Depression during the holidays

Depression during the holidays
By Jackie Wesley

I have been reading a lot about the depression of bereaved parents after the death of their child. I am certain this article will apply to anyone who has lost someone dear to them, whether it is a child, spouse, parent, other close relative or a friend, especially during the holidays. There are signs to look for and there is help from support groups or maybe counseling. Your physician may need to evaluate your depth of depression and may be able to help you through counseling or with medications.

There are numerous signs of depression. They can include an inability to sleep, poor appetite or overeating, weight loss or weight gain, and a low energy level (many at the TCF meetings complain of this in early bereavement). You may feel lonely and detached from others. There may be drug and alcohol abuse. Some bereaved people think of suicide because they feel they have nothing more to live for. You may feel that you cannot handle the pain of losing your loved one. Help is available if the depression is recognized. Seek help by joining a support group, seeing your doctor, and talking to family and friends if, and whenever possible. Sometimes the family is hurting as much as you are, and may not be able to give the help you need. Any time there are suicidal thoughts, please talk to your doctor.

Many of these signs of depression are normal upon experiencing a fresh loss. It is when these feelings seem to go on too long and you don’t feel you are making any headway toward a more normal life that you need to seek help in dealing with it. It takes some people a much longer time to adjust to a loss than others. We all grieve in different ways and we begin to heal at different times. It is not unusual to grieve much of the time for the first three to five years after the death. If you know a grieving person, consider including them in your holiday plans and try to make their holiday season a little lighter.