The Holiday Blues generally start at the beginning of November. No one can live up to what the Holidays are supposed to mean. The holidays have become more commercialized for many years now. Holidays are supposed to mean happiness and peace and harmony. It is not usually the case in most families. Holidays can remind us of things in the past, both positive and negative.
For example, just a few days ago, my husband mentioned that his mother would have been 99 years old on November 2nd had she lived. I replied that my mother died on November 15th. Death, divorce, stressful job situations can make the holidays very tough to live through. There is something calledAnniversary Reactions when we remember a lost loved one not just on their birthday or the anniversary of their death but also during the holidays.
Divorce can make for difficult Holidays. Splitting children up during the holidays can cause so much stress. Children get confused about when they are going where. Co-parenting just doesn’t always work. Thinking of holidays past with when the family was united can cause a sense of loss and depression. Who can give the children the most gifts can be a competition.
I believe divorced couples should make a list of things the children want and divide it according to what is affordable. I do not believe that the newest video game is going to make children happy. They occupy children but can create obsessions so that valuable time playing, talking, and reading can be lost. Physical activity is gone. Recent research has shown that too much cartoon watching can create depression in children.
I have remedies for the Holiday Blues. Never try to equal holidays you had before with loved ones who have passed. I believe in doing different things every year to help you manage the Holiday Blues. I believe in leaving town for brief or periods of time. I recommend cruises, short ones out of Mobile take you to where there is sunlight. If you are religious, attend services. Antidepressants help but they take 14 days to begin to be effective. Change what you usually do. Mourning is normal during the Holiday seasons.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that lasts from the time that days become shorter and darkness lasts longer from November until April. The causes of SAD can be a lack of serotonin, a lack of melatonin, calcium and magnesium. The lack of light is generally the root cause of SAD. Serotonin can be helped with exercise, even simple walking. Aerobic exercise can make a huge difference since it releases serotonin in the brain. Melatonin can be purchased at many health stores. It can be also bought at grocery stores. I prefer health stores.
Light therapy is an excellent way to help with SAD. These are supposed to be the best SAD lights: Verilux HappyLight Liberty. amazon.com; Verilux HappyLight Touch; Aura Daylight; Circadian Optics Lumos 2.0; Alaska Northern Lights Northstar 10,000; Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Light Therapy Lamp; Circadian Optics Lampu Light Therapy Lamp.
SAD can also be managed by antidepressants, the SSRI’s. Therapy is effective as well. Making just one to two appointments with me can make all the difference in how you handle the Holidays and Seasonal Affective Disorder.