Surviving the Holiday Blues SADAG realises that not everyone experiences feelings of joy over the holidays and that everyone copes differently.
Surviving the Holiday Blues SADAG realises that not everyone experiences feelings of joy over the holidays and that everyone copes differently.
Therefore, our Facebook Friday this week 5 December is devoted to Coping with the Stressors over the Festive Season and Surviving the Holiday Blues. It is the last Facebook Friday this year.
If you associate the holidays with a bad time in your life – the loss of a loved one or a previous depression – this time of year will naturally bring those memories back. For people who have recently lost a loved one or are spending their first Christmas alone due to a recent divorce or relocation, the holidays are particularly stressful.
The extra financial burden during this time can also make one feel low. Do you dread the Christmas family tradition? The obligations and expectations family places on you during the festive season? Maybe for you, like so many others, the biggest source of holiday stress is the family.
This could also be for so many a time of loneliness, sadness and grief. There's this idea or rule from society that holiday gatherings with family are supposed to be fun and stress-free.
The reality is that family relationships are complicated and can provoke anxiety. But that's not a reason to ignore the holidays completely.
Zane Wilson, founder of SADAG, knows how hard the Festive Season can be for so many.
“It's so important to keep our lines open during this time to help those in need and for us to help provide useful and helpful ways of coping during the holidays,” Wilson said.
SADAG will be open throughout the Festive Season, including Christmas and New Year’s Day.
“Depression and suicidal thoughts don’t go away or stop just because of a special day or holiday,” Wilson said. They encourage anyone to call on 0800 21 22 23 or 0800 12 13 14 (24hrs) in their time of need. Joining us this Friday for our chat are experts who can help answer your questions on how to deal with stress, who you can rely on when you are stressed and what help is out there if you are feeling overwhelmed over the holidays.
The online chat is at1pm and 7pm. Log in via our website www.sadag.org or click here to go directly to our Facebook Page “The South African Depression and Anxiety Group”.
