Seasonal Depression

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The holiday season is a time in which families come together for harmonious moments, and joy is at the peak of its abundance, or so we are told. In reality, there is another side to the season. A side that will not be featured in the newest Hallmark cards and be written out of our favorite, holidaycentric storybooks. In fact, it is likely that the only people witnessing this side of the season are those with a front-row seat. For these individuals these months of snow-dusted trees, twinkling lights and strolls down candy cane lane are actually times of grief and sadness, only to be perpetuated by the feeling that they must reach a level of happiness and magnanimity on par with others. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of those who already endure mental illness reported that their conditions languished around the holidays. The arrival of what is too often portrayed as an anxiously awaited holiday season carries with it a plethora of potentially triggering instances that force individuals to deviate from their usual habits. The bitter weather and therefore the lack of light also factor into this deviation and are oftentimes the first things that begin this snowball effect. These deviations, alongside other inevitable pressures, responsibilities and obligations a person is forced to encounter (such as annual staples like overcrowded grocery stores, shopping centers and social events), further the complex and often painful feelings surrounding the holidays. In other cases, this stress can be tied to complicated feelings of anxiety that come as a result of reconnecting with distant relations at family gatherings or even navigating a familial loss. Grief is a feeling that millions of individuals and families will be weathering once again this year after the COVID-19 pandemic continued to be the reason for empty seats around the holiday table, empty stockings and absences in family memories. In addition to the possibility of loss, this time of year can be especially difficult due to the societal expectation that a person feels merry and generous. During this time people sometimes find themselves comparing or even competing subconsciously with others in an often unspoken and one-sided competition. This self-appointed predicament leaves them to feel as though their emotions and generosity have to match or surpass that of what they assume others are feeling or doing for others, thus raising anxiety and bringing about more unnecessary

pressure. However, this contest or this contest or so happy holiday comparison can also happen internally in comparison can also happen internally in Copious holiday joy overshadows negative feelings which a person is putting what which a person is putting what

Love: Katrell Readus readukat000@hsestudents.org they think they they think they are supposed to are supposed to be feeling or doing up be feeling or doing up against different versions against different versions of themselves rather than others, of themselves rather than others, leaving themselves to feel let down or leaving themselves to feel let down or insecure if or when they then fall short of their own expectation. Furthermore, this season leaves us to judge ourselves and feel like outsiders when we are not able to achieve the caliber of our otherworldly presupposition. The multitude of convoluted, confusing feelings that individuals could be enduring, other than joy, at this time, is often only furthered or reinforced by the positive feelings of others. For those unfamiliar, thinking of it like this, after a particularly tough or trying day, overhearing or seeing media depictions of others gushing about how amazing of a day they had may be the last thing you want. In terms of the holidays, constantly being bombarded with ‘the holiday spirit’ can trigger emotions in a person dealing with a recent or even long-past loss. Even aside from the holiday celebration, many people experience something called Major Depressive Disorder with seasonal patterns, a kind of clinical depression that tends to appear in the late fall and can last until early spring. Research shows this type of depression alters the lives of as much as 6% of the population and that it is common and even normal for people who do not ordinarily struggle with depression to experience it temporarily as well during the winter months. Regardless of what or if you are celebrating during the winter months, remember that not everyone is in a position to be rapturously happy this season,so be considerate of that and allow space for the people in your life to grieve the potential familial loss and deal with an excess of anxiety and depression.