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1218 DECEMBER
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w hen i was a child, i was obsessed with
christmas
, like i suppose most kids are. but, i knew that when the song, ?i?ll be home for
christmas
? came on, things would get sad very quickly. as a first generation american, all i knew were small celebrations around the
christmas
tree with my five person family. but, my mother remembered raucous
holiday
s with a house full of siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles. while i dreamed of sugar plum fairies and santa squeezing down a chimney, my mother was just trying to power through. during the
holiday
season, it is very common for people to experience depression and/or anxiety. local anxiety counselor amanda morris shares, ?for those who?ve experienced major life stressors such as the death of a loved one; a breakup; addiction; or financial hardship, the
holiday
season can be almost unbearable. the nonstop
christmas
music, store decorations, tv commercials, and movies tell us how we ?should? be full of joy and anticipation, so if you?re hurting, it may worsen feelings of loneliness, depression and despair. family visits can often be a pressure cooker full of unrealistic expectations and unfinished emotional business that many people start stressing about weeks or months before thanksgiving. seeing other of
year
. this could be due to previous unhappy
holiday
s, loss of loved ones, and instances where families are separated for the special day. thomas w., a local dad, shares, ?my brother-in-law committed suicide the day after
christmas
.
christmas
is never merry or bright, but we try. later, we adopted two older children, at ages 11 and 13. both were victims of abuse. their pasts haunted them. our
christmas
became something to endure, similar to tooth extraction. you know what?s coming, you know it?s going to hurt, so you get it over with, try to heal, and see what happens next
year
.? thomas credits his loving wife for the reason he gets through the season. joan b. shares that she often experiences unmerriness around the
holiday
s. ?i used to dread
christmas
as a young adult because it seemed that my dad went extra off the rails every
year
. later, as a wife and mom, there was a lot of stress about trying to figure out how to juggle the grandmas. now they are deceased, and i?ve been consciously our
christmas
became something to endure, similar to tooth extraction. peoples?
holiday
?highlight reel? on social media can paint a distorted perception that everyone else has the perfect family, and you don?t.? common
holiday
blues while many are sharing their joyous celebrations, there are several people who experience sadness during this time ? ? understanding and coping with the
holiday
blues by jannean dixon, m.ed. 3 8 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8
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