Tag Archive for: depression during the holidays

Depression during the holiday season is a very real thing. Though the holidays are thought of as a time of sharing, family, and celebration, for many individuals, the holidays can be emotionally exhausting.

Contrary to popular belief, the months of November and December sport the lowest suicide rates, and that’s a good thing, though depression may occur at any time of the year. Holiday depression and stress from November through New Year’s can bring back painful memories, reminders of feeling alone, not to mention the rest of the typical holiday rigmarole.

Some noteworthy statistics:

• 56 percent of those surveyed reported increased stress at work, but only 29 percent experienced greater stress at home.
• 38 percent said their stress levels inevitably spike during the holiday season, with the main suspects including: shortages of time and money, excessive commercialism, pressures of gift-giving, and the often stress that comes with family get-togethers.
• Most individuals surveyed spoke of high spirits, love, togetherness, and happiness, though they also complained about fatigue, sadness, irritability, and eating and drinking too much, which causes bloating.

Do you get stressed during the holidays? Does it make your mental illness feel worse? Coping with mental health issues can be difficult enough in its own right, but keeping it all to yourself will only make it more difficult.  

With celebrities like comedian Pete Davidson and musician/actress Lady Gaga appearing in recent news about their open discussions related to their depression and other mental health issues, we hope you’ll enjoy some quotes by some famous (and also some by not-so-famous) individuals. These quotes offer thoughts and insights into facing and talking openly about mental illness to give you some perspective and help you through the holidays.

“You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have the right to be here.” — Max Ehrmann from “Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life.”

“Even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.” — Stephen Chbosky 

“Don’t let your struggle become your identity. Your illness does not define you. Your strength and courage do.” –Unknown

“This feeling will pass. The fear is real but the danger is not.”― Cammie McGovern

“Depression doesn’t take away your talents; it just makes them harder to find. But I always find it. I learned that my sadness never destroyed what was great about me. You just have to go back to that greatness, find that one little light that’s left.” — Lady Gaga

“Sometimes you climb out of bed in the morning and you think, I’m not going to make it, but you laugh inside — remembering all the times you’ve felt that way.”— Charles Bukowski

“Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” – Noam Shpancer

“Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth.” –– Unknown

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.” – Abraham Lincoln

“About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. This can be defined as the general neurosis of our times.” – Carl Jung

“Remember that you were given this life because you’re strong enough to live it.” –– Unknown

“It’s never overreacting to ask for what you want and need.” ― Amy Poehler

“Now that I was famous, I was afraid I would never find somebody again to love me for me. I was afraid of making new friends. Then one day my mom said: ‘Why do you think a person wouldn’t love you? Don’t you know how smart and sweet and beautiful you are?’ That’s when I decided I only have two choices: I can give up, or I can go on.” — Beyoncé

“Self-help gurus are constantly telling us that we can get anything we want through the ‘power of positive thinking.’ This is an unrealistic and potentially damaging message, I think. By contrast, meditation is a doable, realistic, scientifically researched way to get significantly happier, calmer, and nicer.” — Dan Harris

“Normal is a setting on the washing machine.” — Unknown

“I have never been remotely ashamed of having been depressed. Never. What’s to be ashamed of? I went through a really rough time, and I am quite proud that I got out of that.” –
– J.K. Rowling

“I take medication daily and have for many years. I also try to exercise a lot, because there’s some evidence that exercise lessens the symptoms of anxiety, and I try to use the strategies that I’ve learned in cognitive behavioral therapy to cope with my illness. But it’s a chronic illness and it hasn’t, like, gone into remission or anything for me. It’s something I live with, something that I’ve integrated into my life. And we all have to integrate stuff into our lives, whether it’s mental illness or physical disability or whatever. There is hope. There is treatment. You are not alone, and while I know the struggle feels at times completely hopeless and futile, there is a far shore for the vast majority of people, and I wish you the best.” — John Green

“You’re only given a spark of madness and you mustn’t lose it.” — Robin Williams

“Every struggle in your life has shaped you into the person you are today. Be thankful for the hard times, they can only make you stronger.” — Keanu Reeves

“My depression and my ego are two things that I treat equally, just like this, where I go, ‘{gentle parent voice} Oh, here you go, what do you want now? Alright, ok, I’m not gonna give you that, but we’ll do this, how about that? Is that reasonable?” George Saunders said when you deny a fault in yourself you’ve made it ten times more powerful. AND now you have two faults: the fault you had and the lie you’re telling yourself about it.” — Patton Oswalt

“The bravest thing I ever did was continuing my life when I wanted to die.”― Juliette Lewis

There’s no need to be perfect to inspire others. Let people get inspired by how you deal with your imperfections. — Ziad K. Abdelnour

“Fate whispers to the warrior, ‘You can not withstand the storm.’
The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm.’ ” — Unknown

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.” — Vincent van Gogh  

Keep in mind that a “come-and-go” case of the holiday blues is not the same thing as a serious case of depression, which may require help with a certified mental health professional. If you’re having a hard time shaking off the holiday blues come January and February, seek help.

Is your depression turning out to be more than just a case of the “holiday blues?”Depression is treatable and manageable. If you or someone close to you need to talk to someone about behavioral/compulsive addiction or mental health issues that seem overwhelming, we can help. Consider reaching out to our expert team at Solara Mental Health at 844-600-9747.