How to fight depression?
 

Since a holiday with my parents to visit family in Botswana (about 25 years ago) I've been dreaming of travelling the world.
But what started as a dream is now slipping through my fingers like the diarrhea I had in Morocco..

Life hadn't been exactly easy for me for the last 9 years.
I had a motorcycle accident in 2004.
Was fired the year after because I needed surgery.
Cheated on my former girlfriend in 2007, because our relationship was missing that extra something.
Turned out she'd been sexually abused by her stepbrother as a 4 year old.
The same year her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
We (or at least I) tried to cling on to a relationship that wasn't working anymore, 3 years after the breakup was inevitable.
It all had a serious impact on my performance at work, so I got fired again.

At that point I decided it was enough and that I was going to do this motorbike world trip thing.
So last year Marianne and I finally took off on what should have been the biggest achievement in my life.

The plan was to circumnavigate the world in about three years, starting with Africa. West side down,
east side up. We got to Jo'burg. Where we found out the bikes weren't good anymore to finish our trip.
So in December we flew back 'home', bought two 'new' bikes (R100GS) prepared them for the rest of the journey.
And since the the 30th of March we are on the road again. And although it always had been my dream to do it on
a R100GS, I'm NOT enjoying!!! In fact I'm not enjoying riding anymore...
In Albania, while offroading Marianne tumbled of her bike pretty hard. So we went back to Germany, to get some new gear.
Since then we have been pretty unlucky with weather conditions. Bad luck with our visas. Everything seems to be falling apart (tent, boots, etc).
The tar roads in Turkey were boring us. So we recently tried some offroading in Georgia. We had to turn back (once again)
because road conditions were pretty bad, and taking a beating at Marianne's stamina. I almost skidded of the road into a river.
Which got me thinking what the HELL am I doing???

Riding a motorbike always had been my way of clearing my mind, let everything pass by. But now I'm only thinking about how
f**kep up my life is. That I haven't accomplished anything. Also life on the road is getting hard on me.
I'm annoyed by pretty much everything. The careless driving of people. Even though I'm depressed, I sure don't
wanna be killed because of their recklessness. Too many people on this planet, f**king it up at a serious pace.
etc. etc. I've never been very social but notice I'm avoiding contact and conversations...

Right now (after just two months of riding) we are taking a break. Staying on Thassos for a short holiday.
Trying to enjoy, the weather, food, etc. And also decide whether we should continue our not.
But frankly I don't see the point.

Depression.
 

Hi, I don't know how to solve depression. It is hellish though.
Years ago I was told by someone to stop when you have a problem or situation that seems disastrous. Ask yourself, "Does this problem threaten my life?"
If the answer to that is no, then it is not a really bad problem and you'll laugh about it in years to come.

Beyond that I'd say take care of a relationship. Problems shared are problems halved. Or take a different perspective or view and maybe they're not problems at all.
Finally, helping other, really poor and deprived people can help change your depressive view.

An old Scottish saying, "Smile, things could be worse. So I smiled and you know what? They GOT worse!" He he, Lindsay.

I understand the feeling. I've been on the road 3 years and have hit low points deeper, darker and more depressing than I ever could have imagined possible. Yet I've always gotten through it, usually with the love and acceptance of a complete stranger. Here are a few random thoughts, perhaps you can pull something out that will help you. If you want some more detail, just let me know.

Traveling with someone is very hard. I've seen travel end many relationships. I have seen only a small handful of people travel together more than 6 months who are still happy with it. A friend of mine once said that a day of travel is as intense as a week of living together or an entire month of dating!

Travel changes a person. A lot. Yet accepting that I have changed is sometimes difficult and it has caused me to give myself a lot of grief over the years. This is part of why travel is so hard on relationships as each person is changing in different ways that are not always compatible.

It was hard to let go of my old dreams and accept new dreams.

Any time I feel depressed, angry or frustrated about travel I now know it is time that something must change.

In my experience, everyone traveling for a long period of time goes through the exact same pattern in adjusting to travel. There specific times when everyone traveling either changes how they travel (or who they are) or stops traveling. Common symptoms include: Depression, homesickness, and/or a temporary loss of interest in travel. Those transitions happen every 3-6 months. It seems to take a minimum of 1.5 years for all of them to complete. Not a lot of people last that long, which is fine! Traveling the world for years at a time isn't something everyone enjoys, even those of us who have dreamed of doing so!

