Christmas Depression: How to Deal with Seasonal Sadness
From Springbrook Hospital –
For many people, the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year. They don their gay apparel and rock around their Christmas trees while sipping eggnog. However, despite the many holiday melodies and messages wishing people great joy and cheer, many people find themselves dealing with the symptoms of Christmas depression.
According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, 38% of people confessed that their stress levels grew during the holiday season. And if you already have a mental health condition, additional Christmas depression could make these feelings even more intense. So what should you do if you’re experiencing holiday depression?
Table of Contents
While the exact cause of Christmas depression varies from person to person, it’s true some individuals feel down around this time of year because of the pressure to spend money. In addition, spending money and racking up debt on unnecessary gifts can send you into a downward spiral. In fact, a 2021 survey from LendingTree found that over a third of consumers acquired more than $1,200 in holiday debt.
This overspending can lead to a dark place where you negatively compare your circumstances to others. Ultimately, the Christmas season can be challenging if you have a history of measuring your self-worth by what you have and don’t have.
Similarly, you might feel overwhelming dread at having to attend holiday parties and social gatherings. The thought of spending time navigating tense family dinners and avoiding awkward social situations can cause anxiety and even panic attacks. In contrast, if you don’t have any Christmas events to go to, you may feel incredibly isolated and lonely.
Other common causes of Christmas depression include:
Knowing and paying close attention to your triggers can help you effectively navigate your feelings and identify the source of your Christmas depression.
Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects both your emotions and thoughts. If you have Christmas depression and feel yourself slipping into negative behavioral patterns, here are some tips that might help.
The Christmas spirit affects everyone differently; for every “Buddy the Elf” jumping for seasonal joy, there’s a “Charlie Brown” who finds themself with the holiday blues. With this in mind, it’s important to know you are not alone and don’t need to feel bad about having Christmas depression. Instead, you can get the help you need to treat your condition and relieve your symptoms.
Springbrook Behavioral Hospital offers different treatment options for adults struggling with Christmas depression. It can be tempting to put off seeking mental health care, but these issues often get worse over time. So to protect yourself and your mental health from Christmas depression, consider enrolling in one of our adult psychiatric programs.
Our residential treatment program helps those experiencing severe psychological distress. While here, patients receive care in a safe and regulated environment so they can practice healing one day at a time. During a stay at Springbrook Behavioral Hospital, individuals work closely with psychiatrists and therapists to learn better coping mechanisms and get back to a happy, healthy life.
A few of the treatment modalities at Springbrook Behavioral Hospital include:
For people dealing with severe Christmas depression, a residential mental health program is the best form of treatment. By staying in a safe environment with mental health professionals, you can focus solely on your recovery without distractions. It can be scary to imagine spending the holidays in a residential mental health program, but if that’s what you need to do to be safe, then it’s the right decision.
For a less intensive form of Christmas depression treatment, you might consider our partial hospitalization program (PHP), which offers evidence-based care in a supportive environment. Our PHP is for people who need more than outpatient therapy and medication management but do not necessarily need around-the-clock care. Alternatively, this outpatient depression treatment is often used as a follow-up to residential treatment. As a PHP patient, you attend the program at the center five times a week but return home after each session.
Our PHP services Include:
If you need depression treatment before, during, or after the holidays, reach out to our admissions team by calling 352-600-3288 or by submitting a confidential contact form online. With the help and support of our team, you can overcome your Christmas depression and protect your mental health.
The post Christmas Depression: How to Deal with Seasonal Sadness appeared first on Springbrook Hospital.
Source
Original Author: Springbook Hospital
Deciding to Enter Inpatient Alcohol or Drug Rehab Choosing to enter an inpatient alcohol or…
Behind the courage of first responders—those who rush to the scenes of emergencies—lies a hidden…
Tranq Drug: Understanding Its Impact and Risks The Blackberry Center of Central Florida Digital Team…
Eating disorders in the military may not be the first thing that comes to mind…