Christmas time is not all sugarplum fairies for everyone: deep depression can set in for many individuals. Be aware and be compassionate to everyone: the Starbuck’s painstakingly slow barista, the grocery clerk who jams your eggs in with the cat litter, the cop who just gave you a ticket, the rude cable rep and yes, even the homeless people trying to wash your windows with dirty water at the intersections.
December is a busy month for all of us. Christmas shopping and parties, concerts, sugarplum fairies, family get togethers, tree lighting events and festive holiday dinners are all a huge part of this month’s joyous and depressive moments. Many of us tend to get depressed during the holidays for several reasons, mainly because the media and American culture consistently paint Christmas as a perfectly happy and joyous time of the year where loved ones collaborate and romance overflows with love. Some people tend to get the “blues” during the holidays from either missing loved ones who have passed or feeling the strong lack of a significant other or spouse to escort to social gatherings.
Please be aware of these folks during this time of year. And whenever you are sipping on your hot cocoa or caramel macchiato, shopping with your girlfriends or planning a special night in with your Boo by the fireplace or polishing the silverware for the big family Christmas dinner, keep in mind those who have lost their spouse. Remember those who have never had one and are feeling extreme loneliness or have no immediate family at all to spend the holidays with.
It is a shame that people cannot behave all year round with the same generosity and compassion they exhibit during the holidays. I am going to put that wish out there into the universe.
I believe that people receive what they put out and my strongest wish this year is for everyone to remember our neighbors who may be suffering from extreme depression not just during the holidays, but all year round. Thank you if you read all the way to the end of this critical message.
As of this year, there is a new suicide prevention helpline: 988. Call 988 if you or someone you know is experiencing life-threatening/suicidal ideations and get help immediately. This number addresses children, teens, and adults.
