The holidays are quickly approaching and while many people are decking the halls and enjoying festive parties, millions of Americans are suffering silently from holiday sadness and depression also known as “holiday blues.”
There are many causes of “holiday blues,” from loss of loved ones during the holiday season and feelings of loneliness, to monetary stress and pressure to buy extravagant presents. Added to the emotional toll; the drop in outside temperatures and shorter daylight hours.
In fact, according to Psychology Today, more than 10 million Americans suffer from a more severe form of holiday blues, called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, which is a depression that normally occurs in winter months.
But, here’s the kicker; in so many of our personal experiences, we know much of the holiday stress often stems from strained relationships and unhealed hurts between family members. The tensions are magnified around the holiday dinner table.