Introduction
Holiday Blues, also known as Post-Holiday Depression, is a feeling of sadness, loneliness, and anxiety after the holiday season has subsided.
Holiday Blues vs Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Holiday Blues is not an insignificant condition. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) about 24% of people with a diagnosed mental illness find that the holidays make their condition significantly worse and 40% says it makes their condition moderately worse. Those with mental health issues may also be more susceptible to holiday blues and/or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Holiday Blues is different from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and there are key differences to determine which you may be suffering from:
- Duration- Holiday blues are short-lived and occurs during the holiday season, whereas SAD lasts for significant portions of the fall and winter months.
- Cause- Holiday blues are triggered by situational factors like social pressure or financial stress related to the holidays, whereas SAD is linked to reduced sunlight exposure during the fall and winter which can impact chemicals in the brain like serotonin.
- Severity- Holiday blues is usually characterized by mild feelings of sadness while SAD has more severe and significant depressive symptoms.
There can be numerous factors that contribute to the holiday blues, but following are the most prevalent ones:
- Stress– The pressure to be happy and joyful and to provide the perfect, often time gifts that pushes or stretches the limit of our budgets.
- Unrealistic Expectations- The expectation that everyone should be happy, joyful, and anything less than the perfect tree, decorations or gifts labels you a failure.
- Exhaustion- Physical from shopping and gift wrapping. Mental from thinking about the holidays and all the million and one things that need to get done. When your schedule already full, adding holiday shopping and gift giving can take its toll on your psyche.
- Financial Stress- This is one area that is the biggest stressor for most people during the holidays. Many people are reluctant to tell loved ones and friends that they just don’t have the extra money for gifts and to host large holiday parties and gatherings. They are reluctant because they don’t want people to think they are not financially stable, or they want people to think they can afford things. Because of this they buy expensive gifts they can’t afford usually on credit cards which balloons their debt and will make things even more financially tenuous for them in the coming new year.
- Separated From Family and Friends- Being away from family and friends can be very difficult and can cause depression and anxiety.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)- Is a type of depression that’s characterized by a seasonal pattern of change in the decrease in light during the fall and winter months.
- Nostalgic Memories- Memories of loved ones that have passed away can be very difficult during the holidays
The Holidays and Alcohol Consumption
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) there is a significant increase in alcohol use during the holidays, particularly during Christmas and New Year’s. Research shows that Americans drink double their typical amount of alcohol during the holiday season.
According to a study by the American Psychological Association 38% of those surveyed said they increase alcohol use in relation to their stress during the holidays. To understand the magnitude of alcohol consumption, The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States approximate sales was $197 billion and says that $49 billion of those sales comes between Thanksgiving and New Years. In addition, New Years is the deadliest day for alcohol related car crashes, drunk driving deaths increase on average 116% above the base line average, making New Years the most dangerous holiday of the year.
Acknowledging You May Need Help and Tools To Help You
Often, mental illness is not adequately treated because the person suffering for whatever reason refuses to acknowledge they need help. They often feel as if voicing that they need help makes them “crazy” or people may look at them differently. Half the battle of tackling mental illness is admitting there is a problem.
One place where EAP is woefully negligent (which is why I think organizations should dump their EAPs; subject for an upcoming article) in the areas of mental health education and literacy for the organizations and workers they serve. Workers spend more than one-third of their lives at work, and this is the perfect opportunity and environment to provide them with important information via workshops, lunch and learns, webinars, pamphlets and tools that can be used to recognize and cope better with mental illness. The more often people are exposed to information regarding mental illness the more the stigma can be blunted, the more acceptable they are to speaking openly about it and accepting treatment.
If individuals can start to recognize early that they are stressed, anxious or depressed, it may be possible to get help with interventions and medications they can potentially halt the severity of the condition.
Wellness for the Workplace has tools available to help individuals starts discussion and to speak open and honestly when they are not feeling mentally well. We are providing PDF and links to sites that can be beneficial to those who may be suffering. Please share these tools with your co-workers, families and friends, even if they don’t need them now, chances are they will need them at some time in their lives. Studies show that 1 in 4 people suffer from a diagnosable mental illness at any given time and one in ten will suffer from a depressive disorder at some time in their live.
Mental Health Toolkit
Following are tools and sites to assist those who may need help recognizing and quantifying their mental health issues and struggling with their mental illness. At any time if you feel overwhelmed, can’t cope, or you have feelings of self-harm or suicide call your local 911 or call or text 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for immediate assistance:
