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It’s not always “the most wonderful time of the year.” In fact, for many and for a variety of reasons, coping with holiday depression can be pretty challenging. Depression is a huge problem at any time of the year, but at holiday season, it can be particularly painful.
This is the time of year when the marketing and advertising media tell us we should be skipping through the snow with our loved ones, getting excited over that luxury car with the big red bow on the roof and just plain having a ball. But what if your life is not that great right now? Maybe you’re dealing with illness, a relationship break-up, a death, loneliness, financial or work challenges. All these issues, that may be manageable other times of the year, are magnified during the holidays; coping with holiday depression is a huge problem.
If this resonates with you, and you’re struggling now, I get it. I was one of you for my entire adult life until six years ago. I was on and off prescription anti-depressants trying to manage my depression. I know what I’m talking about, and I know what this time of year can mean for people struggling with depression. I’ve lived it.
I refer to myself as a recovering depressed person. Although I haven’t lived with depression in years, I know it’s there in my gene pool, and I have great respect for the fact that I could become depressed again. Because I solved my issues by changing what I eat, I eat very carefully now. I viewed my depression as shameful, something to hide… a disability. I was afraid no one would hire me to be their Realtor if they knew I was chronically depressed; that they would be afraid I couldn’t do my job well.
Because I used to try to hide my depression and got very good at doing that, many people have been surprised since I have admitted my struggles. Although I was good at hiding it, believe me, it was a lot of hard work to pull that off every day. Now, my goal is to help as many people as possible; to give others the opportunity to come back from depression as I have done.
The wider my reach, the more people I can help. This month I’m going back into the studio at WestfordCat to record a program about depression for my TV series, “Thin Strong Healthy.” We need to talk about depression more freely without fear and shame. We need to talk about it within the frame of empowerment and control by changing things in our lives that will support us; changes that not only aid in alleviating depression but that support us in general for the long run of our lives.
My new book, “Eat Your Blues Away”, is a huge step in my outreach to others who suffer. Having put down on the pages my struggles for the world to see has been very scary for me. It has also been very empowering. My depression is no longer my secret to hold close and hide. It is a struggle that has ended in victory, and I am bound by my wish to help others to put my story out there. Let this give you hope if you struggle. There’s more to come; I’m on a mission, and I don’t give up!
This article was originally published on my site at http://thinstronghealthy.com/coping-with-holiday-depression/
Helping You Achieve Major Wellness in Your Life!
Cheryl A Major, CNWC
Cheryl A Major lives in Westford and is a Certified Nutrition and Wellness Consultant. Her TV show, Thin Strong Healthy, airs on WestfordCat and is an offshoot of her blog http://ThinStrongHealthy.com Cheryl offers ongoing information, live and online courses and personal health coaching to help you feel better and be healthier. Follow Cheryl on Twitter @CherylAMajor. She is also a full time residential Realtor with Coldwell Banker with more than 25 years experience.
Her new book, “Eat Your Blues Away” is now available on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback!
