boiMAG.com "Holiday Blues"

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Getting Through The Holidays

by: Dr. Charla Waxman BS, MBA, EdD Director of Business Development Lake Behavioral Hospital

The holidays come and go and you are left feeling down, sad and disconnected. You are not alone. According to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 24% of people with an existing mental illness find that the holidays made their condition feel “a lot” worse and 40% said the holidays made them feel “somewhat” worse. 64% of people surveyed indicated that for them, the holidays were followed by negative emotions. This is perplexing to some because the holidays, to them, are a time of wonder and excitement. But for you, memories of the past, missing friends or family now gone, or just feeling lonely has left you in a postholiday funk.

Feeling blue after the holidays may clear up in a few days when things like work or school go back to normal routines. If anxiety and stress continue 2 weeks or more beyond the holidays, it may be more than just the letdown of a fast paced, activity-driven time of the year. It can mean that perhaps you have over celebrated and eating too much or consuming too much alcohol has contributed to existing symptoms of depression. Maybe you have overspent and now you are feeling anxious and stressed about taking care of those expenses.

If you have come off of your holiday time back into the routines of work, school, and busy family life having had no real sleep; attending parties and readying for gatherings, the postholiday blues, for you, might just be lack of sleep. You may just be exhausted and scheduling a few days off beyond the holidays for some rest and quiet time may bring you back to comfort.

Try to notice whether post-holiday emotions have railroaded you before and think back to how long it took you to recover and feel normal and satisfied with your life. If it seems like you are not bouncing back, or it feels like this is the worst you have ever felt, it may be time to seek some help or support. Try spending time talking to a friend or close family member. That may be all that you need. They may be able to help you talk through the rough spots and help you sort out your feelings. If this doesn’t seem to make things feel any better, consider connecting for the short term with a counselor who may be able to help you sift through what it is about the holidays that get you down.

Whatever you decide to do, take your feelings seriously and attend to them. Letting bad feelings fester can only make things worse. You are not alone. Post-holiday blues are real. Connect with someone and talk it out. Things can get better.

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