Mental Illness and the Holidays
By: Ruben Gallegos
Hi, my name is Ruben, and I live with mental illness.
Mental illness can severely affect a person’s behavior, ability to do work, relationships, physical health, and their feelings and perceptions of the world. These symptoms can affect a person every day of the year. It can also be devastating times for families dealing with an individual suffering with Mental Illness.
And as if these symptoms aren’t enough, there is one more devastating issue that can affect those suffering with mental illness: The Holidays.
What follows is taken from my own experiences with my “mental illness and the holidays”, along with suggestions to survive these times.
Holiday Blues
The holidays can be amazing times, full of memories and laughter. But the holidays have a way of bringing out an incredible amount of anxiety in an extremely short period of time.
And for people with mental health issues, who already feel different from everyone else, the holiday season can trigger and worsen already feelings of:
Depression
Being overwhelmed
And two of the worst things to feel over the holidays: isolation and loneliness.
Loneliness can cut deep. Individuals who experience chronic loneliness may carry profound scars from past emotional experiences.
Family and Organizational Support
Individuals, families and friends should know symptoms and watch out for each other.
Allowing people with mental illness to be open and honest to the degree they are comfortable with seeking help during the Holiday season, such as an event like this, allows them to feel included and a part of the celebration as opposed to being on the outside looking in.
Seeking Help
I have survived the holidays by following a few tips:
• Be honest with the people you trust and tell them you’re feeling lonely. Divulging these feelings can be hard, but most people will appreciate it, and even try to help.
• The simple idea of not being alone in a tough situation can often be enough to make it tolerable. As one of my counselors told me, never worry alone! Attend a holiday celebration. Call a close friend. Go out for coffee or to shop or gifts.
• If the holidays are difficult and you are in treatment, perhaps it’s time to increase the frequency of therapy. You take pain medication to manage pain before it gets too bad. In the same way, it’s important to make sure you make those appointments before a problem worsens.
And people mental illness should try to override the instinct to isolate. Loneliness feeds on itself.
Conclusion
Living with Mental illness is just that – Living. It is important to remember to create new memories and have some fun. We all need to reach out and watch for each other in keeping with the spirit of the season.