Navigating Depression After Your Wedding

Your wedding day is often one of the most important days of your life. It’s one of the truest markers of a new chapter. You spent months, if not a year or two, planning everything out. From guest lists, decorations, venues, catering, and finding the perfect attire, there is a never-ending list of things to do.

Finally, the big day gets there, and in a whirlwind, it’s over. The day may go perfectly with no hiccups. Often, some things can tarnish the memory of the day, but overall, you wouldn’t change a thing. Your union is official, and while marriage takes work and sacrifice, you couldn’t imagine tying the knot to anyone else.

The period after a wedding is often filled with newlywed bliss. But it’s not uncommon to experience depression after your wedding.

What Causes Depression After a Wedding?

First, let’s talk about what can contribute to someone feeling depressed after their wedding.

The months leading up to the wedding and the day itself often feel chaotic. Then, suddenly, it’s all over. Cortisol is a stress hormone that the body produces. Likely, during this time, your cortisol levels fluctuated frequently due to the stress of planning everything.

When your life goes back to normal, so to speak, your body is thrown for a loop as it tries to balance the hormones out again. This often leads to depression symptoms developing.

It’s also normal to grieve your old life. It’s not that you regret your marriage, of course. But getting used to being married and tied to another person in this way is a huge life transition. Even if you dated for a long time before tying the knot, knowing you are no longer single can feel unnerving.

Relationships also take a lot of sacrifice and compromise. Adjusting to being a “we” and “us” is often a struggle for many people. Everything you do now can potentially impact your marriage and the person you are committed to.

It would also be amiss not to mention the financial stress of weddings. Weddings, on average, are costing $30,000 or more. When the bills start arriving for the services and venue, it can feel like a punch to the gut.

How To Navigate Depression After Your Wedding

First, understand that this is completely normal. It’s challenging to deal with, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with you feeling this way.

Practice Self-Care

There’s a good chance that your partner is also feeling the post-wedding blues. Since you’re an official team now, practicing self-care together can be incredibly impactful on your relationship and mental health.

Plan to go for short walks or to the gym together. It will help you spend time together while also ensuring you are working on your physical health.

Cooking together and planning out your meals for the week can be a great bonding experience. Planning meals out in advance can help you feel more prepared for the busy week ahead, as well as cutting back on your budget for eating out a lot.

Talk to Each Other

When you are struggling with depression after your wedding, you might not want to express this to your partner. After all, you don’t want to hurt them or imply that you are depressed about the marriage. Still, you should express that you are feeling down for any of the reasons above or something else entirely.

You should always be honest with each other and talk about your mental health and what you might be struggling with. You may even be surprised to find out that your partner is also struggling right now. This, in itself, can be a powerful bonding experience that brings you closer to one another.

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If you are struggling with post-wedding blues, don’t hesitate to reach out for depression treatment or marriage counseling. We can help you find a way forward.