Holiday Depression

The holiday season often brings unwelcome guests-stress and depression. And it's no wonder. The holidays present a dizzying array of demands - parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining, to name just a few. Feeling down during the holidays can be tough, especially since you seem so out of step with the world. Everyone else seems to be beaming, rosy-cheeked, bursting with holiday spirit. You're feeling wretched and exhausted. Holidays are supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, but for many people they are anything but. Depression may occur at any time of the year, but the stress and anxiety of the holiday season especially during the months of November and December (and to a lesser extent, just before Valentine's Day) may cause even those who are usually content to experience loneliness and a lack of fulfillment. According to one 2015 American study of patients treated by emergency psychiatric services during the Christmas season, the most common stressors were feelings of loneliness and being without a family.