TAMPA, Fla. — The holiday season is stressful enough.
Every year, we're reminded of the holiday blues – feelings of sadness when we're supposed to feel joyful and happy. We often rely on quality time with the people we love to cope with the stress that comes with the end of the year.
But Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and any other holiday or celebration may feel even more empty than we ever imagined this year; and we might not have the people around us to lean on the way we used to.
W. Nate Upshaw, MD is a psychiatrist and medical director at NeuroSpa TMS in Tampa. He says there's been a considerably higher demand for mental health support since the pandemic first hit. The holiday season is bringing in even more patients.
"In general, the holidays can already be a stressful time. Now you add on to that, the pandemic which is actually taking away some of the positives we had, you know, we had the extra stress of trying to get things done but now we can’t even be with our loved ones depending on our situation, adds a whole other layer of stress and problems. It’s just a uniquely terrible situation this year to be honest."
From a statistical standpoint, Dr. Upshaw says the chance that anyone is dealing with anxiety or depression is usually about 10-15 percent, but since the coronavirus started, we’ve been around 30 percent. In the population of young adults, it's more like 40-45 percent.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Dr. Upshaw, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offers suggestions to boost your spirits and keep your mental health in check.
- Get outside
- Exercise
- Limit time on your devices and social media
- Get plenty of sleep
- Eat healthy
- Connect with loved ones
WHEN TO GET HELP
If you find yourself unable to sleep or unmotivated to do your normal daily obligations, it's time to seek professional help.
"That’s when you need to seek help. That’s the demarcation. If you’re able to go take a walk and when you go outside you feel better, you take a deep breath, oh, ok, it’s good. If you’re not able to shift out of that, that’s the time to seek help at that point," said Upshaw.
RESOURCES: People seeking treatment
CHECK IN ON OTHERS
During the holidays, it's especially important to check in on loved ones who might be lonely or depressed.
Dr. Upshaw recommends setting up a time for a phone call or Zoom meeting to give your loved ones something to look forward to and something they can count on for the holiday.
"I think that can make an important impact for people," he said.
Be sure to recognize when something happy or good happens. Slow down and enjoy that moment.