Holiday Blues
Home	For many people, Fall represents the coming of fun filled activities followed by family gatherings in the Holiday season. Kids begin with “trick or treating” at Halloween and families get together for Thanksgiving and then the Holidays in December. Unfortunately, for some individuals, it is often a period filled with stress and sadness. This happens as people find themselves alone with no family or friends to spend the Holidays with or thinking of a loved one who died around the Holidays. Some may worry about managing through stressful family gatherings at this time and others may become depressed as the shorter days of Fall and Winter limit their exposure to daylight. Don’t let stress or depression ruin your’s or a loved one’s Holiday season. Try to: Plan ahead – remember to look ahead and see which activities you are realistically able to commit to- you may avoid guilt when turning down others. Plan for some daily relaxation time where you stop and getaway to regroup and allow your body to relax and re-energize. This is individualized to your preferences and will help you put more energy and creativity in the tasks ahead. Eat and drink water regularly so that your body is well nourished and hydrated and provides you with the energy you need- when you need it. Regular meals also help you to avoid becoming really hungry and overindulging in the Holiday treats that will be available everywhere for sampling. Accept your feelings of grief or sadness if this is the time of year you have lost someone you love. It is normal to feel this way but make sure you are taking care of yourself. Get involved in social, community and religious organizations for support and companionship as well as to volunteer and help others Avoid getting into longstanding family conflicts and focus on enjoying the season. However, allow yourself to decline an invitation if you anticipate a stressful family gathering. Go out for walks in the sunshine. This will help your eating, physical fitness and your moods. People often see symptoms of depression as just the “blues”. However, the “blues” are usually short periods of sadness, which usually subside with time, a positive change in circumstances (like an invitation to a holiday dinner) and/or when there’s a good listener available. Depressive symptoms on the other hand may not respond to the above and may last much longer affecting an individual’s work, social and bodily functioning. They may also include thoughts of suicide. When depressed, an individual may experience persistent sadness or a loss of interest in activities, disturbed sleeping and eating patterns, weight changes, low energy level, low self esteem, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and helplessness. Mental health professionals can help treat depression through therapy and/or medication especially when suicidal thoughts, persist. Sometimes depressive symptoms become difficult to manage, and in these cases 24 hour help can be sought from your local hospital’s emergency room.
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