For some individuals, the long winter months and the holiday season can be an emotionally difficult time, especially when living with depression.
In his honest and eloquently written piece below, novelist Matt Haig describes his own experience with depression and anxiety around the Christmas season. Though Haig points out various reasons why the holidays can be especially tough for some of us, he also shares with readers what he learned from that time in his life that helped him rediscover the magic and light amidst the dark season and aided significantly with his recovery.
"Relationship stress and financial worries are classic triggers of depression, so it’s no surprise that Christmas can be an agonising time. Add an excess of alcohol, 4,000 calories above doctors’ daily guidelines and the likelihood of hearing some of the most catastrophically annoying music committed to record and you have a recipe for psychological trouble.
But there’s something else at work. Christmas is one of those times when the idea of something doesn’t match the reality. As a result, we can easily fall in to the gap between how we think we should feel and how we actually feel. We imagine that everyone else is having a great time – everyone but us. This may be because we are alone in what feels like a world full of family gatherings, or because we are surrounded by our loved ones – at least, related ones – but don’t feel the happiness we think we should."
For the full article, click here: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/14/shopping-hell-kindness-therapeutic-depression-christmas
In his honest and eloquently written piece below, novelist Matt Haig describes his own experience with depression and anxiety around the Christmas season. Though Haig points out various reasons why the holidays can be especially tough for some of us, he also shares with readers what he learned from that time in his life that helped him rediscover the magic and light amidst the dark season and aided significantly with his recovery.
"Relationship stress and financial worries are classic triggers of depression, so it’s no surprise that Christmas can be an agonising time. Add an excess of alcohol, 4,000 calories above doctors’ daily guidelines and the likelihood of hearing some of the most catastrophically annoying music committed to record and you have a recipe for psychological trouble.
But there’s something else at work. Christmas is one of those times when the idea of something doesn’t match the reality. As a result, we can easily fall in to the gap between how we think we should feel and how we actually feel. We imagine that everyone else is having a great time – everyone but us. This may be because we are alone in what feels like a world full of family gatherings, or because we are surrounded by our loved ones – at least, related ones – but don’t feel the happiness we think we should."
For the full article, click here: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/14/shopping-hell-kindness-therapeutic-depression-christmas
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