I was recently asked an interesting question by someone and wanted to share my thoughts.
The question was about that feeling of “dropping” after they’ve experienced a “high” from something exciting. In full transparency, this was related to activities within an alternative lifestyle, but the answer is something that can apply to virtually anyone.
They wanted to know… Are some people more prone to drop than others?
What Are We Talking About?
Have you ever had a moment of intense excitement? Perhaps an experience that required a lot out of you to get through.
I’ll give an example that maybe helps…. One very common experience that people speak about is coming down from a “runner’s high” – that feeling of euphoria that runners can get from completing a marathon, for example.
At the start of a marathon, the runner is excited and focused – ready to get going. The first stretch of the marathon can often feel good… warming up, finding that pace, feeling those emotions they normally find while running. Then comes the pain… the time where all the muscles are burning, their lungs are pushing hard for the next breath and their stamina is being challenged. In this moment, they have to dig down deep, find the strength and courage to keep going, and push through. Then the release… the finish line! All that work and effort pays off, and there’s this huge rush of adreniline and feeling of satisfaction.
Over the next few days though, they start to feel a crash. All those feel good emotions and energy shifts. Everything hurts, their emotions can be all over the place, and they just start to feel down.
This is the drop!
What’s Going On?
When we engage in activities and adventures that really excite and push us, our bodies release this wonderful cocktail of endorphins, dopamine and other chemical reactions that give us that “feel good” effect. This cocktail affects us physically, emotionally and mentally… and its a “high” that we all really tend to enjoy.
Drop is the process of all of these increased levels coming back down to normal, causing a bit of a “withdrawal” from the high that we were experiencing. As with the high, these changes in chemical levels also affect our bodies, minds and emotions.
Basically… what goes up (usually) must come down. Welcome to the drop.
How to Process
Each and every one of us is uniquely different in how we are built (physically, mentally and emotionally), and in how we process things.
How “high” you get will differ from how someone else will be affected. Beyond that, how far you go into that “space” can vary depending on a variety of other factors, including (but not limited to):
- your mood in the moment,
- the trust and comfort of those you’re engaging with,
- what type of activities you’re engaging in,
- so much more.
This is why you may even experience differences in the levels of highs and drops from one activity to the next.
Are some people more prone to drop than others?
I would think so, depending on their own individual makeup, as well as just how far into the “high” they were able to go.
Mitigating the Intensity
There are things that one can do to help mitigate the drop, which again will vary from person to person.
One tool that often helps is comfort. It’s about finding those things that personally give you comfort in the moment. That may be a good “comfort food” meal, a warm blanket and cuddles, surrounding yourself with things that make you smile, ect.
Another tool that can be helpful is mindfulness. Being aware that you are in fact dropping, learning to understand what is triggering those responses, and being mindful of yourself in those moments. That mindfulness is what helps us redirect ourselves when we feel this way, regardless of what other support we may have around us.
Yet another tool is connection. That could include additional time or communication with the top in the scene, spending time with our close partners, talking to our friends or even getting out to a community event.
Whatever you do for mitigation, its important to understand that some people will learn how to better manage the “drop” effect, while some may feel it much more overwhelmingly. The trick is to better understand yourself in those moments and to try to put yourself in the best position you can for your own personal aftercare to process through it.
This may even include being mindful of your own schedule and knowing when you will or will not have time to be able to process, and planning your activities to better fit with that.
No matter how big your feels are, you can take some comfort in knowing that you are not alone. For most of us, “drop” is a part of the overall human experience. Some people can process it better than others, but I do think we all have the ability to learn how to best take care of ourselves to try to minimize those effects.
I truly do hope that this answer was helpful to them, and maybe it helps you in some way.
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