Editorial
“What do you do when ‘the most wonderful time of the year’ just … isn’t?”
The Cleveland Clinic posed this question in a recent online article that pondered the plight of those who are contending with depression during what many of us feel should be the most joyous of times.
The holiday blues is a recognized affliction. It’s been noted locally by area churches that have devoted services to helping people cope with it.
The late Rev. Dr. Howard Boswell Jr., beloved minister of the Buena Vista Presbyterian Church who died recently, presided over a service a few years ago on the occasion of the winter solstice, “the longest stretch of darkness in the year,” that was intended to provide solace “for those dealing with loss, loneliness and sadness.”
Earlier this month, Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington held a “Light in the Darkness” service that included “music, healing prayers, readings with reflection, silence and presence.” The service was for everyone, but “especially those for whom the holidays might be a hard season in some ways.” The message that was to be shared was that “Christmas is a time of sharing God’s love amongst us – that love knows our joy, pain and all we ponder.”
In the aforementioned Cleveland Clinic article, psychologist Dawn Potter, PsyD, explained that “With holiday depression, you can feel like you’re on the outside looking in – like everyone else is having a great time when you’re not or can’t. … Depending on what’s going on in your life right now, and in the world around you, holiday depression can cause a disruption to your relationships, your mental health and your ability to manage everything that comes along with the holiday season.”
Holiday depression, said Potter, “can happen to anybody, no matter who you are, because there are so many different things that can trigger it.” A trauma associated with the holidays such as the loss of a loved one could be a factor. It could be family dynamics, financial strain, seasonal pressures to do so many things and please so many people, or just plain loneliness.
Loneliness, according to a recent article put out by A Mission For Michael, a mental health service provider, “has quietly become one of America’s most widespread public-health issues – a chronic, grinding isolation that hits people year-round – but the holiday season magnifies everything. December is saturated with images of togetherness: family dinners, matching pajamas, full houses and overflowing calendars. For anyone spending Christmas alone –whether through distance, estrangement, work schedules or recent life changes – that contrast can feel brutal. Expectations about how Christmas ‘should’ look turn private solitude into something that feels like failure, leaving many people dreading a day that is meant to feel joyful.”
All of us should seek to have a greater awareness of the difficulties many of those around us are having, especially at this time of year. If you know of someone who is lonely or sad, reach out to them. Attempt to commiserate with them. If you’re the one who is experiencing this difficulty, you too need to reach out to others to let them know what you’re going through. It’s important to understand that you don’t have to feel happy, even at this time of year. Acknowledge what you’re feeling and share your thoughts with someone you trust. Don’t hesitate to seek out mental health services, such as through Rockbridge Area Community Services.
“We often think of Christmas as a time of joy, but for many people, it becomes a mirror for everything they feel they’re missing,” said Anand Meta, executive director of A Mission for Michael. “Loneliness doesn’t take a holiday, but neither does hope – and the more we normalize these feelings, the easier it becomes to reach out, speak up, or simply take the pressure off a ‘perfect’ Christmas.”
Editor’s note: Information that was used in this editorial can be found at the following links: A Mission for Michael at info@cherrydigitalcontent. com and the Cleveland Clinic at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/holidaydepression- and-stress.
