How Do You Deal with Depression Around Christmas?

SleepyHappyDoc asks: "Lots of people around the world seem to experience more sadness and depression around the holiday season, than in other times of the year. There could be any number of reasons why this is, but my question is: how do you deal with it? Have you managed to find any coping strategies or activities that make things feel less bleak?"

Comments

SAD bad or mad

[FidelCatsro]

First off , if you are suffering from any kind of depression that is seriously affecting your day to day life then see a doctor . There is no point suffering in silence especially around this time of year when it can be amplified by many many things.

A depression around winter time in the northern hemisphere can be caused by a few things :

1: Seasonal affective disorder .this is caused by a chemical imbalance due to the lack of daylight . A high powered solar lamp can help you here will alleviate many many symptoms . Again see a doctor , if you can not see a doctor due to area or if you are in the USA for example (due to your medical insurance not covering this) then have a look for some local or online support groups .There will be people out there who can advise you on things that really help remove the strain .

If you suffer from a condition such as Bipolar affective disorder then chances are you will also suffer from Seasonal affective disorder , just keep taking the Medication and supplement it with some time by a solar lamp (Again see your doctor)

2: past trauma/upseting events/Loss of a loved one etc. : Any upsetting event around this time of year can be amplified due to the fact that most people appear to be having a good time . Feeling alone and miserable at a time when everyone around you is so happy really does tend to make things feel a whole lot worse .
Talk to people about , find a support group , anonymous if you need to if you can then surround yourself with family and friends, but do not suffer in silence . Just accepting the Depression can be catastrophic for your health.There are many people out there who will be more than happy to help.
Your doctor will be able to point you in the right direction , that is what they are there for

3:Mental illness : If you suffer from a mental illness and feel that symptoms are worsening around this time of year then immediately talk to your doctor . Chances are they will supplement your medication or find some other way to help you . ...
It is important that you speak to someone and do not feel silly about it if you have to go to a doctor . You are not wasting there time and depression can be a serious illness , but there are many many remedies which can really help. Do not suffer in silence.(sorry to repeat myself)

This is by no means professional advice and may not even apply to you , but if you do feel any of it applies to you then see your doctor as soon as you can .

Re:SAD bad or mad

[LocoMan]

Depression can be an illness, though. I do remember the case of a woman near where I used to live that basically had what you could call a near perfect life, devoted husband, two very nice children, went to the gym at least weekly and the like, yet she suffered from some very bad (and unexplained by external factors) periods of depression. I do agree that there are LOTS of cases out there where doctors are too quick to put on pills and the like where it's not really needed, but there are some cases too where it's an actual physical illness that can be helped (to an extent) with some responsible use of them. A friend from another forum (3dbuzz.com) put together a little flash animation explaining how it works on the chemical level. You can get the link if you're interested on this thread: http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=121 199 (won't post the direct link to the animation so I don't kill his website.. :) )

Re: SAD bad or mad

[Black Parrot]

> I know a lot of folks who are anti "medication for depression" because someone they knew had a bad experience.

In addition to the pill-pusher problem that I snipped, anti-depressant medicine has come a long way of late. Bad experiences of 20 years ago are completely irrelevant.

An honest doctor will tell you that not every anti-depressant works for everyone, and there's a chance that none will work for you at all. So it may involve trying one for a few months (yes, it can take that long to have any effect even if it does work for you), ditching it and trying another for a few months, repeat until (hopefully) you find one that works.

Also, anti-depressants aren't passive fixme pills. You've got to make up your mind that you're going to try to make it work. This may require giving up some bad habits that are contributing to your problem.

If you visit a doctor who prescribes something without going in to all this, tear up the prescription and go see another doctor.

Re:SAD bad or mad

[Anonymous Coward]

One of my mom's mental health professional friends said that psychiatrists these days don't do much other than prescribe medication. Her suggestion is to get your meds from the psychiatrist and see a non-MD therapist (LCSW, MFT, etc.) for the therapy part.

prescription for depression year round

[flyneye]

Call me self medicating but "frop" or its common cousin cannabis seems to control my urges to eat lead.
Year round!Some are naysayers,asserting that it is a depressant itself.Its always worked for me!Its kept me off prescription meds for decades now.Merry Christmas,go light a yule blunt!

Re:Hmm

[TheWanderingHermit]

Depression is a real illness, a real problem, and one that has been proven over and over. I know. I used to work in treatment and saw it over and over. I even went through it. If you havne't been there, you simply don't know. To be honest, your statement shows you have no clue what is going on with depression, but it also shows so much hostility that it makes me wonder if this topic doesn't touch on a sensitive spot for you. (why else would you make such a strong negative statement?)

Telling a depressed person to "quit feeling sorry for yourself", or to "just deal with it," or to "get over it," or to "get out and do things" does NOT work. I never believed this until I went through it. Depression means emotional pain a person who hasn't been there can't believe or undrestand. It often means physical pain, sleeping many hours a day (for me it was 14 or more!) and a lethargy that is almost unbelievable. You can give a person like that medication, but then they often don't care enough or don't have enough energy to remember to take it regularly. While symptoms vary from person to person, a person with clinical depression is usually literally incapable of doing anything other than laying around and feeling sorry for him/herself. Think of a person so depressed they don't see a chance of life getting better and can't imagine things being good enough that the pain is bearable. They have no reason or motivation to take their meds or to do anything to get better.

That is what clinical depression is like and for most, they simply can't do what you suggest. The only way out is often only to go through it (and not suicide) or meds -- assuming there is someone to make sure meds are taken when needed until the patient is doing well enough to keep up with them or that there is a way for them to make sure they get all the needed meds, even when too tired to care about them.

Re:Pretty simple...

[eggstasy]

If you only have mild/seasonal depression, my personal opinion is that chemicals would probably do you more harm than good.
Studies have shown that living a healthy lifestyle decreases your likeliness of getting depressed even if you are naturally prone to depression. It may be a chemical imbalance, but your body can easily be teased into manufacturing more of the chemicals you need to stay mentally balanced. Exercise often, even if you are already within your normal BMI, get plenty of sunlight, keep a normal sleep pattern and force yourself to be more social. My personal experience has been very positive, but of course YMMV, and if your condition worsens or fails to improve SEE A DOCTOR.

tips for the hermit

[tverbeek]

I'm an introvert, so the "outside" treatments for mild depression (e.g. join a club/church, reach out to friends and family) don't work well for me. So I do things that work in the safety of my hermitage.

I live almost 45 degrees north, so to help compensate for the lack of daylight, I set a couple lights in the house on timers to simulate summer daylight hours. So it's always light out (in the hallway) when I wake up at 6:30am. I assign myself some projects, including some I'll enjoy for their own sake (e.g. write that short story I've been mulling over in my head), and some that I'll enjoy having finished (e.g. clean the kitchen). I drink, but with a strict cap on the quantity.

I've developed some private holiday traditions. I buy myself a Solstice present (new digital camera this year). Every New Year's Eve since I stopped going to parties (which I only enjoyed when my partner was there with me, and he's not any more), I've spent the evening alone with a bottle of wine and some yummy snacks, doing something to "freshen up" my living space (e.g. reorganize my bookshelves, move the furniture around in the living room, relocate the server farm to another room).