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The holiday season, from Thanksgiving until New Years day, is supposed to be a time of celebration. But for more than one million people, the holidays are a time of profound sadness. Often, the media reports on “holiday depression.” Although this unhappy season of joy affects all age groups, older people are especially susceptible.
Causes of Depression During the Holidays
Sadness can accompany the holidays for a number of reasons. Shorter days and longer stretches of darkness can make winter a difficult time for many people, as well as animals. Occasionally, this depression is seen as seasonal affective disorder.
Hectic schedules are another cause of depression during the holidays. Parties, presents to buy, visits with family, food to prepare, houses to clean, and constant temptation to eat and drink make the holidays a time of excess. And — in excess — many of these things can cause create unhealthy problems.
Alcohol is flowing during the holidays, and alcohol can be a profound depressant. With food, parties and alcohol comes lack of rest. Fatigue makes it very difficult to combat feelings of melancholy. Also, the stress of entertaining and being entertained, strained relationships that are forced during this time of togetherness, and intense guilt or feelings of inadequacy can lead to depression. In some instances, the opposite of togetherness is the reality of isolation, particularly during life changing events such as divorce, death or major illness. This isolation and can lead to feelings of extreme loneliness, abandonment and even worthlessness. Symptoms of Holiday Depression
Profound sadness and crying for inexplicable reasons are symptoms of seasonal depression. Irritability and sleep disruption (insomnia) are common findings in holiday depression. Finally, pleasures of the season are simply missing for the affected person, who simply wishes that the holiday season will end so things can return to normal. The good news is that the symptoms of seasonal depression pass with time. If the depression lingers longer than a week or two after New Year’s Day, a more profound depression may be present and should be treated by a medical or mental health professional. How to Minimize Holiday Depression
People who have written on seasonal depression often provide a list of five to 10 things that can head off the holiday blues. Following are a few more tips:
1. Accept the fact that the holidays can be hard for you. Don’t deny your true feelings.
2. Do not overindulge. Food and drink must be limited, no matter how tempting.
3. Help others. True giving is a method of combating personal despair.
4. Limit visits and breaks in normal routine to manageable amounts of time.
5. Take time to exercise and spend some time alone.
6. Have realistic expectations for the holidays. Problems will not go away, relationships will not be fundamentally altered by celebrations, and hurts and conflicts cannot be erased because of the joyous season. Healthy aging requires intelligent and realistic holiday expectations. The holidays can be joyous for many but sad for others. And, it’s probably good that the holidays only come once a year.
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