Christmas depression: why I get depressed at Christmas
The Christmas It is a time of celebration, of meetings with loved ones, it is a time to give and receive, and to feel happy. It seems that Christmas is a time of happiness, where we are all forced to feel happy and enjoy the festivities. However, some people feel sad during the supposed happiest time of the year.
If at the end of the holidays you feel apathy, you do not feel like doing anything, you feel obliged to be in a good mood ... you may go through what is known as Christmas depression.
The Christmas depression
Depression is a mood disorder that is one of the main causes of mental suffering of people. Depression is a serious illness that must be considered by all and treated by specialists.
In some cases, depression can be triggered by an adverse event, in other cases depression appears without apparent cause, is what is known as endogenous depression. The Christmas depression usually appears without any apparent cause, more than the time of year. The Christmas depression it is a stationary type depression, associated with a season or season. It can become very serious, and if it is not treated properly it could become widespread.
Symptoms of the Christmas depression
The symptoms of Christmas depression are similar to those of any depressive episode:
- Tiredness, apathy, reluctance, loss of vitality.
- Mood or depressive mood, constantly during most of the day, and maintained during most days.
- Extreme irritability.
- Negative thoughts, autoderrotistas ...
- Loss of interest in pleasurable activities.
In particular, the Christmas depression can also present these symptoms:
- Loss of interest in relation to Christmas.
- Feeling annoyed when listening to Christmas carols, seeing Christmas decorations, * everything related to Christmas.
- Apathy for the activities related to the Christmas festivities.
- Isolation and little interest in other people's company.
Causes of Christmas depression, why do I get depressed at Christmas?
Christmas is a time of year that, although it may not seem like it, can be a source of stress, frustrations and melancholy. From different media we are bombarded with happy Christmas scenes, but in reality not everything is so beautiful and so happy. Let's see the characteristics of these dates that can cause depressive states:
1. The holidays arrive and for the little ones it is reason for illusion. But for adults this can be an extra source of stress: dealing with shopping, organizing events and meals, social obligations, etc.
2. On these dates, the end of the year and the entry into a new year are celebrated. The change of year is usually the time to take stock of the objectives met, what remains to be done, etc. It may be that we realize that we do not always achieve everything we set out to do.
3. When there are loved ones who are no longer, although the duel is not recent, it is normal to miss them especially in these meeting dates.
4. Christmas is the time of least hours of light, With the longest nights, that coupled with the weather makes us tend to lock ourselves in and feel sad. It is demonstrated that during the months of less light, the ailments related to the mood intensify.
5. At Christmas it seems that we are forced to feel happy. This obligation acts as an awareness of those people who do not feel happy. That is, for those who feel melancholy, that obligation becomes frustration and the opposite effect is generated, discomfort intensifies.
Guidelines for dealing with the Christmas depression
1. Get organized with time and do not leave all the preparations for the end. In any case, ask for help with the preparations. Organizing events can be another kind of celebration or event to enjoy as a family. It does not matter that everything is perfect, but that you make those moments of quality.
2. Dedicate time to yourself. Christmas can also be a good time for you, to pamper yourself, to do something that gives you hope.
3. Analyze your thoughts and modify them for more realistic ones if it really is necessary. Not everyone has to be happy at Christmas, it is not true that problems are solved, the truth is that despite them we can be with loved ones.
4. Look for company and allow yourself to be active. A simple walk in the open air will help you with your mood.
5. When a loved one is not there, It is normal to miss him and feel sad. Let the sadness flow, but look for new traditions that do not associate with that person.
6 If the discomfort persists or is too intense, It is advisable to consult a specialist.
Celia Rodríguez Ruiz. Clinical health psychologist. Specialist in pedagogy and child and youth psychology. Director of Educa and Learn. Author of the collection Stimulate Reading and Writing Processes.
