Wash off the face paint and sweep up the glitter, Pride celebrations are over for another year. In Toronto we were blessed with perfect weather which contributed to one of the best Prides in recent history.
While Pride can be a celebratory and exhilarating experience, keeping up this level of extravagance is unsustainable- and therein lies the rub. All good things come to an end, and Pride is no exception. “Pride Hangover” refers to the physical, mental, and emotional comedown after an exceptionally fun-filled weekend, and can be a real issue for some people. I happen to be one of those people.
Indeed, as I dragged myself home Sunday evening I was physically exhausted, mentally fried, and emotionally despondent. Strange considering I just spent three fun-filled days surrounded by loved ones, feeling blessed beyond belief, living my best gay life dancing the nights away into dawn.
But this ain’t my first gay rodeo. I knew that I was experiencing the classic symptoms of a Pride Hangover. Through the mental fog of that dreary walk home, I was able to recall some tried and true tactics that have helped me to a speedy recovery:
1. This is normal and temporary
Comedowns are normal and happen after any joyful event such as coming home from a fabulous vacation. These are a normal part of life and everyone goes through it at one time or another. The good news is that it doesn’t last forever. But we tend to have emotions about our emotions thereby amplifying their negative effects. So before you get down about the fact that you’re feeling down, just let it be and don’t resist it. Doing so will only keep it alive longer.
2. Be grateful
The famous quote, “’tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all” is relevant here. Choose to be grateful for the delicious experiences you had rather than be sad that it’s over. What would life be like if it were just at a steady stream of feeling neutral all the time? The ups and downs is what makes it fun. So instead of viewing Pride from the lens that “it’s all over,” look at it from a lens of “I’m glad it happened.” Pride celebrations may be over but the memories will live forever.
3. Detox
Chances are you consumed a higher-than-usual amount of alcohol and/or other substances over the weekend. Popular party drugs like coke and M can make you feel euphoric, energetic, and confident, but the crash can leave you feeling depressed, sluggish, and sick. Since M floods the brain with serotonin, the depletion of it over the next few days contributes to feelings of gloom afterwards. Other drugs have similar effects to the brain and so taking some time off substances is a good idea to get things back on track.
Similarly, alcohol is a depressant that initially boosts your mood, but in the days after, leaves you deficient in those feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. So give your body a rest from alcohol for the next few days and let your liver and kidneys do their job to detox the waste from your system.
Oftentimes, drugs and alcohol inhibit your body’s proper sleep function which tends to amplify the comedown effect.
4. Sleep it off
Sleep deprivation has a whole slew of negative effects – both physically and mentally. The body has a knack for knowing how to recover itself- if we just let it. Sleep is a great way to do that. Try to get as much sleep as possible to let your body rest and naturally recover. This is a great time to stay home and binge-watch shows, have a long bath, or indulge in your favourite chill activities. Call in sick if you have to and give yourself permission to bail on any commitments or obligations. Your health is worth it. And don’t let anyone make you feel bad about your Pride Hangover either.
5. Nourish & hydrate
On top of detoxing and resting, you can help your body heal itself by giving it the fuel it needs to do so. Drink lots of water and nourish yourself with healthy foods that will replenish you and energize you. There’s no secret recipe here, just stick to the stuff you know is good for you and try to lay off fast food and processed sugars. Hydration is key to recovery as your body needs water to carry out its proper functions. This is especially true if you’ve indulged in alcohol and drugs since a common side effect of both is dehydration.
6. You’re not alone
Don’t forget that you are not alone in feeling down, sluggish, moody, and apathetic. I for one am with you and I know there’s a lot of people feeling the same way. Sometimes misery does love company and sharing the experience with a friend can alleviate its effects. Chances are they may be feeling the same way.
If your Pride Hangover seems determined to stick around, it may be worth getting in touch with a doctor or professional health care provider. There are plenty of LGBTQ services in the city, some of which I have linked here:
Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash
