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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The holidays are filled with images of a great tasting turkey, a white Christmas, a perfectly decorated house and warm family gathering. But those dreams of a perfect holiday gathering can quickly become nightmares – leading to bouts of depression, says Jay Zimmerman, a staff psychologist with Ball State’s Counseling Center.
“The holidays are very stressful because people want the holidays to be perfect,” Zimmerman says. “Many people wish the family gatherings were more like what we remember from our childhoods or see on television. That puts us under a great deal of pressure.”
Other factors contributing to a more stressful holiday season this year may be the loss of a job during the current economic downturn or having a friend or relative in the military stationed in Afghanistan or Iraq.
People can take seven steps to beat what Zimmerman describes as the holiday blues, including:
* Avoid or reduce alcohol consumption. Liquor is a depressant that can deepen existing emotional problems.
* Create new family traditions that will enhance any gathering.
* Include exercise in the daily routine. A walk in the sunlight will add energy and help people battle seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
* Leave uncomfortable or somber holiday gatherings. Don’t stay in a bad situation that makes you feel worse.
* Maintain close friendships and confide in those you trust. Talking about your feelings will help reduce or eliminate the blues.
* Read one of the dozens of books on the market to discover stress-busting tips.
* Change expectations by realizing that no holiday gathering is perfect.
Zimmerman advises those who have feelings of depression lasting more than two weeks to seek professional advice. Symptoms of depression may include sleeplessness or sleeping too much, a lack of appetite, inability to concentrate and feeling hopeless.
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