@maninayton - Depression and Christmas
For those of us who suffer from depression, Christmas can be a particularly bad time of year.
Why?
The reasons for this vary greatly from person to person but can include;
- Self-induced and commercial pressure to spend a lot of money on presents.
- Self-induced and commercial pressure to create a 'perfect' Christmas
- Being expected to partake in social gatherings of friends and family.
- Anger at the excessive commercialisation of Christmas
- Anger at other peoples overindulgence.
Incurring debt as a result of excessive spending (so as to create a perfect Christmas etc) - Feeling very lonely
I'm lucky because I have a loving family around me who can spot the warning signs of when I'm 'going down' into a depressive state and will then help to lift me out of it.
Others though are not so lucky. Those who have lost a loved one can be particularly badly hit as can those who live alone.
Christmas Survival Guide Tips
For anyone who may be feeling depressed may I offer the following 'Christmas Survival Guide Tips'
First of all - Please, please, please, if you have a serious depression you need to go and seek medical advice.
for less serious episodes
Lower your expectations for Christmas. It doesn't have to (and will never) look like a television advertisement.
Set a budget for gifts and stick to it. If need be, inform relatives and friends of what you intend to do and why.
Regarding the above, Vouchers are a good way to go. As well as helping you budget, they also eliminate the stress of having to think of what to buy people.
Don't be afraid of saying no. If you don't want to go out to a social occasion then don't. The stress of saying no straight away is much, much less than enduring a social event your going to detest.
Avoid the stress of going out shopping by doing it online. You can even buy Christmas dinner in a box complete with a main meal, bubbly, dessert and a cracker! Make things easy for yourself.
Raise above family disputes. Bringing the family together can sometimes lead to clashes. Don't become involved if Uncle Tom and Aunty Joan start to argue. You cannot change it so change your reaction to it instead.
Last of all - Once more. Please, please, please, if you have a serious depression you need to go and seek medical advice.
Finally
If you are aware of someone who may be struggling this Christmas please make allowances for them. Give them the space and time they need to cope. Thank you.
I have collated a series of posts I did on Mindfulness into an ebook which can be downloaded here for the low, low price of 0.100 SBD
Very nice post for those who suffer during a festive time.
During the past 10 years, despite loving the festivities and the decorations everywhere, Christmas was one of the most lonely times of the year for me.
I did not have any family, so I didn't need to buy gifts. However, all my friends were busy with their families, so I was left alone.
Now I am feeling better, as I changed my way of thinking dramatically and also I am having more people to spend time with.
Happy Christmas to all with lots of love :D
Hi @theleapingkoala and thank you for the comment. Seeing everyone have fun (or appearing to have fun) is very hard if you are alone. I'm glad you are enjoying Christmas more now and I hope you have a happy and peaceful holiday.