13]

Hi there, I have fortunately never suffered the degree of depression in the first post but agree that coming back into the post Glasto world can be strange. We stay in the campervan fields so don't see the site after the sunday night, the only year we went on site after that was horrid, seeing it all coming down and looking grim was depressing, won't do that again! I do come home to a home I love living in, and don't have to do a job I hate so my advice may not be too helpful. Ukslim's ideas sound good and worth doing even for those of us who don't suffer to the extent of the first poster (sorry to hear you felt so bad after such a great festie). Life happens only once, best to enjoy it. I usually try to think of the good things back home, like the first clean flush loo (I'm quite easily pleased!). As well as trying 5HTP and ukslim's advice, before you go to Glasto make sure you have another event in mind for later in the year, another festie, holiday away, then you can look forward to that and enjoy the memories of Glasto in a positive way. Hope this years festie gicves you all you need and more that you want, have fun.

[DevilMadeMeDoIt]

The way i cope is to make sure i have another festival to go to after Glastonbury, this year i'm off to womad. Not the same as Glasto but something to look forward to.

[miss star]

ive cried a few tears at the end of each glastonbury,

i know its because its the place i feel most at home

ive not been the last 2 years due to serious injurys and ive felt a big depression knowing the festival is going on and i cant be there

this year i know i will probably get upset when the show ends even though its not the end of the festival for me, there are hours left to party but for me this year ill be happy knowing ive done everything i can just to get there so yeah ill be depressed but it was bloomin worth it.

[lianne and craig]

I wasnt too bad last year coz i came home to a cuddle from my bf who i hadnt seen in days, however this year, hes coming with me......... so i can see us both having a really bad time as the holiday blues kick in. We do suffer terribly from the holiday blues, he particularly suffered when he came back froma butlins holiday! So you can imagine what its going to be like for glasto!!!!!Bad times.

I cant seem to watch glasto on t.v when i come back. Its just not the same and i just cant do it. Anyone else like that?

[Prest02000]

Glasto blues, usually just chat to mates about what a good time I've had. Year 2000 was best one I've been to and prob the worst for the blues, although after that I just went out all summer and got wrecked.

[miss star]

yeah totally agree ive had to delibratly not watch it when i wasnt able to go it just seemed so fake