The holiday season is a joyous time of year, filled with celebrations that men, women, and children worldwide can enjoy. For some people, however, the holiday season brings depression symptoms that can be difficult to manage.
There are many holiday depression triggers, including family gatherings, over-commercialization, and over-committing.
A family gathering during the holiday season can be enjoyable yet taxing. It is a great opportunity to catch up with loved ones, but sometimes triggers bad memories. Or in other cases, tensions may rise and a fight can break out at a family gathering. In either case, coordinating everyone’s plans and attending a family gathering during the holidays can increase stress and anxiety levels.
The over-commercialization of the holiday season can also be problematic. The emphasis on buying gifts can fuel the pressure to find the perfect presents for each of your loved ones, putting tremendous stress one’s shoulders. It may even cause a person to feel sadness, guilt, worthlessness, and other depression symptoms due to the fact that he or she is unable to find the perfect holiday gifts.
Meanwhile, celebrations are wonderful ways to commemorate the holiday season, but committing to too many of these celebrations can cause a person to stretch himself or herself too thin. If this happens, a person is susceptible to increased stress, lack of sleep, and other problems commonly associated with depression.
Is Holiday Depression Preventable?
Holiday depression is not always preventable, but it can be managed. If a person can identify the warning signs of holiday depression, he or she can develop and implement strategies to cope with holiday depression symptoms.
Common symptoms of holiday depression include stress, fatigue, and headaches. People coping with holiday depression are also prone to excessive drinking and over-eating.
Holiday depression can occur at any time during the holiday season, but the symptoms can be managed. At the first sign of holiday depression symptoms, it helps to meet with a doctor. An individual and his or her doctor can work together to safely diagnose these symptoms and then develop and execute coping strategies. If a person coping with holiday depression experiences thoughts of suicide or death, he or she should call 911 or consult with a doctor immediately.
In addition to meeting with a doctor, there are many things that a person can do to cope with his or her holiday depression symptoms, including:
- Establish modest expectations. Instead of striving for a picture-perfect holiday season, an individual can focus on making the most of the time and resources available to celebrate the holiday season with loved ones as best as possible.
- Lean on loved ones for extra support. Loved ones are available during tough times, and reaching out to them to express thoughts and feelings can help a person manage his or her depression symptoms during the holiday season.
- Create a holiday shopping budget. With a budget in place, an individual can spend up to a certain amount on holiday gifts. Also, if a person is concerned about finances during the holiday season, he or she can always craft a homemade gift or offer quality time as a substitute for a purchased gift.
- Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regularly. A healthy diet and regular exercise can help a person feel better emotionally and physically during the holiday season.
Finally, the medical clinicians at Achieve Concierge are available to provide support to people dealing with depression during the holidays. Our clinicians take a collaborative approach to address depression symptoms, and provide each patient with a personalized depression therapy program.
Holiday depression can have a serious impact on an individual as well as his or her loved ones, but help is available to manage this problem. At Achieve Concierge, we provide comprehensive mental wellness services to help patients cope with holiday depression and its related symptoms. To learn more or to schedule a consultation, please contact us online, or call us today at (619) 393-5871.