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post-performance depression

#21
Stumbo said:
Seems to me that "adrenaline hangover" is not really a thing.

I've played a lot of sports and gigs over the years and never had that and never seen anyone associated with my team and bands have that.

I suggest visiting your doc and getting checked out. :thumbsup: Maybe it's a real thing happening.
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Perhaps a bit different when you stay up several hours past your normal bed time, expend a lot of energy, and don't take in sufficient calories or fluids to sustain/restore your body.

My advice, don't wait till bedtime. Stay hydrated and eat a few healthy snacks throughout the night to see if that helps. Give yourself reasonable recovery time the next day. If the problem persists seek help from an appropriate healthcare provider.
 
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#22
I always find that it helps me mentally if I can have half an hour or so of chill time at home by myself after getting home from the gig and yes, preferably with a bowl of cereal and some fruit! It gives me some time to kind of put the 'gig-high' to rest and I sleep much better, which means I face the next day in a better mental and physical state.

Part of it is definitely the sense of 'aw, yesterday was cooler than today will be', so it can help to think of something fun to do the next day.
 
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#23
I listen to comedy on the radio on the way home from a gig. It does two things for me,
1. keeps me alert and the juices flowing while I laugh the drive away. Hard to fall asleep at the wheel while you are laughing!
2. I still feel like I have energy after loading everything back into the house, all the while still giggling at the last joke I just heard.
A snack and an hour in front of the TV and I am done and ready for bed. Two advil before bed and I wake up feeling less stiff and tired.
Fishheadjoe
 
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#25
i have something similar, but not the same.
not the next day, but for the rest of the night im usually in a crappy mood. usually only happens after a gig with my main group. on hired gun type gigs not so much. i chaulk it up to emotional drain, serotonin overload, adrenaline overdose. if someone else's name is on the bull and im just backing them up, it doesnt happen.
 
#27
I have severe stage fright! Just the thought of playing for people scares the crap outta me!

Of course, this causes the "fight or flight" syndrome. The adrenaline wires you "UP" and takes a while to wear off... Additionally, it will feel like a hang-over... If you include alcohol, the effect is at least doubled!

After playing your gig, do you feel like you were "nearly" killed in a car accident? That's an adrenaline "hang-over." As you age, this also happens after a night of heavy drinking (ask me how I know).

An adrenaline "buzz" is great when it is "coming on," and absolutely miserable after its finished!

Your "problem" may be your own... Or it may resemble what has been said in this thread... However, as has been said, you are not alone! And, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING for you is to express yourself, and let someone know how you feel... Particularly a professional (if you believe you are suicidal, or as my friend said, "terminal").

I found this thread because I feel poorly, emotionally, as I'm certain others do... I can tell you that from my perspective, knowing that others suffer as I do doesn't help. But helping others who feel this way does!

The best advice given here is to find a professional and let it ALL out! A pro can help you cope with depression.

DEPRESSION IS NOT A SIN!

Anyway, from one who has suffered most of my life with depression, I wish you well! And, you can PM (private message) me any time you wish to talk more about it, if you wish.
 
#29
Usually a huge brealfast with my family and a 5 gallon bucket of coffee set me straight. Hard to be down with these two goofballs.
media-1530743593605-Jul_4_2018_6_10_PM.jpg


Find a few minutes to spend in the woods. Spending 10 minutes a day in the woods will change your life. If you live in a major metro a park will have to do.

I walk or run down this horse path behind my neighborhood. This part is actually on my property.

20180722_181917.jpg

20180722_182001.jpg
 
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#34
I've got a few "elixirs" that work for me:

I often gig on "work nights." Meaning, I usually have to get up for work the next day. Other than the physical tiredness, I'm able to get past the emotional or mental exhaustion that accompanies me day after a gig due to having to be on point at work. There's no harping on the clams I played the night before while I'm at work. And when I get home from work, I'm just tired and get a nice rest.