Good luck, whatever happens!

Hello,

you can try to get more relaxed making Yoga and meditation.Enjoy the moment.Forget the past and dont worry about the future.And of course an healthy lifestyle with good food without beer and make sport.If this does not work talk with an doctor.Maybe this can be usefull.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc

Mike

Get over it and get on with it!
 

Most people have had hurdles to get over! You are riding, many cant and have far worse issues to deal with! Just think how fortunate you are, look on the bright side of life, take in the surroundings and think again just how fortunate you are to be out there and doing it, harden up and deal with it!

You have my sympathy. I went through a similar experience decades ago, although not on quite such a grand scale as you, and it still affects me now. The one thing I recognised (afterwards, as always) is that you can't ride away from your troubles.

I don't want to come over all pop psychologist with this but I think you need to take some time to take stock. At least you seem to be in a half decent part of the world atm to just kick back and try to think things through. Only you know the totality of your situation - home life, commitments, money etc, but assuming none of those are critical you need to work out what is important to you- and it doesn't need to be the bike trip. Just going through the motions with that while your mind is elsewhere is really not a good idea. As others have said it's stressfull in its own right and forcing yourself to ride and dealing with all the hassle that life on the road involves is just adding fuel to the fire.

I doubt (I couldn't) you'll be able to work out the best way forward on your own without the passage of a considerable period of time (possibly years) so Marianne is going to be a crucial part of trying to work out why you feel the way you do. You need to get some open discussions going between the two of you and be honest with each other.

I know how hard it must have been to come on here and write what you did when everyone else seems to be heading off somewhere in a blaze of enthusiasm and high spirits. Good luck with it all and I hope you come to a decision and a course of action that makes you happy.

I would echo this sentiment. I've known several people with whom I've worked (I would possibly include myself here) who have moved jobs trying to find a positive change in their lives, only to transport their 'baggage' from A to B. Deal with your feelings first, if you can, and then carry on; otherwise it's a papering over the cracks situation. When riding, as many have said, there's a lot of time to sit and think. It would be far better to have dealt with any issues, if possible, so that you can get back to enjoying a ride many people can't undertake.

All the best.

Butt some's times things going well..Why?Because if you come over here, (Athens)you more than welcome to host you, Marianna and the 2 old ladies :))

And Sander, enjoy you trip my friend... The problems are endless in our lifes..We need just to havethe courage to solve them.



Someone who spent a lot of summer in Thassos :)

Thanks for all the replies... I'll filter those things that I think could be useful for me. Right now after a week of Thassos I feel a little better. Enjoyed doing something completely different (or should I say nothing at all). The weather has been nice and the food was nice aswell.
However I'm still not super enthusiastic about riding again. We will however set course back 'home'. Taking some scenic routes through Italy (Amalfi coast, Stelvio). Maybe that will bring back some fun. If it does we might head east, to Mongolia. If not we'll just go home and figure out what's wrong with me...

@Gallos, thanks for the offer. But it looks like we're heading north. I also doubt a big city will improve my state of mind (in general I don't like big cities).

No prob....enjoy the rest of your trip...The offer is valable also for next time ;)

You have my support and positive feelings too. Can I just risk making myself unpopular among any (other) Italians around here and suggest that you skip the amalfi coast and most of Italy in general ? Sure , it's beautiful, but you risk landing up in a particularly crowded hot and unmanageable place and maybe being right in the middle of the tourist trail isn't really what you need right now.
If mountains and scenery are what you want to see then of course the Stelvio pass and DOlomites further north are probably exactly what you need. Might be best to get there crossing the Balkans though, where people are friendly, food and accomodation are great and dirt cheap, and there's no lack of nice scenery.
If you follow my advice then feel free to PM me, I'd be happy to help out in any way I can.
All the best.

Antonio.

Such a scenic drive but hot, crowded, and gridlocked when I was there a few years ago. Had an off day and managed to scrape both sides of the rental car trying to get past a stationary coach on one particularly narrow part of the road. Not a ride I'd suggest if you're feeling a bit down. It's justifiably famous but a victim of its own success.

