‘Holiday blues are normal’

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

Christmas is the most joyful season of the year and while Filipinos celebrate it the longest and with much fun-fare and festivities, it is normal to experience anxiety or sadness even during the holiday season, an Ilongga psychiatrist said.

According to Dr. Eunice Sermonia of West Visayas State Medical Center, the term “holiday blues” describes the sadness that people feel during the holidays.

“Symptoms include feelings of sadness, loss of interest in the holidays, isolation from social activities, feelings of restlessness, feeling of tiredness,” Sermonia told Daily Guardian on Friday.

Holiday blues are likely to affect those with depression or mental health problems.

But even people without mental health issues can feel depressed during holiday season, Sermonia reiterated.

She said the stress that the Christmas season brings like planning parties and buying the perfect gifts can trigger holiday blues.

Those who have family issues and people who are grieving are especially vulnerable during the holiday season, Sermonia added.

“If you have family issues, somehow, the holiday season forces you to confront them even when you don’t want to or are not ready since you are expected to be with family during this season,” she said.

Unmet expectations always abound during Christmas especially during social gatherings and can also make people depressed, according to Sermonia.

There are also claims that the number of suicide incidents are at highest during Christmas holidays than at any other time in the year.

However, Sermonia said there is still no data available to backup the claim.

“This is actually a myth. The Center for Disease Control asserts that there is no data backing this claim. Although, some who experience ‘holiday blues’ tend to have suicidal thoughts,” she explained.

To beat the holiday blues, Sermonia advised that people should avoid comparing their Christmas celebration to others especially with the onset posting of holiday celebrations on social media.

“Don’t judge your holiday celebration by comparing it to the celebration of others on your social media feed. Remember that people, most often, only post highlights. We should manage our expectations. Life is, most often, not perfect and Christmas season is not an exception,” she furthered.

Aside from strong family and peer support, Sermonia said it is important to go back to the reason of the Christmas celebration which is the birth of Jesus Christ.

“We always go back to the reason for the season and that is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. He symbolizes hope, forgiveness, joy and love,” she noted.

If you need help or immediate assistance, you can call 321-5160/ 321-2841 local 186 (Western Visayas Medical Center); 320-2431 (West Visayas University Medical Center); and the hotlines DOH Adolescent Health CONNECT: 09985324047 (Smart), 09177759256 (Globe), and 09255469919 (Sun).