Dealing with Holidays
What the heck is SAD/ Holiday
Blues?
Bobby Jain MD, MPH, ABDA, DABPN
Psychiatrist ( Adult, child)
Texas Tech Health Science Center, Permian Basin
Let me introduce my self…..
Shrink!!!!!
Why we are talking about Holiday
Blues????!!!!
Holidays are times of joy , family get together and fun,
no work, gifts ,travel, a break from every day routine
life…….
So what gives???!!!!
Exactly, ……
Holidays are stressful as:
Holidays are times of joy , family get together
and fun, no work, gifts , travel, a break from
every day routine life…….
For some it is a sad time
 Loneliness
 Grief
 Reflecting on past failures
 Uncertainty about the future
 Stress
 Irritability
Physical Symptoms
 Headaches
 Over eating
 Poor sleep
 Stomach upset
 Over use of alcohol
Causes
 Stress/ Time Crunch
 Fatigue
 Overstimulation/Over Commercialization
 Unrealistic Expectations
 Disappointments/ Conflicts
 Separation from Family and Friends
 Financial Strain
Depression “with a BIG D”
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
Major Depression
What in the Lord’s world is…..
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Causes
Neurochemical changes in the brain
associated with decreased sunlight in the
winter
Symptoms
Significant downturn of mood that recurs in
the winter months
Worst often in January and February
Excessive sleeping/fatigue
Increased appetite/weight gain
Depressed, irritable mood
Social withdrawal
Gets better in the Spring
Treatment
Yes, this is a treatable illness
Increased sun exposure
Phototherapy
Psychotherapy (especially cognitive therapy)
Antidepressants
Major Depression
If you or a loved one has Major
Depression or Bipolar Disorder,
Remember,
It DOES NOT magically remit at the
Holidays!
Symptoms
Depressed or irritable mood
Loss of interest or enjoyment
Sleep disturbance
Appetite/weight disturbance
Poor energy
Impaired concentration, memory
Thoughts of death
Treatment
Psychotherapy
Medications
Lots of options, but USE them!
Visit your Physician or Mental Health
Professional
But in any of these cases..
What can I do?
Tools to get through the holiday
season happily
Be reasonable with your schedule. Do not
overbook yourself into a state of exhaustion-this makes people cranky, irritable, and
depressed.
Decide upon your priorities and stick to
them. Organize your time.
Remember, no matter what our plans, the
holidays do not automatically take away
feelings of aloneness, sadness, frustration,
anger, and fear.
Be careful about resentments related to
holidays past.
Declare an amnesty with whichever family member
or friend you are feeling past resentments.
Do not feel it is helpful or intimate to tell your
relative every resentment on your laundry list of
grievances. Don't let your relative do that to you,
either.
Don't expect the holidays to be just as they
were when you were a child. They NEVER
are. YOU are not the same as when you were
a child, and no one else in the family is either.
Volunteer to serve holiday dinner at a
homeless shelter. Help underprivileged or
hospitalized children at the holidays. No one
can be depressed when they are doing
community service.
Plan unstructured, low-cost fun holiday activities:
window-shop and look at the holiday decorations.
Look at people's Christmas lighting on their homes,
take a trip to the countryside, etc.--the opportunities
are endless.
Do not let the holidays become a reason for overindulging and hangovers. This will exacerbate your
depression and anxiety.
Give yourself a break; create time for
yourself to do the things YOU love and need
: aerobic exercise, yoga, massage, spiritual
practices, long fast walks or activity that
calms you down and gives you a better
perspective on what is important in your life.
The choice is always yours: The sky is partly
sunny, and the glass is half full and revel in
our gratitude for our bounty, health, hope, and
our courage to face each day with hope and
determination
Giving Up Our Resentments….
Say Whaaaaaat????
Identify HALT Signals
The HALT signals are when you feel:
Hungry Angry Lonely Tired
Remember: Resentments are a Dead End.
There's no place to go with resentments, they
can only effect us in a negative, time-wasting,
anti-productive and painful manner
Understand Forgiveness: a gift to ourselves
Declare an Amnesty: promotes and maximizes your
serenity and peace of mind, and to allows yourself
greater pleasure and enjoyment.
Partial-ize Your Task : Start with one or two of the
people on your list, and use the tools you've learned
to let go of these particular resentments.
Avoid Black and White Thinking
It is very common for black and white thinking to
cause us to block out ALL the positive aspects of
another person.
Pray
It can be a very comforting act, and at the same time
quite helpful in obtaining perspective about what is
going on.
Remember to take time for
YOU!!!!
Most of all, Enjoy the ride!!!
Questions?????