Due to Marianne seriously dropping her bike in Albania, we've been down and up the Balkans, 3 times this trip. Besides we also read they almost flushed away. So we were looking for some alternatives to get back home. As we mostly skipped Greece on our way to Turkey, it just makes so much sense to do a little trip in Greece and take a ferry to Italy. Besides we are meeting with a friend who is doing Stelvio and Dolomites...
What worries me the most that Marianne planned to visit the leaning tower of Pisa and Rome just for a picture of the Colosseum. I already told her I don't think that really is a good idea. Maybe the crazy driving Italians will have her convinced by the time we get there. :)

I had a friend who was really feeling down after having done a circumnavigation on a sailboat. I took him to lunch one day and had an Air1 station on in the car. We had a great lunch and each went on our way. He called me up about a week later and said that he had been listening to Air1.com on the internet and that it made him feel very happy and that he was pumped to go on a new adventure. Last time I talked to him, he was on a world tour working as a chef in as many countries as he could to really learn all of the regional food tastes. He was in Hong Kong about three months ago last time he called.

I'm also fighting depression while on the road. Mainly because for me it get's lonely sometimes. Every day I have to remind myself how privileged and lucky I am, sometimes that works, many times it doesn't. Many times I wonder why I'm doing this, if it brings me no joy. But like Othalan said, we all struggle at some point if you're on the road for a longer time. Luckily there are the truly magic moments too, that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
But why don't you come down to Kalamata for the Greek HUBB meeting next weekend, after that I'm also on the ferry to Italy.

"Some people feel all the rain. Others just get wet." (Bob Dylan)

Cheers from Namibia,

Gee

If you are in the thoughts of others and the love of another you are never really alone, it just sometimes feels that way!

You will come across, random acts of kindness from strangers and be suprised how much they cheer you up, just as others not thinking upsets you!

Dwell on the good and not the rest!


Best wishes


Brendan

I know how it feels!
 

Hi man!

I know how it feels to be despressed, really! I had thought about suicide really hard and in 2011 finally decided to break up everything and go on a trip. No idea where, how long or how far, just out of the shit! I felt a bit better down the road (but still not good) so I returned to germany and took on a longer trip in 2012 which took me 9 months and really helped me as I got rid of pills and the bad mood! The biggets experiece was, no more pills => no more bad moods????

Anyway after continuing the travell in 2013 I got a really good job offer back in Germany, which I thought give it a try and guess what happened.:(:(:(

6 months later (now) I am sitting here in germany, quit my job again and feel really really low!!! I could go on another trip, but that means I have to rbreak up with my gf, who meet during the 1st trip and I am not sure if that is what I want? We developed the idea of our own camp/ farm for travellers already during the travell since we liked it so much!

It's really hard to give you an advice, since i self struggle so hard right now! If you would have posted half a year ago, my advice would have been.

"Do what you feel it's the best and don't care about anything, because everything is better than this ****ing shit!!!!"

I wish you (and myself) better days ahead!!!

Feel understood!

Alex

Sounds like this dream has taken over & you've become disappointed in not achieving your plans. You've put a lot of pressure on yourself to do this RTW trip & a few problems have overwhelmed you.

Since you're both on a bike, have you thought about downsizing?
Smaller, lightweight bikes on rough roads are so much easier to handle & you'll ride them to suit the terrain and slow down the pace of life.
They're very underrated and a great pleasure to ride. Don't believe the hype that you need a big bike or a BMW to do this trip :thumbup1:

Docktors thought i had a few months to live and told me so last year,
they had it wrong and at this point it looks like i have over come the illnes ,
after a very very hard year.
The fear is still here, because never thought it could happen to me.
No i wake up everyday saying "thanks for living", i really do.

Now it seems so stupid to be negative about relative small things in live.
I feel for you, but get up and slap yourself in the face ,wake up and see
the beauty !
I hope you can understand me:thumbup1:

good luck mate!!

As I've had a few brews, I'll give it my best Yoda-mojo and set you straight :P


First off... Have you got anything better to do??? (I'm assuming no, or you should go do that).

Now, can you do what you are doing differently? Let's for instance say you tossed out the whole encomplishment idea to the wind... the need to make something out of yourself, to prove something, to accomplish something... I mean, what's the point, right? And, who's to who's benefit if "you make it"? No one really cares one way or the other, I'm sure, right (except for mom... but what does she know)? So if no one cares, and not even you yourself don't care for it, why do it? STOP what you are doing entirely or do it differently!

