For many, New Year and Christmas are usually associated with celebration, spending time with their families and bonding; however, New Year does not mean the same thing for every person in the world.
These festive days have great social significance, because this is the period of the New Year holidays, and it is believed that this is the time when the whole family gathers, all those who have been away or busy most of the year.
This feeling is often associated with personal needs and other experiences that directly affect the picture of depression or anxiety.
Let’s discuss in more detail the anxiety and depression which afflict many people during the New Year holidays.
Characteristics of Major Depressive Disorder
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by a feeling of deep depression, which can last for a while or be present constantly, accompanied by feelings of guilt, unhappiness and inability to enjoy life. We are talking about a complex change of outlook and attitude to life, when everything around is perceived in a gloomy light. For example, a person experiencing depression shows a decrease in working capacity, socialization, as well as appetite.
As a rule, depression can be accompanied by such physical manifestations as weight loss, pain, sleep disorders, in some cases nightmares and death wish or attempts to take one’s own life.
In some cases, patients with depression may show symptoms of an anxiety clinical picture, however this is not always the case.
There are many causes of depression, these may vary from some individual events all the way to changes in the biochemistry of the brain, which give the clinical picture of depression symptoms extended over time.
However, there are factors that are not related to the presence of depression, but should be linked to society and environmental factors. Thus, people with depressive disorders should keep an eye on the latter of these and take special care of their health during risk seasons.
Anxiety Disorders
We are talking about a set of disorders in which the patient suffers from an involuntary and premature reaction to stimuli, which can come both from the outside and from the person themselves.
Such stimuli, which may be images, ideas or thoughts, are interpreted by a person as negative or threatening, even without being such, and awaken a feeling of tension in the patient, as if some danger is about to come.
In some environments and certain experiences, such reactions are natural and correspond to the natural evolutionary process. However, in case of a disorder, such a reaction does not correspond to what is actually happening around, including the absence of obvious stimuli.
If people suffer from anxiety, they may experience sweating, dizziness, a sense of loss of balance, tachycardia, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, sleep problems, depression, sense of emptiness and irritability, etc.
Connection between Anxiety and Depression during the New Year Holidays
Based on the definition of depression and anxiety and how they can manifest or combine with each other, we may speak of their connection with the holidays.
During the holidays, people gather with their whole family and their loved ones to spend these few holidays with them. Some people, as these days approach, may experience certain sensations. One of the main feelings of depression is loneliness and lack of joy in life and activity.
As a rule, depressed patients feel guilty for feeling unable to enjoy the holidays with the same energy or activity as the rest of their relatives.
On the other hand, the “obligation” of celebration, constant interactions, festive tension, gifts and, among other things, communication with people who do not seem close enough, all this affects patients with anxiety and can cause them severe suffering. The feeling of pressure from other family members demanding certain actions from you serves as a risk factor for patients with anxiety.
How can you deal with such disorders during the New Year holidays?
Although holidays can symbolize a meeting with something new, and also become a moment of seeing off the past, it is obvious that you should not sacrifice yourself, nor your affairs, nor medical procedures; your mental stability should become your priority.
Obviously, your perception of the holidays may differ from the way your relatives and friends perceive them, and this does not mean that one of you has no right to your own attitude to this; set your priorities without a twinge of conscience and decide what exactly you would like to do .
Refrain from drinking alcohol ; alcoholic beverages can have a negative impact on the clinical picture of anxiety and can aggravate the feeling of sadness and despondency caused by depression, alcohol can also interfere with medications and change their effect.
Feeling depressed, anxious or broken on such days may be normal. You need to know that your way of experiencing emotions is different from how others do it, but it does not become somehow “illegal”. Do not miss the opportunity to evaluate your emotional experience, use this time to understand your feelings and how to steer them in a positive direction.
Consult a suitable specialist; do not neglect medical and psychological help during the holidays. Keep at hand the phone number of specialists who are ready to receive you and rely on their help in any crisis situations. There is no doubt that professional consultation is the best way to get rid of negative feelings.
Communication with friends and relatives will always give support in your condition. It is very important to explain to them how you look at certain things and your experiences of the moment, so they can give their support to your recovery and keep you company on fun holidays, including the way you would like to spend this holiday.
New Year’s holidays are one of the key moments of the year, because it’s time to give gifts and gather together. However, not everyone experiences the same emotional experiences in their lives, and if you suffer from anxiety or depression, the experience of holidays can change.
Do not feel remorse because of experiencing the New Year and Christmas differently than others, it is better to reset your feelings and give them a well-deserved assessment. You too can have happy and productive holidays.
