Dealing with HolidaysWhat 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 over-indulging 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?????