The holiday depression
If in late autumn, on your favorite service healingjourney.ai, you talk with your AI counselor about what you can expect in the coming period, it may warn you of one upcoming phenomenon. Artificial intelligence has insight into a lot of data, and some of it says that during the holidays, some people feel especially bad. It is called holiday depression.
What is a holiday depression?
The term holiday depression describes a decline in mood and a type of melancholy, which from time to time can happen to each of us and should be distinguished from clinical depression, which requires longer treatment and psychotherapy. Holiday season is full of potential triggers. It is important to delineate whether this mood happens every year in winter, because if so, it could be a seasonal affective disorder. If not, it may be depression triggered and exacerbated by holiday-related stressors.
The bad mood associated with the holidays can be divided into the one before and the one after the holiday.
Pre-holiday depression
To be more precise, this refers to a feeling of sadness, anxiety, or dissatisfaction that can occur before, but also during the festive period, such as Christmas, New Year, or other significant events. Although the holidays are often seen as a time of joy and togetherness, they can cause emotional stress for certain individuals.
Triggers of pre-holiday depression
Pressure to feel happy
It is natural to feel happy when we achieve a goal and when there is a positive change in our life, but is the fact that today is a specific date in the calendar enough to make us happy? We will soon see that it is just the date when we are under special stress. If we don't feel very well, and we have the impression that all of us expect to feel happy, we perceive this absence of euphoria as if something is wrong and we become unhappy.
Exaggerated expectations
Similar to the expectations that others have of us, or that we think they have, we have some expectations of ourselves. In TV commercials, everyone is smiling, the air is full of love, all family members love each other and are happy that the day is going perfectly. But it's not like that in your home. You expected this to be the most beautiful day of the past year, but it turned out to be quite average. You think that it shouldn't be happening. Your high expectations have led you to disappointment. But were they justified?
Interpersonal relations
Interpersonal relationships can be tense, conflictual, or stressful at any time, but tensions are usually elevated during the holidays.
The holidays are a time when we spend more time together. Family misunderstandings and conflicts can intensify – especially if they are all directed at each other over the course of several days. Personal boundaries are a big topic and holiday gatherings are also a test of our boundaries, to see how much we have worked on ourselves during the year and how far we have progressed. It is enough to bring together so many different personalities, needs and interests. For some, this is imposed by spending time in the family as a result of disrupted family relationships.
On the other hand, if you wait for the holidays without someone, you may feel lonely or sad. If you have recently lost a someone close, the holiday will remind you that you are now alone, and you wish you were not. Sometimes even people who are very independent and self-reliant and who otherwise enjoy their solitude and freedom may feel emptiness during the holiday period, mostly due to social pressure.
In the next article, we will see that the period after holidays can also be challenging.
Here, on Healing Journey, among other AI therapists, you can choose Gus, Emma and Ethan to be your AI therapist. Although they are not typical representatives of any particular school, their way of thinking is close to cognitively oriented therapeutic schools. Therapeutic approaches that adhere to the cognitive-behavioral understanding are based on the assumption of the importance of cognition as a factor that influences pathology, as well as a factor that the therapist uses to achieve the desired change. The assumption is that cognitive activity influences behavior, that activity can be observed and changed, and that the desired change can be achieved through changes in cognition, or thinking.
People’s emotional and behavioral reactions are strongly influenced by thoughts or the meanings we attribute to events or our own behavior. People tend to think that events or other people are what make them happy, angry, sad, and so on. However, between these events and our reactions lies an assessment, an interpretation of those events. This means that we do not react to events, but to the meanings we attribute to them. If events directly caused feelings in people, then every event would cause exactly the same feeling in every person. We know that this is not the case, and this is because each person has their own personal interpretation of events.
Thoughts are the most important factor that shapes our feelings, dysfunctional thoughts are what form dysfunctional feelings, or suffering. Therefore, the best way to deal with suffering is to change dysfunctional thoughts. In addition to interpreting the phenomena around us, it is also important what significance we attach to them, or how much these phenomena affect us. Let's take the following event as an example:
"My boyfriend is quiet today."
It is an objective phenomenon. We can attribute some meaning to it, for example:
"He is no longer interested in me."
We can also attribute some significance to that meaning, for example:
"The fact that he is no longer interested in me is terrible."
Some therapeutic approaches are more concerned with meaning, while others are more concerned with the significance we attach to phenomena around us but the path to problem solving usually starts with cognition.
What is Anxiety? Exploring Types and Starting Your Journey to Healing
Anxiety is a natural response to stress, but when it becomes overwhelming or persistent, it can disrupt daily life. Anxiety counseling and therapy are essential for managing anxiety disorders, which affect millions worldwide. Here’s a look at the different types of anxiety to help recognize symptoms and find effective support.
Common Types of Anxiety Disorders
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Characterized by excessive worry over various life aspects, people with GAD often experience physical symptoms like muscle tension and fatigue. Anxiety therapy and counseling can help individuals learn techniques to manage these ongoing worries.
- Social Anxiety Disorder Those with social anxiety experience an intense fear of being judged in social settings. This can make everyday interactions, like meeting new people or public speaking, feel daunting. Through anxiety counseling, individuals can develop strategies to ease social fears and build confidence.
- Panic Disorder Panic disorder involves sudden episodes of extreme fear, known as panic attacks. Anxiety therapy can be invaluable in helping people identify triggers and manage symptoms to reduce the occurrence of these attacks.
- Phobias A phobia is an intense fear of a specific object or situation, such as heights or flying. Anxiety therapy often uses gradual exposure to help individuals confront and manage these specific fears.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) OCD involves repetitive thoughts and behaviors that aim to reduce anxiety temporarily. Anxiety counseling can teach healthier coping methods and help break cycles of obsession and compulsion.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) PTSD develops after experiencing or witnessing trauma. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety related to the trauma. Specialized anxiety therapy, including trauma-informed approaches, can be life-changing for individuals with PTSD.
Recognizing your type of anxiety is a crucial first step. For those looking to explore their anxiety from home, HealingJourney.ai provides free AI-powered anxiety counseling and therapy. This platform offers an accessible, personalized way to begin understanding your anxiety, build resilience, and take meaningful steps toward healing. Start your journey today and discover how targeted anxiety therapy can help you regain balance and confidence.