Why The Holidays Don't Always Bring Cheer

12/17/2015

December is a time of year that many individuals look forward to because of the holidays. Whether it is celebrating traditions, being around family and friends, or shorter work weeks - for the most part people enjoy this month. And while for many, this time of season is considered festive, fun and cheerful for others it can also be anxiety-provoking, depressing and emotionally exhausting.

Feelings of Anxiety - Holidays often equate to engaging in family-oriented gatherings. Factors like family dynamics can result in increased anxiety for some individuals. Worrying about mom's approval of a new boyfriend/girlfriend, wondering whether dad will continue to express his disappointment in your career choice, or stressing about your sibling(s) willingness to understand how much help you really need with caring for your parents, are a few examples of situations that can provoke anxiety thereby causing a person to dread the holiday season.

Feelings of Depression - This time of year can also be depressing for individuals who lack familial support, are not involved in a significant relationship or are going through a life-hardship that prevents them from celebrating the season as they normally would. And while they may choose to not celebrate, commercial advertisements and/or innocent questions like, "What are you doing for the holiday?" or "Have you finished shopping yet?" etc., can serve as a reminder of what they don't have thus causing a negative association with the holiday.

Feeling Emotionally Exhausted - Last but not least, emotional exhaustion is a common feeling many individuals experience during this time of year. Sometimes the mere thought of all the planning, traveling and socializing a person will have to do to prepare is enough to bring about a cloud of gloom. In other cases, memory of last year's disorder, dysfunction or drama can serve as a blockade to feeling cheerful about the holiday.

With all of that said, it is important to be aware of your feelings during this time of year and to not let it get the best of you and your ability to enjoy it or to function. Talking with friends and family you trust and/or with a therapist about your feelings can help you get to the bottom of what you are experiencing, learn ways to resolve it and hopefully make next year's holiday season a more cheerful one.

Do you tend to experience any of the above when the holiday season approaches? If so, how do you deal with it? Please share your thoughts below.

1 Comment

Dr. M.Rizwan Khan

10/1/2013 06:31:51 am

Dr.M..Rizwan Khan

Clinical Psychologist

Family and friends are often the first to recognize the development of a depressive episode and can provide valuable information and support to the person with depression.The actions they take, or fail to take, may make a substantial difference whether a person who is developing depression accesses appropriate help without delay if such help is necessary,but many lack the knowledge and skills to intervene effectively.

There is limited knowledge about the best actions for a lay person to take to help someone who may be developing a mental disorder, but there is a 12 hour Mental Health First Aid course that may be beneficial as a primary intervention.Basically it involves teaching the skills mentioned in your article with some more advanced directives such as, recognizing changes in mood, behavior (e.g. drinking and/or drug abuse), energy level, habits (e.g. an increase or decrease in sleep or appetite) or the personality.

Contrary to myth, talking about depression makes things better, not worse, so I am listing four things that will ameliorate the tension of intervention.

1. The mediator needs to respect the person's autonomy while considering the extent to which the person is able to make decisions for themselves, and whether the person is at risk of harming themselves or others.

2. The depressed person "can't snap out of it" or "get over it,: so hotility or sarcasm should be avoided. when the depressed person attempts to be responsive because these responses may be the best the person has to offer at that time.

3.A person's ability and desire to use self-help strategies will depend on their interests and the severity of their depression, so the intrventionist should encourage the depressed person to seek professional help.

4. If the person doesn't want help, discussing concerns about finances, not having a doctor they like, or being hospitalized may be based on mistaken beliefs, and can be overcome with help.

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CHRISTINE M. VALENTíN

Why The Holidays Don't Always Bring Cheer

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