Depression Talk

I am not a fan of the holiday season, particularly Christmas. Perhaps my choosing to work this sunny Christmas afternoon instead of taking advantange of goofing off may give you a hint of how I feel about it. If I see one more car advert about how they make the perfect gift, I think I’ll try and kill the Geico Gecko.

The holiday season brings a lot of baggage with it, which can be particularly hard on those with any type of depression or anxiety disorder. The memories and feelings can be crushing. They can compound any other problems or depressive symptoms you might be having.

Unpacking the Bags

This heavy holiday baggage can consist of:

• Memories of really bad holidays
• Memories of really good holidays, because you feel as if you have to live up to or surpass those standards
• Memories of everyone who has died and can’t celebrate this holiday season with you
• Memories of who you were supposed to get gifts and cards for but somehow forgot until Christmas morning

Well, the good news is that another December 25 is nearly through and that means the worst of the holiday season is over — and that the worst of the long winter nights are over. Gradually, there will be more sunlight until the summer solstice. Now, that’s something to celebrate!

Dealing With Issues

Let’s look at some of the items in the heavy holiday baggage.

• Memories of bad holidays: Just because you had a bad holiday in the past does not mean you will have a bad holiday this time around. Look around to see if anything is threatening you whenever you are feeling panicky. Try to focus in the present. That’s one of the reasons why I decided to schedule some work on Christmas Eve and Christmas.
• Memories of really good holidays: No one expects you to make the perfect holiday for them, even if you think they do. This is because there is no such thing as the perfect holiday. Our memories can make past holidays seem better than they really were.
• Memories of those who have died: This is tough and I wish I had good advice for those in grief. I’ve had several beloved pets die on Christmas week — one on Christmas Eve. It’s good to connect with others and try not to get isolated when you are feeling too down.
• Memories of who you were supposed to get gifts and cards for but somehow forgot until Christmas morning:

People are usually so busy this time of year, they may not notice you’ve forgotten them. If they do, say you’ve missed a few doses of antidepressants because you couldn’t afford to refill the prescription. That’s gotten me out of several social faux-pas.

Hope this helps.