I'm not much of a philosopher - but let's give it the old Yin-Yang approach... finding balance in life.

My belief is that the greatest pleasure comes in the form of "relief" from overcoming suffering or tension of some sort (there are thousands of types, small and large). So, without hardship, there is no real relief to be had... no joy, no happiness. And, if you don't make a difference to anyone but yourself, there is no sense of purpose either. And, without a sense of purpose, there is never any real sense of "deserving" relief, making any joy short lived before reality catches up to you reminding you that you are a worthless excuse of a human being njust taking up space for everyone else... no reason to celebrate whatever you have endured, overcome or achieved... however small or large, you don't feel that you matter.

There is no free lunch - you have to earn your happiness. Happiness can't be given to you for free... it simply isn't humanly possible. You allways have to trade oppsites... shame for pride, guilt for clear councience, bad luck for good luck, etc... You can't have one without the other... Yin-Yang.

As if this was not enough, the magnitude of the "feeling" is not relative to its absolute effect on the world, but to your personal sacrifice and ammount of hardship. Relief of tension, removed by others, doesn't last as long and strong as what you yourself mustered (let's say you were poor and won the lottery vs being a self made man)... same goes for making hard sacrifices to set things straight with someone (relief of guilt), working hard to help someone (sense of purpose and worth), push yourself to overcome a personal challenge (pride. Give away something which has come easy to you doesn't feel as a sacrifice, even if it makes a much more positive impact than giving away something which costs you dearly, even if the impact is beraly noticable. Not that you should make huge sacrifices with no impact.... it will make you feel like an idiot. It is all about finding a balance... and finding this balance riding a bike only, is very difficult.

I would therefore suggest you slow down your trip to a grinding halt for a while. Go to some appealing place not too far away from where you are right now. Find a no nonsense job or volunteer or do something else where what you do matters to someone, wether it is the guy working next to you or the "client"... after work, wipe off the sweat off you brow, take your GF and your hard earned money and go to the pub with your new friends, and then hit the sack in whatever rat hole you have rented for the indefinate time you intend to stay here for. Then, before you get too attached or things become too blassee or repetetive, move on to the next place and repeat. You will learn something, make new kinships, matter to someone, make sacrifices, and get to travel, all in one go. You are truely free! I'd suggest a relatively small town where it is easy to make aquaintances.

You don't need to spend too many hours on a bike before you run out of things to ponder about... soon there is no more escape to be had, just more biting yourself in the ass. If you can't escape, then you have to "seek". Use the bike not as a means of escape, but as a means to widen your horizon and satisfy a curiosity (not the curiosity you wish had but don't because your head is occupied with everything else and nothing, but the curiosity that comes naturally given enough stimuli). If you stay put in a place for a while, use the bike as the functional piece of metal it is - a tool for getting you from a to b. Every now and then, take it for a spin near by your nest to blow off steam, to clear your mind and escape reality... or to explore your back yard and get to know the workd you live in... After a while, when you've got enough of the place, and you've been tempted by different riders to go to particular places, you say your goodbyes, pack your saddlebags, and ride with exitemenmt to the next adventure... When you get there, find a new routine and make a difference... and keep making a difference wherever you go. Then you will travel with a clear counscience and with a great satisfaction of accomplishment... Sooner or later you might even find that you've done a circumnavigation... maybe it took forty years

There is nothing to prove, only to do and not to do

In short, you need to find purpose... and you won't find it in the saddle, only in people.

Auch, sounds familiar... my dear wife suffers from depressions her whole life.. I'm quite a positive dude, but sometimes I almost get dragged into the shadows of her moods.
Make sure you do not drag eachother down, otherwise it would be better go separate ways for a while.
I went trough Germany last june and then towards Bratislava, and on to Budapest. I made the doubts and pains a bit better to bear with the local booze after I set my tent up at the best and most glorious camping spots.
That's important, you do not want to camp in misery.
Then after a few drinks, sometimes spent with locals, or fellow travellers I felt pretty good. Thing is to balance the liquor, as you do not want to sleep away the next morning and miss a beautiful sunrise with a sore throat and pounding head. Or let it influence the next days ride.
I'm not promoting alcoholism, as alcohol does not take away your problems...
(but as they say: neither does milk!)

Take your time while travelling and in traffic. I'd like to end with some advice from my sponsor: "Keep on Walking..."
or biking.

Go.....
 

Go to where people are really suffering.
Where medical care, dentistry, food, supplies, clean water etc. are really very scarce if available at all.
Where there is little or no work and no social infrastructure / social security.
Where everyday's occupation is one focussed on surviving that day.
Live with these people a few days.

Your depression will have vanished before you even realise it.
Now count your blessings- there are many-

Ill tell you one thing - booze isnt the answer .

A Big Up to any one who posts about depression. It is not an easy thing to admit to even to close friends let alone post on a bulleting board. Unless you have suffered with it you will never understand it. No amount of "man up" or "pull your self together" does any good it just makes you feel worse because you can't.


It is also relative as in small minor problems mount up and become big major problems collectively. I would probably not be so inclined to worry about relationships, smoke coming out of the back of my engine and insurance, visa and financial problems if my main concern was a roof over my head and food in my in my belly. Just because you have a roof, food good medical care etc does not stop you being depressed.


There are many different types and something like one in four will suffer from it at some point in their life to varying degrees. For what it is worth I have suffered with SAD for years and as a consequence I have to use a light box and take care of my diet during the long winter months. I also know that booze and drugs prescription or not do not work, they make you forget about things for a while but do not cure the problem.


Fortunately I have learned to live with mine and the big black dog sometimes turns into an adorable puppy but he never goes away. There is a myriad of help and information available online and a short search on Google should give some answers and might even make you realise you are never on your own.


Best of luck with your dilemma and I hope you get things sorted out. Just remember you are not the only one going through this and some will have it a lot worse than you.


Hope this helps.
GM

I, too, am prone to depression and so I do relate to your story.

Although it's true that wherever you go you take yourself and your problems, I have always found that travel offers the opportunity to change perspective and attitudes. I can feel hemmed in by a restrictive, negative mind-states and habits, yet find being in a different environment and culture allows me to start again. Under these circumstances I've often found that I become more vulnerable and open up some and, consequently, so does the world around me.

But...this is because I always travel alone. Travelling with a partner would've inhibited my ability to reinvent myself or at least try new ways of being. I've always needed the space to get out of the siege state, to simplify, to gradually inhabit my body again, get in touch with feelings and slow down the though processes. Better to do the miles on the road, not in the head.

Definitely what Bertrand and Mudlark wrote. Out of your comfort zone, and even dealing with life and death situations puts your body into a different zone. There's a huge amount of authors who've written about how troubles/depression lift while traveling. I actually do not agree that you take your problems with you. Yes, you'll always be the same person, but some of us just have restless souls and being in one place can stunt creativity and growth.

I recommend Bruce Chatwin who wrote The Songlines. In his book Patagonia he wrote, "I haven't got any special religion this morning. My God is the God of Walkers. If you walk hard enough, you probably don't need any other god."

Thats pretty true Lorraine - being someone else with a restless soul :D. Depression is a slippery slope that is often hard to put the brakes on , you know its happening but sometimes you just cant squeezed the brake lever hard enough to stop the slide .................. if you get what i mean . There is light at the end of the tunnel , try and steer clear of booze and drugs , they are a prop and just mask whats really going on .
I also thought it was quite a lonely place to be until i realised that lots of other people had it too ....................... Ewan McGregor has it badly and he speaks quite candidly about the effects , worth reading as you then realise that despite all the wealth and fame there s still that thing lurking in the background .
Hope you find what you are looking for ............. sometimes its right in frony of your nose :mchappy:

As Chris mentioned Fame and fortune are no barriers to depression. here is a list of some surprising people who have suffered with depression
List of people with major depressive disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I was surprised to see Bruce Springsteen suffers with it along with many others.


For those who do not understand, here is one of many links you can find that attempts to explain what it is and how it is caused.
What is depression? Symptoms of depression, help and treatment | Patient.co.uk


There are many things you can do to help yourself but... what works for one may not work for another hence a there is a long list of self help articles. Many people myself included will never be rid of it but we have found a way of controlling it. For some it is being in the company of others for many it is being on your own. Only you will be able to work out what works for you. Sadly there is NO magic bullet one method works for all.


