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Here’s the deal, No one wants to be depressed during the holidays. We don’t want to sit in our rooms and cry, not knowing why we cry, just that we’re not happy and that we can’t stop. We want to be happy and make gingerbread houses and Figgie pudding and all those other holiday traditions. We want to, but something inside us won’t let us.
For most of us, it starts in early-mid November. We start looking ahead to Thanksgiving and the happy family gatherings that the Hallmark channel brings us and we wonder why we’re never as happy and joyous as the people in the movies.
Then it spills into December and Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Festivus or whatever you celebrate if indeed you celebrate anything.
Is it a case of “Bah Humbug” or “Leave me alone”?
Join us on Thursday, November 15, 2018, at 9 pm Eastern/6 pm Pacific as we discuss how to avoid the depression cycle during the holidays. The call information is below and we would love to hear your stories and get your two cents on the subject.
For many, the holiday depression turns into anxiety as we have feelings of inadequacy. Maybe we don’t feel that we’re as good as those we’ll be spending the holidays with or maybe we’re struggling financially and can’t get presents for everyone.
Whatever triggers your holiday depression and/or anxiety, it’s a very real thing and I’m here to say that even if others, including your family and friends, don’t believe in it or that it affects you, I believe it and I have your back.
For me, it comes mainly from my autism. I’m not big on crowds gathered into a confined area and I’m not the best at making small talk, so I start off being anxious and go into full-blown panic attacks over holiday gatherings. Also, with my birthday falling around Thanksgiving, I have that to add to my list of reasons to be depressed. For the vast majority, holiday depression comes from other moments in their lives; moments that need to be dealt with before this debilitating problem can go away.
I’ve even had my family become extremely frustrated and upset with me because there have been times I simply refused to go to holiday gatherings because I knew what they would do to me and I chose to take care of my mental and physical health over spending time with them. Maybe one day they’ll figure it out. Maybe they won’t. Who knows?
Do you suffer from the Holiday Blues or do you know someone who does?
If so, please join us on our call this week and share the information with anyone you know who deals with this terrible situation year after year.
It’s never a good time to be depressed but no one wants to be depressed during what one song calls, “The hap, happiest season of all.” I look forward to talking with you Thursday evening.
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