In Between Trip Depression

[jlsHouston]

i usually go to disney world 3 times a year.. but i just moved out of my parents; i guess i forgot to think that decision through because now my parents are not paying for my disney trips anymore wahh! let me just tell you, i have been going crazy especially the past couple months. i have been doing the same things, going on youtube, completely stalking the FLE, keep going on disneyworld.com and planning random trips, looking at old photos and watching family videos, believe me ive done it all. its disney depression. my boyfriend wasnt raised a disney baby like i was so he believes im crazy and am living in a fantasy.. he doesnt get it, disney truely is the happiest place on earth, everyone is so happy, the feeling you get on mainstreet, the food, the energy, just everything about disney is amazing! he says he couldnt stand waiting in lines all day, let me just tell you something... im the type of person that when i go shopping i cant sit in line for more then 10 minutes before i change my mind and put what ever i was going to buy back and leave! things like waiting in line and being stuck in crowds, walking in the rain, and waiting for buses til 12 am dont bother you in disney! does anyone understand what im saying? or am i just rambling now?

honey I am almost 51 and I refuse to do lines at wally world, the dmv, the post office but at WDW...there I patiently stand as long as I am not too hot, a bad hair day due to rain or humidity: out with the hair clip; crowds, heels bumped by strollers: I just smile and move out of the way or get to the sidelines and wait a while for the crowd to disperse a bit...I have been on a disney withdrawl depression since we came back from easter, and after memorial day weekend I broke down and booked this July trip because I could not wait til October. Either I will hit the lottery eventually so I can continue to afford these trips, or I will be fortunate enough in my business to continue making the money that affords these trips... or my withdrawls might get extremely unmanageable and I will need help

 

[bubbles1812]

Anticipating a trip is just fine and even feeling "down" between trips is ok but if you aren't living (and no, I don't mean in the breathing/heart beating way) between trips and your biggest focus is when your next trip is, then I would suggest it's time to talk someone. Disney is a wonderful place but there is so so so much more to life than just Disney. Sorry, not saying this is anyone who has posted in the thread. Just my observations in general. If you feel so bad to the point of being constantly anxious when you aren't there, that sounds obsessive and unhealthy

 

[jlsHouston]

yes it is obsessive.. guilty of that a little anyways..believe me reality has a way of jerking me out of some of my OCD behavior over WDW... at this point I think if I wasn't obsessing over my next trip to disney though, it would be something else...I been this way about stuff too long...at least I am multi task enough to keep up with all my other obligations/commitments/interests while catering to this WDW obsession THANK GOD And so far I have avoided anything resembling clinical depression over missing WDW. My grandma told me a long time ago when I was going through a very rough period in life that depression was something you have to "fight", and I have taken her advice to heart for over 20 years.

 

[bubbles1812]

yes it is obsessive.. guilty of that a little anyways..believe me reality has a way of jerking me out of some of my OCD behavior over WDW... at this point I think if I wasn't obsessing over my next trip to disney though, it would be something else...I been this way about stuff too long...at least I am multi task enough to keep up with all my other obligations/commitments/interests while catering to this WDW obsession THANK GOD And so far I have avoided anything resembling clinical depression over missing WDW. My grandma told me a long time ago when I was going through a very rough period in life that depression was something you have to "fight", and I have taken her advice to heart for over 20 years.

It is. It's an illness. A medical illness. And something that can very much be treated at that, with therapy (there is absolutely nothing wrong with therapy though I know the stigma is there) and medications and determination. I'm a med student who actually just completed her psychiatry rotation and I saw so many people struggling with this very treatable illness who had just not sought help and were suffering needlessly. If people are truly feeling depressed (for more than 2 weeks where you are having trouble sleeping or eating, felt not interested, worthless, restless, low energy, ect), please talk to your dr about it.

**Sorry. Wasn't try make this post to brag or anything. Just seen so many with depression and I honestly would never wish that on anyone. And it really is very treatable.

Sorry, anyways back on topic...I've been definitely guilty of obsessing over Disney and other things too. But obsession is rarely healthy (or at least obsession in the sense that is impairing your ability to function/live...if you have constant thoughts about something and causing you anxiety because of it).

 

[Beholder]

Obsession, anxiety, clinical depression, bi-polar and the mechanisms that facilitate these illnesses are very real, and any kind of "depression" I may have spoke of was general at best. More, "I miss my WDW! Wish I was still there!" kind of thing. Not a psychotic break or life altering mood shift. I know all to well (family) what these type of illnesses can do, and would NEVER compare my relative "funk" when missing WDW to diagnosable clinical depression.

 

[bubbles1812]

Obsession, anxiety, clinical depression, bi-polar and the mechanisms that facilitate these illnesses are very real, and any kind of "depression" I may have spoke of was general at best. More, "I miss my WDW! Wish I was still there!" kind of thing. Not a psychotic break or life altering mood shift. I know all to well (family) what these type of illnesses can do, and would NEVER compare my relative "funk" when missing WDW to diagnosable clinical depression.