I really hope you manage to sort your self out. A list of all the things that are getting you down and then jettisoning what you can may be a start?

Update please?
 

Sander I notice the last post you made was at the end of May. What is your current situation and whereabouts? From the amount of views and comments to your OP it is obvious quite a few are concerned, please keep us updated.


GM

I was also wondering the same as GM as to how things are going now as well?

Depression is not something to be taken lightly and from experinece of seeing others close to me suffering from this illness, it is not as simple as saying 'man up and get on with it'... Many of us do not understand how the mind works and how low depression can make someone feel.

Last year a very close relative of mine became very withdrawn, negative about life in general and became very low, lost self worth, lack of personal hygine, cut people off etc etc.. which looking back are all syptoms of depression. In hindsight I bleieve he was crying out for help but none of us truely realised how depressed he was until it was too late. Sadly he took his own life and believe me when you are the person that finds him, it is not something I would wish anyone to experience. Telling his wife and children was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.

It takes great courage for someone to admit they suffer from depression so please take all advice and help offered wherever possible. Hope it all works out for you.

Take care

Bones

Bones,

I guess a "Like" isn't the proper word or function to contribute, what you have written about. But I understand you really well and want to contribute, that this is a really really tough job to do and go through!

Since I suffered more then 2 1/2 years with hard depression (leak of hygene, no motivation for anything, staying just in bed...) in this time I meet a man, who suffered himself, but did overcome it and was even back in his "old life" for many years again. So he became, what drug addicted call their "sponsor" for me, since I could call him anytime for help, what I did fairly often.

Last yearhe once called me, that he was feeling depressed again and was mentaly falling down very fast. Off from work, tried to find a therapy, taking pills again, the entire procedure, I was talking to him and tried to help him as much as I could. Finally I couldn't reach him anymore for several weeks and even driving to his home, nobody was around. A bit later his 12 year old son told me his fahter is dead, killed himself with a rope...

The man, who was my hero, helped me soo much and was the living proof for me, that there is a way into a happy life, he couldn't stand for it anymore. Really really sad story....!!!

The big problem, if you suffer so long and once reach the point you did overcome it and gather self-confidence back and then the shit returns it strikes even harder then ever before, because you followed your "new life" and booom again.

That is the point where I am right now and I am really happy and appreciate this treath and all the comments were made! The last time, when my thoughts about suicide became that strong, I always tried to find a clear little moment, when I told myself:

"Before I do that, I jump on my bike and just go, no matter where, how far or how long! Just go!! It can only be better then choice no. 1!"

And I try to tell myself again right now, altough I am asking the same questions. Will I run away from all the problems? What actually are my problems? What if travelling doesn't help? If I return one day, will it start again - if the travell will help? .... and so on...

At the moment I am on short trip. 3 weeks into beautiful Italy and it already changes my mood tremendously. I have almost entire good days, just awesome! And isn't that what we all want? Just feel good right here and right now?

So for myself the decision is made, that next spring I will go on another travell, an unlimited one again. Ship the bike to North-America and go South as long as the tires will last!

I don't want to write only about myself and thank all the responses here. Wheelie, Lorraine, GM, Chris, Bertrand and if I forgot s.o. I like the long post from Wheelie very much with staying in different places, explore them and the people and don't rush at all. I think this is what helped me in person very much on my longest trip, 9 months in 2012. Travelling really really slow, stopped where I liked it, explored the country and the culture and especially the people with a majority of 99% good ones, no matter which country. I also tried to work along the way to afford the travell and after a very simple 3 weeks job in a fruit factory in Italy I felt so tremendously good, because I did sth. myself. I managed it, to travell further and it gave me really a lot!

SO, in 2015 I want to try the same again! "Motorcycle-Therapy" as I named it often. This time on the Panamericana...

Maybe I figure out some answeres again or at least what the problem(s) is/ are...

All the best to everyone, and "Follow your heart!"

Alexander

Thanks for the message Alexander.

Really sorry to hear about your friend.

I wish you all the very best in your future travels. Sounds like you will have a great time crunching the miles at your own pace. :clap:

Stay strong in the mind and body mate. :thumbup1:

Cheers
Bones

Keep riding often at least on weekend trip to keep away from depression. Many go thro depression months after they complete a long trans countries trip.

