Holiday Depression and Stress

Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

• What causes holiday blues?
• Tips for coping with holiday stress and depression
• Is the environment and reduced daylight a factor in winter time sadness?

The holiday season for most people is a fun time of the year filled with parties, celebrations, and social gatherings with family and friends. But for many people, it is a time filled with sadness, self-reflection, loneliness, and anxiety.

What causes the holiday blues?

Sadness is a truly personal feeling. What makes one person feel sad may not affect another person. Typical sources of holiday sadness include

• stress,
• fatigue,
• unrealistic expectations,
• overcommercialization,
• financial stress, and
• the inability to be with one's family and friends.

Balancing the demands of shopping, parties, family obligations, and house guests may contribute to feelings of being overwhelmed and increased tension. People who do not view themselves as depressed may develop stress responses, such as

• headaches,
• excessive drinking,
• overeating, and
• insomnia.

Others may experience post-holiday sadness after New Year's/January 1st. This can result from built-up expectations and disappointments from the previous year, coupled with stress and fatigue.

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

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