I didn't even know that this was a real disorder. I knew about depression and mood disorders occurring during the holidays, as a seasonal thing, but I had no idea that there was an actual disorder having to do specifically with the seasons changing. I think the most important thing during the holidays is to spend it with the people you love, and not to stress out, because ultimately our family and friends just want to be with us and don't care about the little things that we tend to worry about.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Holiday Stress
With Christmas (and the holiday season) fast approaching, it is easy for us to get stressed out. I was reading an article on healthyminds.org about how the holidays can often lead to stress, depression, and anxiety. The holidays are supposed to be spent with your loved ones, cherishing the moments you have to celebrate with them. The article talks about mood disorders, such as major depression and seasonal affective disorder. These mood disorders are common amongst the holiday season. I was interested in learning more about seasonal affective disorder, and this is what I found: SAD is a "form of depression that occurs in relation to the seasons, most commonly beginning in winter." (health.google.com/health/ref/Seasonal+affective+disorder) It occurs more frequently in women than men and there is a difference between SAD and "cabin fever".
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It seems like the holidays bring more stress than happiness in present day. I think people are focusing on buying gifts in times where money is tight and start to stress out. That is weird that there is an actual disorder though, i have never heard of that before.
ReplyDeleteHolidays tend to bring a lot of stress to people that are older rather than younger. I feel that parents face more stress during the holiday seasons because they are the ones that are actually spending money. They are the ones who have to make decisions which effect the family such as when to travel how much to spend or even decorating. This can cause adults to stress about adding more things to their already stress filled lives. Children on the other hand are stress free during the holidays. The stress from school is eliminated as they are on a break and the they are the ones that are recieving the gifts for the most part.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of this disorder before, and personally know people who suffer from it. It is true that I myself feel a lot happier in the summer and in warm, sunny weather than I do in the winter. After Christmas winter seems dull and dreary to some people. This is probably because there is not much to do. One suggestion for people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder is to purchase lights that mirror the affects that sunlight has. The sun is proven to help boost your happiness through the absorbtion of vitamin D. These lights are available for purchase by anyone, and have been shown to improve the affects of Seasonal Affective Disorder.
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