Dorsilfin

its been 3 weeks since my girlfriend left for a 5 month training program in new Orleans..

I preped like i normally do, expecting to do at least 100 miles today.. and here I am posting at 55 and not really wanting to go out anymore.

Ive been "off" since she left, and everyone is saying Ohh its alergies blah blah blah craps flying in the air up here in NY..

Well im pretty sure I know its not allergies and a good old fashion onset of depression..


Any thoughts or things you do to get out of the funk?

I already bought a new bike.. and I don't want to drop another 2500 bucks to see if it makes me feel better the 2nd time around lol

RoadToNowhere

Ride more whether you feel like it or not.

jimbud

Snap out of it! There's people out in the world with real problems.

redirekib

Get a new girlfriend.

dcbikeguy

Grow up.

Geewhiz

Depression sucks. Sometimes impossible to shed, but possible to cope with and persevere. I think keeping a regular schedule really helps. Try to plan out your days/weeks in such a way to maintain a natural rythm. Also, keep friends close by. It's hard to have a loved one away and obviously no-one can be a substitute, but maintaining other relationships is important for not slipping. Eat well.

All the best,
geewhiz

big chainring 

Its weird, but eating food with lots of garlic, curbs my depression.

Snow_canuck

redirekib

S...t, me and my old lady were split up for six months while I was on a Med. cruise in 1980 - neither of us ended up in the loony bin. HTFU

aMull

Depression shmipression, get a pair and ride.

making

Get another girlfriend. until you get married always be upgrading.

<3 2 Ride 

Estrogen warning! This is my girlish response to when I'm feeling down.

I go out and rent a sappy movie (unusual since I usually hate chick flicks), grab my favorite junk food (chips, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, etc) and soda, then I come home and take a hot shower, get into my comfiest jammies and watch the sap fest while eating all of my junk food. The sappy movie usually leads to crying and falling asleep on the couch. When I wake up in the morning, I have a good breakfast and HTFU...get dressed in my cycling clothes and kick my a** on the bike.

The short version...Give yourself a night to feel the emotions, then pick yourself up, brush yourself off and get moving. She'll be home in no time.

marengo

Depression is a serious chronic illness. I'm sorry you're sad but it's not depression.

dcbikeguy

Fixed

sac02

edit: it appears some have interpreted your post as you broke up with your girl when she left. I read it as you are now long distance while she is at her training facility. Could you clarify?

fixed

but seriously, how much time do you spend talking to your girl? Trips to see each other? My (now) wife and I did the long distance thing for two years, and it's not easy. It takes waaaay more work than either of us expected. I'll say it again, you have to work a lot harder at a long distance relationship.

If you truly feel you are going past "in a funk, missing my girl" to "clinical depression", you should be talking to a medical professional, not an internet forum.

Mac

uke

+1. https://www.spsfv.org/hotlines.htm

55/Rad

I agree, I don't think its serious and real depression, more like a funk. But if it is, I have one word of advice.

Cymbalta.

Worked for me when my wife ran off with another guy.

55/Rad

Glidedon

Try this:

Trogon

3 weeks?

I'm sure she's found someone to keep her spirits up by now, you should do the same.

cyclewolf

Music. A long, long time ago I had a relationship hiccup shortly before a two-man team time trial I was prepping for. The will to train hard was out the window, finally I started taking a Walkman (yes, it was that long ago) and hit upon a song that made something click for me and snapped me out of my funk. I am sure the song will be different for anyone, but in my case it was Stone Temple Pilots - Dead and Bloated.

dcbikeguy

Or just call me direct, I'll let you blow me.

Here's a secret - the Milli Vanilli tape WAS mine!

cyclezealot

Its not easy. Takes awhile.. Force yourself to ride more.. All you need is more of an endorphin fix to get over her. Best place to meet a new girlfriend. How about at some bike club or on the road.. And when one is depressed. Don't drink.. Exercise is far more beneficial.

Dorsilfin

im just making light of feeling a bit down and. yes we are long distance right now.

the ride today helped me cause it made my body stop being emo and just ride, Im just kicking myself for tapping out at 55 instead of finishing the 100.

Plus i mean psht, Who doesn't like the awesome responses that come out of a post like this?

Billy Bones

Hey 'Fin,

Three weeks may be a mite to soon to be considering a diagnosis of depression. That said, if it IS depression and doesn't correct in another couple of weeks, get yourself some help; it's bigger than you. How do you know if it IS depression? Is it the worst thing you ever experienced? If it REALLY is, it's depression. There are some on-line dinky little lists you can look at to determine if you've got it.

Those "providing" the wisecrack responses above have never experienced it. You are on your own to get help. Sorry, that's the facts.

Drop me a personal message if you need to.

Flatballer

+10000 to this.

I'm thinking you don't have depression. But IF you do (I hope you don't), get help. I waited way too long to get help, and I wish I had done it a lot sooner. They have medication that works wonders, and also therapy and self-help is useful as well. You can't do it alone though if it's real depression, it's not a joke. And Billy Bones is absolutely right about people who haven't experienced it. People who have never actually had depression think you just need to HTFU. It's not that simple.