Handling Ho-Hum Holidays

The holiday season is upon us. It is going full force. And for many this is truly the most wonderful time of year. Yet that isn’t true for all. Holidays can be ho-hum, heck they be a hassle, hardly any fun. For some the holidays are something to survive, and if that sounds true, then perhaps this post is for you.

Because you are not alone. When you are living with depression or anxiety, when you are grieving a loved one who has been lost or when you are recovering from an addiction, the holidays can be the hardest time of year. In the worst of my depressions, that was true for me. Although I doubt many would have guessed it. I smiled. I sang the carols (badly). Yet when filled with the darkness of depression, there simply wasn’t any cheer.

And unfortunately, too often this truth is the gift that is never given during the holidays. The truth that you are not alone. Too often that truth stays hidden, wrapped up in the sparkle and shine of the holiday season. And as I said, that can lead to some ho-hum holidays that are hardly any fun.

This was one of the first things that helped me, knowing that I wasn’t alone in my darkness. And if the holiday lights don’t break through your darkness, know that we’ve been there and we can help you out of the shadows. Our peer support programs can be the first step into the light.

We aren’t promising a cure. There will still be days that are hard, there certainly are for me. However, better is good. Better can be one of the best gifts. And no matter what, you deserve better. You deserve happy.

We are taught growing up that you only get coal if you deserve it, if you were naughty. Part of that always made me expect a lump of coal. The part of me plagued by impostor syndrome often felt like I never deserved any of that cheer. Support and the help of a therapist helped me challenge those negative thoughts, helped me understand my darkness. And most importantly they helped me develop boundaries to protect my mental health during the holiday season.

So the answer to hard, challenging, ho-hum holidays, that are hardly any fun? The knowledge that you are not alone in the dark. That it does get better. And we can help you give yourself that gift.