On Post Congress Depression

I think I've been to enough congresses now to fully recognise the symptoms that afflict my person each time I return from such an event. Given the complexity of having to explain these symptoms to people, of listing them each time, I thought it more convenient to define the condition and to refer back to this post forever after. Not that I fancy myself as the founder of the wiki-salsa-pedia, but now that I think of it, it's not such a bad idea.

Post Congress Depression  (PCD) then. How does it occur, what are the symptoms? What's the cure?

The most notable symptom of PCD is the disappointment one feels upon returning home to one's local social after a triumphant few nights of congress dancing bliss. Any drug user will suffer from similar symptoms when their drug of choice wears off: they come down from Cloud Nine and reality doesn't shine nearly as bright as last time they saw it. Note, that this will be true regardless of your experience of the latest congress. If you are a critical soul, as I am, you will no doubt find something negative to say about each experience even though you enjoy most of it thoroughly. However, the return home always puts this brutally into context: congress dance partners are remembered as better and friendlier than others, the music is remembered as more enticing.

You essentially get a serious case of "the grass is greener on the other side". This is possibly because you are too tired after the whole experience to see colour anymore, but invariably you also feel out of sync with the rest of your local community as well. Severe cases of PCD may have you stop listening to salsa music altogether - shock horror! Note that we are referring to proper addicts here, people who live and breathe this music so not listening to music is a symptom to be taken in all seriousness.

A wholly unsatisfying solution is is to put off the next local social you go to. Some of my friends like to go out as soon as they get back. It's a way of boasting, returning victorious from the front and showing off their new skills. For my part, I want to go home and and sleep (surprise, surprise). But after that, I want time to let the whole experience sink in, enjoy the memories for a while and appreciate the silence. This is all relative of course because the satisfaction  wears off all too quickly and then you just feel lonely, empty, in need of the next hit. As the loneliness amplifies, you start to miss your friends from abroad. It hardly seems worth going out if you're not going to be able to see them.

Ultimately, only dancing will solve the problem. Dancing makes the addict happy after all. It may take a while if you have a severe case of PCD, but dancing heals. Not just local dancing though, I tend to find that booking a new congress is necessary to get me over the hill. Planning the next event will help you look forward and stop focusing on the good times past because you'll be dreaming of the next special event. Ultimately, for the true addict, there's only one way to get out of the funk: shoot up again!

I realise that I'm an addict recommending a further hit as a solution. But consider other addictions: smoking cigarettes and taking drugs are bad for your health. Salsa is a healthy, sociable habit. Why would anyone want to quit?