Walking through the mall, holiday music piped through, busy shoppers rushing by, all ages enjoying the seasonal festivities with enthusiasm, yet you find yourself drained and as if carrying a huge weight upon your entire frame.
Have you experienced this? If you have, fear not. You are not alone. The above is only one scenario among a myriad wherein the effects of seasonal depression or a heightening of a clinical mental health condition is a struggle.
The American Psychological Association found in their studies that 38% of Americans suffer with increased stress levels during the December holidays. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) stated that 64% of those with mental health conditions shared the effects of depression worsened during these holidays. There are many root causes as to why one suffers more with depression during the december holidays, from the stressors of social interactions, financial strain, societal expectations, feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities, memories of past trauma during holiday gatherings, as well the lack of light in the shorter days can affect the body's natural rhythms and nuerochemical balance affecting your perspective. The heavy weight of depression can lead to self destructive thoughts and behaviors, such as changes in sleep pattern, increasing or decreasing, changes in diet (increasing or decreasing), over-indulging in activities such as addictive substances, such as alcohol, drugs, or even sugar, as a means of coping. Lastly, this darkness of mood can lead to more peril with self-harm and suicidal ideation.
Relief can be found in the reality that we are not alone in our sufferings of low mood disorder during the holiday season. And, when one is in this heightened emotional state, it is difficult to feel anything but alone and lonely. But, as reported 38% suffer with lowness of mood during the season and those with mental health diagnoses who admit their symptoms worsen during the holidays reaches 64% of the population.
Secondly, relief arrives not just in knowing you aren't alone but also in admitting that you are suffering for that is the first step towards doing what is needed to combat the low mood disorder. The methods of self care include maintaining you regular sleep schedule, exercise, limiting mood enhancing beverages and substances, eating healthy, and surrounding yourself with other positive influences. These techniques are even more important during the blues of the Holidays and should be even more enhanced and adhered. It can be tempting during the festivities to change or skip something in the realm of self care, but one detraction that can cause dysregulation in one's moods heightening the depression.
Finally, if you find yourself struggling with depression, I am including information for reaching out to those who can help. Please don't hesitate to do so, you are not alone and people do care.
Dealing with depression during the holidays
How to Cope With Holiday Stress and Depression
Christmas Blues: Why the “most wonderful” time of the year is sometimes the saddest
Winter, the holidays and depression
5 Ways to Cope With Depression During the Holiday Season
No comments:
Post a Comment