Feeling lonely is a common part of the human experience but that doesn’t make loneliness easier to handle. Starting with Thanksgiving and ending with the grand finale — New Year’s Eve — the focus of the next few weeks is on celebrating with family, coworkers, neighbors, and friends.
While many people embrace this time of year and feel joyous, for others, it’s a difficult season. If you live with mental illness, the extra stress and anxiety of the season can trigger symptoms. In 2014 the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reported that 64% of people with mental illness said the holidays worsen their symptoms.
Reasons for loneliness can vary widely. If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one — and everywhere you look you are painful reminders of your loss — the holidays can amplify your grief. It’s also possible to be to feel lonely while in the company of others. So, it’s not just being physically alone.
“There is a cultural expectation, which is many times reinforced by Hollywood’s movies and other media outlets, that the holidays are a time when families and friends gather to enjoy time together, reconnect, enjoy old memories, and make new memories,“ explains clinical psychologist Samia Estrada.
Receiving greeting cards with photos of happy families together and looking at social media posts of “Friendsgiving” festivities when you are not included can trigger feelings of loneliness as well as depression and anxiety. Jessica Miller, a licensed mental health counselor, explains, “Many people do not feel loved or supported in general. They may have unreasonable expectations. This is true all year but is most noticeable during the holidays.”
Read more at PsyCom.net.
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