Bowl of cereal, and water/protein bars during gig is certainly helpful, as others have said here.

Finally -- when I get home from a gig, i unload the least from my car, pull up some cereal and get down to latest "gig report" from CliffBass and other cats. It's cool to know I'm not the only one doing this, and especially in BassCliff's case, playing music for others is a privilege meant to be celebrated. Because that's what this is all about.
 
#35
ghostfather said:
anyone else experience this? i often feel so hollowed out the day after playing a gig. just sort of emotionally bereft. i have experienced this since i was a teenager, and it has persisted up to now, i'm 40. what do you do to combat it?
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Yes. Because performing is such a high, you "come down" afterwards. Plus you are often tired. You are going from being a live wire with all the attention on you, to being just another nobody schlub. That's why a bad show is such an emotionally racking experience; you have missed that moment you've been looking for and instead of all that positive energy you usually feel, it is negative.
I remember a situation after my second show ever. I was maybe 16 and the Friday before I had played a place called the Anti-Club. We were the opener, but had a demo tape out and had a good turn out. People were yelling out song our song names. People bled for us. It was awesome. Come Monday morning I'm back in auto shop class listening to some mouthy @$$ jock give me $#!+ because he was an @$$hole and that's what he did. I had a 3/4 combo wrench in my hand and I dropped it, which he found hilarious. It took literally ever fiber in my being to not backhand him with it on my way up and literally cave in his grinning skull with it. A few days earlier I was a god and now some POS is trying to bully me. Luckily a teacher was near by and I was able to convince myself that expulsion and possibly attempted murder wasn't worth. #%$& that guy to this day.
It is one of the most addictive highs you can have. Of course there is going to be a downside.
 
#36
I find that my post gig feelings are often directly tied to my evaluation of how I personally played and to a lesser extent how the band played. Those feelings can be affected by how much work went into load in, set up, and load out. If we (or I) didn't play well those other tasks have a greater impact.

I have control over my playing and can work to improve it; not so much on the rest of the band since I am not the BL. There's also the effect of so much anticipation prior to the gig, and the low after the gig if the next job is not for several weeks or months. My situation is complicated because I am an insulin dependant diabetic and I have to constantly guard against a potential low blood sugar event.

In my case I have to manage what I can and deal with the issues that I don't have direct control over. Staying hydrated and eating to sustain energy is what I try to do. There's not much for me that cures the after affects of a poor performance except to work to improve.

Thump on,

One_Dude
 
#37
I felt a little sad on Sunday morning after our gig on Saturday night. Our guitarist is going to be out of action for a few months while he undergoes stem cell replacement treatment for cancer. If all goes to plan he should be well enough to resume gigging in the new year, if it doesn't is something I would rather not think about.

He had the same procedure 13 years ago and was back out gigging 3 weeks after leaving hospital despite being told he wouldn't feel like leaving the house for several months. We are all hoping that he responds as well to the treatment this time.
 
#38
two fingers said:
Usually a huge brealfast with my family and a 5 gallon bucket of coffee set me straight. Hard to be down with these two goofballs.
View attachment 3093095

Find a few minutes to spend in the woods. Spending 10 minutes a day in the woods will change your life. If you live in a major metro a park will have to do.

I walk or run down this horse path behind my neighborhood. This part is actually on my property.

View attachment 3093110
View attachment 3093111
Click to expand...

You are blessed beyond measure with those goofballs. Enjoy them...they grow up too soon.
 
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#39
You have been given some really good advice and I cannot add much. As much as I love making,playing and creating music, I discovered to have other outlets besides that. As 2 fingers said, find you a place away from it all and just rest and relax. For me, there are very few hiking trails I haven't done in a 150 mile radius from my house. Learn a new instrument. Get involved with a group of fellows who just want to meet occasionally and play without gigging. Do some volunteer work somewhere.
I was an adrenaline junkie for years and it did nothing but get worse and made a depressed mess of me.
 

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