Podcasts Sports Wilderness Backpacker Radio #80 | Dr. Anne Baker on Post-Trail Depression

#80 | Dr. Anne Baker on Post-Trail Depression

Published: Sept. 1, 2020, 8:57 p.m.

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, Badger is joined by Anne Baker.\xa0 In addition to being an experienced long distance backpacker and gear nerd, Anne has a PhD, is a licensed therapist, scientist, and someone who has done a good deal of research on post trail depression.\xa0 Anne breaks down precisely what is happening when someone experiences post trail depression and offers some tips for how to avoid it or at least lessen its impact. Anne also details what 2020 NOGO thru-hikers went through this year and how their grief was tied to a loss of identity.\xa0 I found the subject matter of today's show super interesting, and I think you will too.

We close out the show with a triple crown of trails we have not yet hiked, highlight some standout day hikes in the Salt Lake City area, and give Martin his much deserved 15 seconds of fame.

Gossamer Gear discount code: Use code: PoopStory for 15% off your entire cart at gossamergear.com.\xa0

Backcountry discount code: Use code: Backpacker15 for 15% off your first purchase at backcountry.com/backpackerradio.

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00:04:49 - QOTD: What small thing is irrationally annoying to you?\xa0

00:06:45 - Pitch a Podcast!

00:07:00 - Intro to Anne Baker

00:07:40 - Why are you here?\xa0

00:08:15 - Can you tell us about your educational and professional background?\xa0

00:10:19 - Can you talk about the intersection of pain and emotion?

00:11:30 - Can you alter your perception of pain by changing your vocabulary around it?\xa0

00:13:52 - Advice for someone with chronic lyme disease dealing with pain?\xa0

00:16:29 - Will you walk us through the process of getting a PhD.?\xa0

00:20:10 - Will you walk us through your backpacking resume?\xa0

00:24:54 - Thoughts on section hiking?\xa0

00:29:15 - Do you struggle to make a trail family when section hiking?\xa0

00:30:49 - What is your go-to big 5 (for gear)?\xa0

00:34:24 - Anything in the gear pipeline we should be excited about?

00:36:19 - Can you tell us about Post-Trail Depression and walk us through your approach to the project you did on it?\xa0

00:38:15 - Can you talk about the identity aspect of post-trail depression?

00:39:40 - Did you ask how people felt about their lives before the trail?

00:40:00 - What kind of habits can you maintain to keep your trail self alive?\xa0

00:44:43 - Will you walk us through your coined acronym \u201cSPACE\u201d?

00:46:00 - How would someone experience these on trail?\xa0

01:00:08 - So a history of mental health issues didn\u2019t translate to being more likely to suffer from post-trail depression?

01:01:58 - How does a person\u2019s job play into their post-trail depression?\xa0

01:05:26 - Do you have any tips to mitigate post-trail depression?\xa0

01:08:51 - How did the pandemic influence your second article about post-trail depression (specifically how deciding whether or not to hike during the pandemic affected people)?

01:10:57 - Why don\u2019t you like labels of mental illness?\xa0

01:14:19 - What aspects of grief show up a lot for people who did not get to thru-hike?

01:14:48 - What common bargaining tactics showed up?

01:15:51 - Do you have any other major takeaways from your interviews with thru-hikers?\xa0

01:17:43 - Can you talk a little bit about what was happening on social media in regards to whether or not people should thru-hike this year?\xa0

01:20:04 - Have you noticed any difference in the hiking community now vs. when you were interviewing people in March and April?\xa0

01:22:02 - Do you have any advice for someone who is experiencing grief due to not being able to thru-hike?\xa0

01:25:16 - Do you have advice for people who are struggling specifically during COVID, when typical resources are not available to us?

01:27:20 - Do you meditate?\xa0

01:28:17 - Anything else you want to touch on?

01:29:02 - Any backpacking or outdoor adventures coming up?\xa0

01:30:08 - Where should people go to see your stuff? Anne\u2019s articles for the trek can be found here.

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SEGMENTS

Best Day, Weekend, and Long-Distance Hikes in Wyoming and Utah

Triple Crown of Trails We Haven\u2019t Hiked

Mail Bag\xa0

5 Star Reviews\xa0

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