The basic concept of holiday depression is revealed in its name. Roughly the last 2.5 months of every year can feel like a chaotic roller coaster ride. Despite the ostensible goal of experiencing and sharing joy, there’s a reasonable chance you’ll experience sadness, stress, and physical discomfort as the holiday season progresses. In some cases, what you feel is diagnosable depression.
Signs and symptoms typically include extreme sadness, mood swings, sleep disturbances, physical aches that cannot be explained, losing interest in activities that once excited you, and thoughts of self-harm. But what are the root causes? Why do so many people get depressed when the holiday season appears?
A Closer Look at the Underlying Causes of Depression During the Holidays
Stress
There’s the stress of everyday life — regardless of season. On top of that, you have factors like shopping and spending, seeing (or not seeing) relatives, travel, and plenty of unhealthy indulgences. As stress rises, so do the odds of depression.
Family Drama
It’s the stuff of memes and punch lines. Family dynamics around the holiday table are notorious triggers for ill will, guilt, anger, and shame. Left unchecked, such emotions can end up contributing to the “holiday blues.”
Lack of Meaning
Once upon a time, the end-of-the-year holidays may have felt meaningful in and of themselves. In the era of social media, however, the commercialization is alarming and saddening.
Unrealistic Expectations
Between work, friends, neighbors, and family, you may be tempted (or pressured) to say “yes” to more than you can handle. The ensuing exhaustion and consumption roll out a red carpet for emotional distress.
Lack of Self-Care
All year long, you make smart eating choices, stay committed to the gym, and safeguard your sleeping habits. By November, all of this can be compromised in a very unhealthy way.
Money Woes
Gift-giving can feel like a scorecard. To avoid judgment, you keep up with others even when it’s not prudent to do so. And did we mention rising travel costs?
Loneliness
If a loved one has passed or if you just can’t make that long-distance visit this year, you can wind up struggling with the loneliness and societal shame of being alone.
The Time of Year
Even if the holiday plans go smoothly, you’re still left dealing with shorter days and a lack of sunlight. There’s another form of depression that arises from seasonal changes. At the end of every year, seasonal depression and holiday depression team up in ways that must be taken seriously.
Pre-Existing Depression
More than 8 percent of Americans will struggle with a depressive episode each year. Hence, anyone already diagnosed is at a higher risk for holiday depression by the time Halloween rolls around.
As you can see, the list of possible underlying causes is long and varied. Meanwhile, as a time of mandatory joy kicks in, you may hesitate to be the one who complains. Keep in mind, though, that untreated depression will not just disappear on its own. Ideally, you’ll connect with a qualified specialist. At the same time, there are self-help steps to consider.
Self-Help for Holiday Depression
Practice Saying “No”
Carefully choose which events, parties, and dinners you attend. It can feel uncomfortable to risk making someone unhappy, but the price you pay for people-pleasing is too high to ignore. There’s never a good reason to either over-extend yourself or to withdraw into self-isolation.
Help Others
An excellent way to recapture meaning during the madness is to allocate time to helping others. Trade some of those holiday parties for efforts that lift the spirit of others while bringing you some uplift in return.
Self-Care
Give yourself the gift of self-love.
We’d love to talk more with you about depression treatment and all of this soon.
