Jackson Free Press

Blues, blahs...whatever. Regardless of how much I usually love the holidays, the lack of sunlight and heat during the winter makes me feel yucky. It's a yearly battle that I need to be more prepared for, and I'm not the only one out there who has to deal with this.

Normally, I love Christmas decorations, corny holiday music and sweet goodies I have no business even looking at, but on occasion throughout the winter, I feel like I accidentally stepped into a deep, dark pit and am fighting to climb out of it. Usually, there is a direct correlation between how much stress I'm under and how bad the feeling is, but for many seasonal sufferers, they don't have to be stressed at all to feel like dirt. For some, they feel a little down, but they still function normally. For others, they can't eat, sleep or smile to save their lives. When it gets that bad, it's more than just the winter blues: it is seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD (what an appropriate acronym), is defined by WebMD as...

a clinical depression where the person feels 'down' all the time, has low energy, and experiences problems with eating and sleeping. Although the cause of the condition isn't known for certain, some experts believe it's a biological condition brought about by the lack of light in the winter months.

The holiday blues are much more a case of the 'blahs' -- Jingle Bells as sung by B.B. King. One feels overwhelmed by a sense of dread, even anger. When a person is told he or she should be feeling festive, giving, serene, and joyful, conflicting emotions are bound to arise when in fact the person feels quite the opposite.

I think that one of the hardest parts of this disorder is seeing everyone else seem so jolly when you don't. You feel like an oddball, a killjoy, a wet blanket. However, you know you're no Scrooge, and even Scrooge snapped out of his foul mood although it took seeing himself dead for him to snap out of it. There's some advice in the article for dealing with these feelings:

Acknowledge feelings, be realistic, set differences aside, if possible, and resolve family issues after the holidays. If necessary, seek out help or support if the issues are overwhelming. Budget money and time. Retain healthy habits; don't use the holidays as a time just to eat, drink, and be substance-induced merry. Meanwhile, stay in the spirit.

I suppose two ways to "stay in the spirit" would be to (1) stop comparing yourself to the perfect Christmas that you see on TV because it doesn't exist and (2) to give to charity. I don't have much, and I don't think I will be able to buy gifts this year, but if I can drop some change in a Salvation Army kettle, at least I know I'm helping someone who truly needs it. Other options include light therapy, acupuncture, massage and muscle relaxation, which I have tried and like a lot. Most of all, if these negative feelings become debilitating, see a doctor.

Well, I'm going to see if I can follow my own advice and get a boost by doing one of the above activities. If you try one of them, let me know if it works for you. Happy holidays, I hope!

Previous Comments

ID

108648

Comment

I try not to let the pleadings of merchants rule my life.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2006-12-05T21:51:41-06:00