So the party is over, the con has or is dying down. Feeling a bit weird or out of place?
Post Con Depression is real folks, but it isn’t always depression. For me after these events has had me feeling everything from feeling emotionally raw and disconnected to feeling empowered and incredibly charged up. Adding in the emotions of my other partners, particularly during our first parties made and even more intense experience (both good and bad!)
One of the core things that helps is having supports. If you have a partner or close friends let them know a bit of what you are going through. Talk it out, a lot of the time after these events I have enough to mentally unpack that I don’t always know where my feelings are coming from until I start talking about them. If you don’t feel like you have people around you who would understand I still have good news! You have a community of others who have been to these parties and understand a wide variety of furry and alternative lifestyle stuff! Post in chat if you went to the parties/con and are having a rough time readjusting to normal life afterward. You aren’t the only one I promise!
One thing that helps me is to focus on what I learned about myself at the party, what I want to do with it, and how I can begin to bring that aspect more into my life. I will often talk to people to work on continuing the momentum of the mindset internally.
If you have a partner who was involved in the parties with you I recommend going over what happened at the party, what they liked, any boundary issues or concerns they can see coming up, and what could be done better. These parties can be stressful for open couples, they present situations we don’t come across day to day and might not have always prepared for. Its important to touch base after to see what could be improved or communicated better.
Be aware that you might be more emotional then usual overall. You might be down, you might be up, you might snap at people or just want to hug everyone. Recognize it, own it, and let others know you are a bit off kilter. It helps everyone be a bit more understanding.