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Holiday Depression
December 20, 2007
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It’s usually a time of celebration and good cheer. But the holidays don’t always
conjure up happy feelings. Dr. Michael Spellman is
a psychologist
with Lee Memorial Health System. He says, “It can also be a time of depression and anxiety especially
for people, who have in recent times, lost a loved one.” Southwest Florida resident,
Sueay Buins, says she experienced a loss during holidays that still affects her.
“My mother died on December 20 and I’ll never forget. For a long time I didn’t celebrate
Christmas.” Nancy Young says she knows how hard it is to deal will grief this time
of year. “That is a sad thing. We had that happen a couple of years ago and it just takes a while to get over it.” Specialists say while you may not fully get over
a loss, there are things you can do to
make coping a little easier this Christmas season. Dr. Spellman says, “Immerse yourself in the holidays as deeply as you can
without losing sight of how you’re really feeling.” He adds it may also help you
to seek the support of others this time of year. “Human beings are social critters.
We do need the support of others even at times when we don’t particularly want it.
Times when we would rather kind of huddle up on our own. Those are actually the
moments where it’s especially important to pick up the phone and get near people
who you care about and get near people who can provide support.” To find some loss
and grief support groups in your area you can log onto www.leememorial.org. |
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