For those of you who are now recovering from Dragon*Con, you should be aware that post-con depression is a very real thing. Thankfully, it’s also treatable. Here is your guide to its symptoms and treatment.
Signs of Post-Con Depression:
-You woke up this morning and felt sad that you had to put on real clothes instead of a costume.
-You looked in the mirror and thought, “Why bother to look good? No one will be taking my picture today.”
-You keep checking Facebook every five minutes, hoping that your friends will upload their photos. And tag you in them. But not THAT photo – you know, the drunken one from 2 a.m. on Saturday night – because that would be embarrassing.
-You accidentally referred to your boss as “Lord Vader.”
-You made a joke about filking at work, and couldn’t understand why no one got it.
-You actually wish you could see a furry, just to feel like you’re back at con.
Treatment of Post-Con Depression:
-Did you enjoy a panel for a particular actor/movie/show? Have a marathon! (It’s Firefly for me, thanks to a fantastic panel on Friday.)
-Upload your own pictures to Facebook. Tag all of your friends (but not THAT one). Look at them every hour until you begin to feel better.
-Start working on next year’s costumes. Then, instead of looking backward and feeling sad, you’ll be looking forward to next year’s con. Bonus: starting early means you can patiently wait for 99 cent pattern sales, fabric store coupons, and that lucky find at a thrift store.
-Think of a friend who wasn’t at con and think, “Well, at least I was there!” Just don’t actually say this to your friend, because that would make you a jerk.
-Blast the music of your favorite con band. For me, it’s The Cruxshadows’ new album, “As The Dark Against My Halo,” but for you it might be Voltaire’s “BiTrektual” or some other artist. (Use headphones to avoid annoying co-workers, and simply ignore the weird looks when you start dancing.)
-Incorporate a little con into your everyday life. Fall is coming, so rock that Jayne hat or 10th Doctor coat. Prefer a little more subtlety? Be like John Barrowman and wear superhero undies. We won’t tell.
Here’s to another great Dragon*Con and the recovery process. Do you have your own post-con depression remedy? Comment below and let us know! We’re all in this together. So say we all!