I wasn't saying what anyone on here was saying pointed to real "clinical" depression. Sorry I just wanted to make that clear. Just was trying say, if really do have those type symptoms I described, may really have depression and that it's a medical illness. And that it is totally treatable! That's the best news. Though there is so much stigma when it comes to mental illness, it's sad. Sorry, but I digressed again.

I have said "I wish I were still there" many a time right after coming back from Disney...or well vacation in general, haha. I envy Europe and their vacation system.

 

[jlsHouston]

I'm with you about vacation, I work for vacation at this point in my life...sigh.. and since I am self employed I am always working a bit while on vacation..sigh...which speaking of maybe I need to find out if anyone else has the same issue of draining cell phone battery at disney? It really cramps my work. I am thinking of getting a throwaway from walmart when I arrive with a florida # and call forwarding my calls and see if that is better..

 

[bubbles1812]

I'm with you about vacation, I work for vacation at this point in my life...sigh.. and since I am self employed I am always working a bit while on vacation..sigh...which speaking of maybe I need to find out if anyone else has the same issue of draining cell phone battery at disney? It really cramps my work. I am thinking of getting a throwaway from walmart when I arrive with a florida # and call forwarding my calls and see if that is better..

There are a few technology threads around here. I don't think it's your phone and getting a throwaway probably wouldn't do you that much good. It's just that Disney doesn't have that good of wireless/service, especially in the parks. And if a phone is constantly trying to connect/connecting/working briefly/losing said connect/starting all over..and over and over, that's going to be a drain on your phone. It's having to "work a lot harder" than it normally would. The cell phone towers are all more towards the perimeter of the property for the most part, which doesn't help.

 

[jlsHouston]

Yah I have been doing cell phone searches, haven't found a good one yet... or at least one that gives me some options.. I think I am the only one who goes to WDW on vacation and works while there..

 

[Pooh Lover]

We went 11 years between trips. The first year was horrid.. because I knew there was no way we were going to get back for a very long time. I was right. This time it's only 13 months between trips. Until we had actual reservations it was hard to deal with. I know this time it may be 2-4 years before we go back ..i can't even think about it honestly.. I will be so depresssed.

This is between trip depression... NOT having another trip booked or even planned. If I have a trip booked or at least planned, I don't call the trip-in-waiting time "depressing." That's called anticipation. I love the anticipation of a trip....the videos, WDW-specific radio stations, the planning, menus, re-living old trips....its all part of the fun.

 

[spacemt354]

The way I build up anticipation for the trips is trying to notice things around me that somehow relate to Disney. For instance, our a/c unit smells like the monorail. (And I don't mean when 300 sweaty people are jammed in it at the end of the day) I'm talking about that distinct smell of the monorail, and I'm sure people know what I am referring to. And whenever a neighbor has their fireplace going, it smells like the Spaceship Earth Rome burning scene. Also, whenever I walk around a lake, I can always picture walking around World Showcase. And actually I just noticed another today. Our Disney trip begins right after I finish summer classes, and my room number has been 407. I've been thinking to myself why this number seems so familiar. I just realized today that 407 is the area code for Disney World! I thought that was pretty cool, because the number on my door is showing me where I'm going after I'm done here. Needless to say I was very excited, and the countdown is now 23 days!

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Having gone to both WDW & DL in 2011..I was originally going to go back in for Epcot's 30th this year...But looking through some things I wasn't going to be able to..So I decided to sacrifice it up until the End of January in 2013...And to be honest...IT's FRIGGING KILLING ME! I have held up all my days off just to make this an amazing 2 week vacation for me...So the only way for me to keep me sane from just running to O'hare and hop the next flight to Orlando..

A bit of Irony called me as well...When I was coming home from Las Vegas in February I got out of the gate at O'hare and saw the next families boarding the plane I was just on and saw that the Destination was Orlando.......It was a SIGN! I Need to get back!

So for the past year and a half I have been keeping myself entertained..I listen to my park music, Come here, and to several other Disney sites to know what is going on....But, I also have a bit of attractions I can watch in the way they are intended.....Having a 110" movie screen hooked up to a PS3 has it's advantages. Now I can watch the theater based attractions and that puts a smile on my face.....Whenever I need that fix I can instantly watch...

It's Tough To Be A Bug

Mickey's PhilharMagic

Or Older attractions Like Cranium Command.

 

[annawilliams]

I find myself listening to disney park tracks all day at work... staring at pictures. It's getting bad. Need another trip PRONTO.

 

[mickey2008.1]

It's tough in between trips, especially when it's over a year, but with the internet, sorcerer radio, and this site, I can make it work. Sure i want to be there every other month, but that's not in the cards, and even if it was, I think I would'nt get the anticipation then.