After two years in the same position, I was promoted last week.  Hold the applause.  While I'm happy at the level of faith my company has showed in me, I might be suffering from something I'm coining as postpartum promotion.

I finally got what I wanted; higher pay, a larger staff, greater visibility, etc.  However, the adrenaline rush I thought I'd experience was simply not there.  Sure, it felt good for the remainder of that afternoon, but the positive feeling vanished - quickly.

Am I an ungrateful and negative bastard?  I tend to think not.  After a little self-reflection in the shower this morning (sorry for the visual), here are a few reasons why I think I'm not that psyched.

- From the start I've felt overworked and underpaid, so a promotion barely  levels the playing field.

- The reality is that the amount of work I have is not proportionate with the pay. Not close.

- No tasks were taken away, but plenty were added.

- A (hypothetical) 10% increase, when broken down weekly, just pays the cable bill. It's always a mistake to break the numbers down, but I couldn't resist!

- It will likely be years for me to take a jump to the next step up.

- More work means less time to think about my hobbies, including Jobacle.

- I had to scratch and claw for this for quite some time.  Did my persistence push them into it, thus taking away from the "surprise" aspect of it?

- Dealing with the jealousy of others sucks.  The majority of people have been with the organization much longer than me, leading to getting the 'evil eye.'  

Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?  Here's how I'm coping so far:

- Reminding myself that my new title and responsibilities will look much better on my resume.

- More work and a change in duties will make the days move faster

- I'll make mistakes along the way, thus learning how to manage better.

- I have a front row seat to examine the psychology of how people operate and why.

- My newfound visibility can open up doors that I might not even know exist.

At least women can blame the hormonal changes they experience after childbirth when suffering from postpartum depression.  What's my excuse for postpartum promotion? And am I alone?