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Seniors and the "Post-Holiday Blues"
Although the winter holiday and post-holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy and renewed hope, oftentimes people—especially the elderly—find that as the season unfolds they feel progressively disappointed, stressed and sad.
There are many influencing factors that can contribute to seniors (individuals over, say, 65) being at particular risk of suffering from the "post-holiday blues," including:
Reminders of past losses of significant loved ones:
Many seniors have survived a number of their cherished friends and family members. These losses often take on greater significance during the holidays and bring along feelings of grief and sadness that can feel nearly as powerful as the emotional impact of the initial period(s) of loss(es).
Sadness over the contrast between "then" and "now":
For many older people, the bittersweet memories of past winter seasons so outshine present day circumstances they feel unable to focus on or experience pleasure in the "now."
Unrealized expectations
The holidays can encourage a host of expectations, such as family togetherness, festive events and feelings of expanded happiness. Reality too often falls short of these expectations, which can cause an individual to plummet to new lows of sadness, feelings of loneliness and despair following the holidays.
Having spent the holidays alone:
Some seniors live by themselves and/or at a distance from friends and family and had to spend much, if not all, of the holidays alone, intensifying feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Fatigue:
Full holiday schedules that stretched to accomodate social events, shopping, baking, decorating, traveling, and dealing with holiday-related deadlines, can leave you reeling from exhaustion!
Coping with failing health:
The post-holiday season, which for much of the country this year has every indication of being a particularly harsh winter, can often serve to underscore the limitations failing health imposes on the ability to get around easily and independently.
Simple Measures That Can Help:
Facing the fact that you've got a problem, that everything is not all right, is the first big step towards recovering from the "post-holiday blues." Now you can come up with a "game plan" for restoring your emotional well-being--and maybe even for finding ways to start the new year off in better emotional shape than ever:
Get together with friends and family members whose company you especially enjoy:
One of the most meaningful aspects of the holiday season is the emphasis placed on getting together with, or getting in touch with, friends and family. Just because the holidays are over , doesn't mean you need to be done with making extra efforts to socialize with those you care about. Find ways to stay as connected as possible--in-person get-togethers, phone calls, letters, e-mails--and avoid feeling isolated from those who mean the most to you.
Create special events and new opportunities to look forward to:
The holidays can give us something to look forward to, to anticipate and plan for. For many, once the holidays are over, the days can feel strangely "purposeless" and lackluster. Create situations and opportunities to look forward to--these can be as small as movie dates, and as big as vacations--and enjoy the fun of progressively punctuating your calendar with lots of enjoyable things to look forward to.
Enroll in or join something new:
Feelings of loneliness, isolation and aimlessness can often be remedied by participating in new activities, for instance, finally researching and signing up for a class in something you've always wanted to learn (French? Computer Science? Watercolor? Photography?) or enrolling in a recreational activity (kayaking? hiking? softball? yoga?). (This can also help in expanding your social contacts.) Consider looking into winter class schedules at your local university, church, museum, library, community center, gym, or enrolling in one of the growing numbers of an Internet academic courses.
Enlist in volunteer activity:
Helping others is a pretty foolproof method of helping you to feel better about yourself and making life feel more meaningful. While volunteer organizations tend to attract the greatest participation during the holidays, they generally need help year-round and so will be especially appreciative of your non-holiday participation.
Re-emphasize healthful habits:
Eat smart--emphasizing nutrition and moderation. Try to cut down on, or altogether avoid, caffeine. Drink in moderation: alcohol is NOT an antidepressant and, in fact, often worsens mood. Stay in regular touch with your physician and exercise a proactive, rather than reactive, approach to staying well.
Seek new, enjoyable ways of getting physical exercise
Exercising, for example, aerobics, walking, skiing, hiking, yoga, or swimming can help burn away a lot of stress as well as any extra pounds you put on during the holidays.
Spend Time With Supportive and Caring People
As much as is possible, be discriminating and spend time with friends and family members whose company you find both uplifting and supportive. Many seniors who've suffered from "post-holiday blues" have found that seeking the counsel of a therapist provided an opportunity to re-assess and re-structure key areas of their lives so that they could not only recover from the "holiday blues," but could also devote attention to finding ways to lead healthier, happier, more productive lives than ever before. Therapy provides a safe, comforting, and confidential setting in which to receive support that's exclusively focused on helping make lasting, positive changes.
The Effect of the Shorter Darker Days of Winter
For some people, the shorter, darker days of winter are enough to bring them down. SAD, which is short for Seasonal Affective Disorder, affects millions of people of all ages. The word “affective” relates to emotions, and for those who experience SAD, their emotions go into a tail-spin throughout the winter months, causing such symptoms as depression, fatigue, anxiety, chronic over-eating and social withdrawal that persist until Spring brings longer, lighter days.
If you feel down for days on end during the weeks and months following the winter holidays, it’s important to seek advise from a mental health professional as soon as possible, particularly if you notice that your sleep and appetite are affected. SAD is very treatable; even the most severe cases can receive almost immediate relief once treatment has begun. To find out more about SAD, including easy-to-implement tips for helping to avoid and/or diminish its effects, click here.
Could It Be Depression?
The added demands of the holiday season can sometimes overload an already stressed, almost depressed emotional system. If you are unable to shake what you think are the "post-holiday blues," you may be suffering from depression. The difference between the “post-holiday blues” and depression is essentially based the duration of symptoms and the degree of severity.
Depression could be indicated when symptoms such as the following last for two weeks or longer:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
- Sudden loss of pleasure and interest in activities that are usually enjoyed
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
- Difficulty sleeping, or increased sleeping
- Behavior that is more nervous or agitated than normal, or more slowed and unresponsive than normal
- Complaints of being tired all the time and having low energy
- Significant weight loss or gain
- New and persistent physical symptoms that don't respond to treatment, such as headaches or digestive disorders
- Difficulty with thinking or concentration
Depression is very treatable--but first it must be recognized. If you, or someone you care about, experience these symptoms, it’s critical that these signs are not just dismissed as part of aging or that you imagine the depressive feelings will eventually go away on their own. Consult a mental-health professional as quickly as possible. Depression is not a sign of personal weakness; people suffering with depression cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better.
If left untreated, the depressive symptoms will only persist and progressively worsen, causing needless pain and suffering, not only to the person who is depressed, but also to those who care about them. Untreated depression can even become a life-threatening disorder as it insidiously distorts thinking, making the individual feel more and more hopeless about themselves and life in general.
The American Psychiatric Association reports that "80% to 90% of all people with depression--even those with the severest cases--improve once they receive appropriate treatment." Basic ways to treat depression include therapy, medication, and a combination of the two. There are therapists who are particularly skilled at helping those who are suffering from depression so that they're better able to look to the new year--and many more holiday and post-holiday seasons--with renewed energy and optimism.
**Suicidal ideation is always a serious matter and should be immediately responded to by enlisting professional assistance, for instance, calling “911,” and/or seeking help from a local suicide hotline (listed in your Yellow Pages under “Crisis Intervention Services”), and/or contacting a local mental-health professional.
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