So I did my first ever section hike in June. Springer to Fontana in ten days, and I have never been happier.
Some background: I have clinical depression for which I take antidepressants. I am also a middle-aged woman (44) with all the accompanying hormones.
So I got off the trail more mentally well than I have ever been in my life. Energized, full of life, excited to return to my family and the "real" world, and having lost 7 lbs.
Four weeks later, having spent the interim month exercising very little and regaining all the weight, I got hit with the worst depressive cycle I have had in years. It really kicked my ass and now, two months later, I am finally recovering but still dealing with more anxiety than usual.
My theory is that, in the course of training for the trail (200+ miles of hiking) and hiking the trail (150+ miles), I got my system accustomed to a high level of endorphins and other great exercise-induced hormones. The weight loss also reduced my estrogen load. Then to stop the extreme exercise cold-turkey and to load up on fat (= estrogen storage) meant my body and brain chemistry went way out of whack post haste.
Just wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences? Has anyone learned or devised a way to come off the trail and stay in balance (i.e., not gain weight, stop exercising)? I realize from this experience that, for next year's section hike, I need to prepare as much for the post-hike as for the pre- and the hike itself.
I appreciate any feedback. Missing the trail terribly. Doing it made me realize that I am a human who evolved over thousands of years to be physically active as a way of life and that modern life doesn't suit me at all. Or many of us for that matter.
Scout