Tis The Season To Be Gloomy?

Feeling low this Christmas season? You’re not alone. Amid cheery songs, festive parties, gifts and good wishes, many lonely people are crying or dying on the inside. Maybe you’re one of them. Romantic estrangement, family strife, and bereavement can make your holidays dismal. One of Elvis Presley’s most popular songs was “Blue Christmas.” A lonely crooner mourns heartbreaking lost love. Performers from The Beach Boys to Celine Dion, Loretta Lynn, and Jon Bon Jovi have recorded it. Does even thinking about that song make you depressed?

Several factors can produce Christmas blues. Hectic activity can bring physical and emotional stress. Overspending can produce financial pressure. Year-end reflection and focus on loss can magnify sorrow. Depression can lead to thoughts of suicide, especially among the socially isolated.

Is your family apart this season by necessity or choice? Maybe an “empty chair” reminds you of your pain. Does Christmas “Ho, Ho, Ho” contrast with your deep anguish? One widow recalled how she felt during the Christmas after her husband’s death: “Little mattered to me. I didn't want to hear carols. I didn't want to be cheered up. I didn't want to look at perky Christmas cards. I wanted the same thing I'd wanted every day for eight months: the strength to force myself out of bed in the morning, to brush my teeth and to eat.”

One possible influence, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a form of depression the medical community doesn’t completely understand. The Mayo Clinic says genetics, age and body chemistry could be the culprits. Mayo recommends seeing your doctor if you feel down for days and have motivation problems. Symptoms can include changing sleep patterns and appetite, feeling hopeless, contemplating suicide, or seeking comfort in  the wrong places.

So how can you cope with Christmas loneliness?
Some suggestions:

-Spend time with people, especially positive ones who lift your spirits. Perhaps you’ll be grateful for their cheer.

-Exercise regularly. Blood pumping can help clear your mind.

-Eat right. Overindulgence can mean temporary highs followed by disappointing flab.

-Enjoy sunlight, outdoors if possible. Brighten up your home and workplace. Light therapy sometimes helps SAD.

-Talk about your feelings. Keeping them bottled up can mean anxiety, ulcers, sour disposition, and/or explosion.

-Give to others. Volunteer.  Physicians are convinced that giving is essential for optimum physical and mental health in our fragmented society.

-Seek counsel. I used to be embarrassed to obtain professional counsel. Now I recommend it. We all can use good advice navigating life’s storms.

-Develop spiritual roots. I’m glad that before my dark days began, I had a friendship with God. If you're tired of friends who betray, manipulate, disrespect, or desert you remember God won’t. He cares for you, values you, will listen to you and comfort you. You can trust Him. He always wants your best.