Holiday blues? Seacoast expert offers these tips for self-care and how to get help

ROCHESTER — Ramsay Dean knows what the holiday blues look like.

"I do see people with holiday depression," said Dean, a licensed independent clinical social worker and coordinator of the partial hospitalization program at Frisbie Memorial Hospital. "I think of it as depression with a small d. They might not be the classic definition of clinical depression but they are struggling. Maybe it is stress over finances, not feeling like they can buy the perfect gift. There might be a loss in the family, or maybe they cannot travel to be with family. These conditions can be the perfect storm to set off an emotional reaction, very real depression."

Dean said holiday depression can hit anyone, regardless of whether they have had an underlying anxiety diagnosis.

"The increased stress, and whatever is going on in their lives can be exacerbated by the rush of the season," he said. It is a super stressful time for everyone, and some people need help to handle it."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates about 8% of American adults have depression at a given time, and it's more common in women than men.

Depression can occur at any time, but some people experience symptoms around the holiday period of November and December. The holiday season could cause stress, loneliness, or both in some people, leading to depressive symptoms.

Dean said the partial hospitalization program. which opened in May 2022, is intended to serve adults 18 and over, whose symptoms are causing them significant distress due to anxiety, depression and bipolar conditions, among others.

"They might find it hard to go to work," said Dean. "Their condition might be impacting their relationships. These people could benefit from psychiatric intervention but not need to be admitted to the hospital. They can come to this program and do the work during the day and then return home in the evening, to their family."

How to see the signs of depression

"In yourself, it can seem that life feels very overwhelming," said Dean. "A person wakes up going through all the things they need to do in their mind. It feels like a chore that is overwhelming. You find yourself worrying a lot about the past or the future, reliving and overanalyzing. You look at the what ifs, what can happen, and it gets unwieldy."

Dean said a person having holiday depression might suddenly stop basic self-care.

"Self-care takes a back seat," he said. "Sleep suffers, general life balance and the person should take steps to correct that. Pay attention to your diet, stay up to date with your primary care visits, and exercise. Pushing all that to the back burner can be a sign of depression and can make one feel irritable."

Dean said he thinks most people will recognize they do not feel good but might not recognize it as depression.

"They just feel something is off," he said. "Or they might not realize it, but others might, like family members. Seek help, if you are depressed, are feeling down, are not interested in life activities, not sleeping have a loss of appetite and that lasts more than a week and a half. Scheduled a visit with your PC to talk about it as that's a great place to start. Definitely get help if there are thoughts of self-harm."

Dean said their partial hospitaliztion program can help.

"We can do an intake and then point a person in the right direction," he said.

Self-care is vital

Dean offered the following tips, things to try before seeking help.

"Try to not let go of basic self-care even when there is a lot on your plate," he said. "Try to get 7-8 hours sleep at night. Eat three times a day, meals with balanced protein, carbs, and a fat source, fiber or vegetable. Make time for yourself, even 15 minutes a day. Look at your alcohol consumption because it can creep up. What do your boundaries look like? You do not have to be everything, manage your expectations and acknowledge when you are feeling overwhelmed."

Dean said to ignore those "Hallmark messages" say we should all be jovial, should be with lots of friends, buy all the gifts.

"Allow yourself to keep realistic expectation," he said. "Be wary of social media. It is very curated and there is almost always more behind the scenes than what is in a posting."

Choose your family, Dean said.

"They can be more than biological family, and maybe those are not the family you choose at all," he said. "Family situations can be abusive or maybe you cannot travel to them. So, choose the people who are a part of your life, people who feel healthy for you."

The partial hospitalization program at Frisbie offers self-scheduling and a referral isn’t necessary. Go to frisbiehospital.com/specialties/behavioral-health or call 603-602-5872. Calls are returned within 24 business hours. Check other local hospitals for their programs, too.

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Holidays blues: Seacoast expert offers resources, tips for self-care