The holiday blues are temporary feelings of anxiety or depression during the holiday season. There’s shopping, social events and expectations of a good holiday, and these pressures can be stressful. You may also missing loved ones or have negative feelings come back from past memories of the holidays.

Is holiday anxiety a real thing?

It’s normal to feel the stress of gift-giving, financial burdens, hosting, social situations, family dynamics, past memories to live up to, and travel. For someone with anxiety, these typical stressors are intensified and may even become unbearable.

What is Holiday Stress?

There are in fact many potential traps during the holidays. The APA study revealed the top stressors include lack of time, money worries, overcommercialization, gift-giving pressure and family get-togethers. The hassles of travel and worries about taking time off from work also make the list.

Can heat make you depressed?

For some people, summer depression has a biological cause, says Ian A. Cook, MD, the director of the Depression Research Program at UCLA. For others, the particular stresses of summer can pile up and make them feel miserable. Especially hard is that you feel like you’re supposed to be having a great time.

What Causes holiday stress?

Many factors, including unrealistic expectations, financial pressures, and excessive commitments can cause stress and anxiety at holiday time. Certain people may feel anxious or depressed around the winter holidays due to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sometimes referred to as seasonal depression.

What is post holiday syndrome?

Also known as post-vacation syndrome, stress, or depression, this slump can hit hard after a period of intense emotion and stress. Post-holiday blues share many of the same characteristic symptoms of an anxiety or mood disorder: insomnia, low-energy, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and anxiousness.

What month is the saddest?

January is also prime time for Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a mood disorder that occurs when the seasons change. It usually starts in the fall and winter and continues until spring and summer hit again. “Lack of light causes depressive symptoms,” Dr.

What is the fear of holidays called?

Heortophobia, from the Greek “herote,” meaning holiday, is an irrational fear of holidays.

What are the symptoms of the holiday blues?

The most common symptom of the holiday blues is a persistent or recurring feeling of sadness that begins during the holiday season. This feeling may vary in intensity and duration. Some people might feel down periodically, but experience brief periods of feeling more upbeat.

What are the symptoms of holiday depression?

The most common symptom of holiday depression is a persistent or recurring feeling of sadness that begins during the holiday season. This feeling may vary in intensity and duration. Some people might feel down periodically, but experience brief periods of feeling more upbeat.

Do the holidays make you feel sad or happy?

The holidays are usually viewed as a time of happiness and rejoicing. But for some people, it can be a period of painful reflection, sadness, loneliness, anxiety, and depression.

Do the holiday blues lead to more suicides?

While the data are limited, there is some evidence about the causes and consequences of the holiday blues. For starters, there is solid evidence that — despite long-held beliefs and often erroneous media coverage — the suicide rate in the United States does not spike around the holidays.