Holiday Blues

11 Dec Holiday Blues

As holiday season approaches, families come together for traditional holiday events and bonding. Holidays are oftentimes what keeps family traditions and past memories alive. From grandma’s secret ingredients to uncles’ favorite pastimes and stories, families travel from near and far to spend time together during the holiday season. Most holiday events are planned a year in advanced allowing host families time to prepare for the large crowds. As families grow in size, prosperity & health while sharing in the joyous occasions; they also share in sorrow when loved ones perish, divorce, lose their jobs, become diagnosed with terminal illnesses or they bicker shifting the family’s dynamics.

Holiday season can present mixed emotions as it serves as a reminder of the loss/sorrow. Commercials, coworkers, neighbors, routine shopping trips and social media can also serve as a constant reminder of the loss one has sustained while everyone prepares for holiday season. This reminder can cause “Holiday Blues.” Holiday season forces one to recognize the impact of the loss and how much their life has changed. One starts to think about the traditions no longer celebrated or the memories of spending time with particular loved ones. The constant thoughts or intrusive thoughts increases depression and or anxiety. The holiday season after a loss is particularly the most difficult. The potential for re-injury is greater during the first-year post incident. For individuals who suffer a loss such as a death, they are forced to live the holiday season without a loved one. The anticipation of the holiday can increase anxiety causing more difficulty than the actual holiday. Individuals are forced to relive the loss and recreate memories & new traditions.

To cope with holiday blues, individuals must acknowledge the approaching holiday as a challenge and be realistic about what they can handle during the holiday. Individuals must accept the holiday season will be vastly different after the loss. It is recommended to continue celebrations as normal while trying to avoid canceling the holiday even if individuals are not feeling up to it. Seeking assistance from support systems are proven to be beneficial as loved ones are able to prove comfort during times of need. The comfort can be in the form of sharing in responsibilities or simply offering a listening ear. It is important to allow oneself to feel any emotion that present. Forcing oneself to stop thinking or forget will cause more issues than simply allowing. Further reduction of holiday blues can be in the form of establishing new traditions and ways of life to create new positive memories. One must remember to take care of themselves and know that it is okay to feel, do and just be during the holiday season.

Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season.

Your Favorite Therapist.