Fight fight fight against it.

All the best to one and all.

I don't think there is anyone who hasn't suffered a form of depression. For some it's obviously far more severe.

I class myself as very privileged. I can see that when things are going well. But I've also suffered from months of negativity and depression. Trapped in your own prison.

I think that A LOT of people are travelling and using this forum because they have looked at travel as a way of fighting that depression (me included). Adventure travel can be so hectic that it's a fantastic distraction, but no cure.

One thing RTW travel does show you is perspective. And that's why I think that travel can help a lot.

When I'm in a low place, I think about the kids I've seen eating rubbish out of bins in Mumbai. Or people dragging firewood for miles in the heat in Malawi on their emaciated bodies. What the F**K have I got to complain about ???? I've never been truly starving, homeless or had to live in fear my whole life.

Anyway, I hope you can conquer your demons. You are in the top 1% of the human population. Considering that you're travelling and 'living the dream' at the moment, that puts you in the top 0.1% of the global population.

Think about that. Maybe look at yourself in the mirror and slap yourself. Then smile at a stranger and I bet they smile back.

Life ain't that bad really is it.....

Ted

Well said Ted....................if you need another shot of tonic may i suggest you watch an episode of Ross Kemps Extreme World , it just reinforces the previous post .
Whilst Dr s , friends and shrinks can help , ultimately only you can put the brakes on the slope you are currently sliding down - its a very hard job and i dont envy you one bit but it can be done .
My parents would say that you could open your heart and let god in - any god , it doesnt matter .....................

I used to suffer from depression too. A combination of medication, cognitive-behavioural therapy (counselling) and having a big shock making me realise my own problems weren't actually so bad contributed to my recovery. There were times when I was really low and not seeing the point of living anymore. I thought I would never recover. But I did :) So if I could recover so can you, there is hope! Good luck, Jack.

Great thread!

What kept me (literally) alive in my darkest years was that I would never hurt my family like my owndamn parents hurt me. Nevertheless I came pretty close to biting on my gun at times.

Another, more positive thought, if you off yourself, you will never find out what lies behind the next corner ... on the road and in your personal life.

What does help me?
- in deepest fits of depression take that little blue pill and curl up on the couch until I get better
- ride daily (and I am not talking cages)
- doing finicky handiwork like metalwork/filing/woodwork, it really gets your mind off depression
- generally doing what feels good for me and mentally collecting these moments
- avoiding people that make me feel bad
- working on situations which bring me down
- leaving things behind that brought me down

What also helped me a lot was fighting diabetes and getting rid of paradontitis. Guys, infections are a huge burden to your system and it can get you hurt a lot!

Like Jackdude I am on medication and counselling ... these days I usually shudder at the thought of where I was mentally three years ago. The meds are good, besides a temporary impact on my sex life, but then at over 50 I got laid enough in my life, so no complaints. Never felt dull, good stuff.

Counselling is great, I learned a ton of things ... always looking forward to the next appointment.

My message is, you can fight depression and you can be much better again. So if you feel depressed go and talk to someone. It sure beats the alternative.

Hi Folks,

I am wondered, shocked and happy at the same time about how manny people have experiences with depressions. It's really really shit, it definitly is! But I am happy that I and we are not so alone with it, like it feels so often!

I luckily recovered tremendously sice my last post. I rode for two weeks across beautiful Italy with my motocycle and since it helped me so much, at the end of week no. 2 I told myself: "What the hell, just stay one more week and don't care at all!" and so I did. After those - just - 3 weeks I felt sooo much better that I got new plans again and first of all energy!

The biggest decicsion of course, another unlimited travell in the beginning of next year! Canada, Alaska and then south!:scooter:

In the meantime I visited an interesting conference about "digital nomads" in Berlin and how such a lifestyle is possible. Very interesting and it did touch sth. inside me. So I want to follow up on this during the next trip. It's a million times better then staying in bed with this shit!

I also signed up for the next German HU- meeting in th eend of the month, to gather some more travell-energy and meet good people for a good time!

My biggest achievement luckily is still/again the same:

Follow your heart and what feels good for you, no matter how crazy it is! And refuse stuff which doens't feel good or right!!

It really helpes!

All the best to everyone!

Alexander