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December is known for its holidays, festivities, cold weather ailments and the “Holiday Flu.” The Rappahannock Mental Health Clinic would like you to know there are things you can do to prevent or minimize its effects.
The Christmas Holiday Season traditionally stands out as one of the year’s busiest periods for mental health facilities. Psychiatric hospitals have their highest admission rates, “Hot Lines” receive more crisis calls, and suicides occur at their second highest rate of the year (Valentines Day has the dubious destinction of being number 1.)
At a time when we want most to be in good spirits, there are many who will experience varying degrees of the ‘‘Holiday Flu.” The “symptoms” of the psychological equivalent of influenza typically include a lack of enthusiasm, a general feeling of “Bah Humbug” with its accompanying irritableness, and thoughts of being “un”: unhappy, unloved, unneeded, unappreciated and the like. Sound familiar?
As you brace for winter, you may want to anticipate your needs for emotional long johns, also. While the Holiday Flu often catches people unexpectedly, there are preventive steps you can take to avoid it, or at least to soften its effects. A look at its usual source will help identify what these are.
Typically, the origins of the Holiday Flu go back to unmet expectations that the holidays will be a happy, problem-free time of being close to others, of feeling loved and needed. Advertisers hold out the hope that the “un—” feelings mentioned above will miraculously disappear if you buy their product. Even those who no longer believe in Santa seem to hang on to a fantasy that life will be jolly during the holidays. When these expectations fail to materialize, the emotional letdown that results often develops into a case of the Holiday Flu.
Review your memories of last year's holiday season. Were there times that were particularly stressful or when you felt a letdown? Perhaps it ■ was the pressure of being around certain relatives or the hollow feeling that hit the day after Christmas.
Go over the critical period in your mind. What was happening at the time? Who else was involved? Is the same situation likely to arise this holiday season? Have events happened during the past year which may create new difficulties such as a death in the familf, a
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