Do holidays make depression worse? They can. Here’s what you can do.

You’re probably familiar with the idea that something and its opposite can be true at the same time. That’s how many people experience the winter holiday season—a mix of joy and feelings of depression all at once.

Yes, winter holidays can mean time with family and friends, and for expressing gratitude, peace, love, and, for some, religious beliefs. But for others, holidays are occasions of isolation or disappointment, extended periods of depression, and hours of disconnect. More confusing, you can feel all these emotions at once. Or experience an ever-changing mix of feelings throughout the holidays.

So what can you do to survive these days intact? A deeper understanding of why exactly holidays can make things so much worse and a game plan for handling depression can help you navigate these winter days and come out triumphant.

You don’t need to be blindsided by it anymore. So, what exactly worsens depression around the holidays? What makes holiday depression so real? The short answer:

The winter months do, in fact, cause some people to get depressed or experience holiday depression. Here’s why:

1. The effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Possible causes for this disorder include shorter days and reduced sunlight which persuade you to move less, spend fewer hours outdoors and more inside, and increase screen time on phones, TV, and computers. Where you live matters in terms of available sunlight.
2. Exaggerated holiday social expectations and feelings Overly-hyped versions of winter holidays in books, movies, songs, and on social media and television never really reflect real life and can set you up for disappointment.
3. Comparing your life to those around you Decorations, parties, gifts, special moments…it’s human nature to compare lives, but that can make you feel worse, since us humans tend to pick out certain aspects of life to unfavorably evaluate against others.

The good news? Therapy programs you can go to multiple times a week, like IOP (Intensive Outpatient Therapy Programs), medication, and other approaches are available to help manage depression during the winter season.

Questions answered in this article: 

• What daily practices can help minimize or manage my seasonal depression so I’m on top of the holidays?

• Which medications can help with seasonal depression?  

• I want to feel in control this holiday. What will help?

• What other practices can I use to get through winter depression?

Holiday Depression

Every year during fall and winter holidays—Thanksgiving, Bodhi Day, Feast Day of Our Lady Guadalupe, Hanukkah, Yule, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve/Day—many face expectations of spending time with loved ones (and some not-so-loved ones), celebrating, giving and receiving, sharing meals, observing traditions, and being grateful.

That’s a lot of hours to clock “feeling joyful.” (And, quite frankly, that sounds exhausting for most of us.) But what if you typically dread the holidays or don’t have anyone to celebrate with? Or if anxiety’s kept you stuck at home and made your depression worse? This year, what if you decided to take control and spend the day with who you want, and where you want, be it with family or friends, at the movies, or volunteering?

You may be thinking: Is it normal to feel anxious during the holidays or over the winter months? Big yes on that one.

Heightened holiday social expectations and emotions

Here’s what can add to isolating thoughts & anxiety attacks during the “happiest time of year”:

1. Comparing our lives and experiences to others can bring us down. As human beings, we seem wired to compare our lives to others. But we tend to make poor comparisons. The tricky part is that we often judge our “insides” (how we feel) against other people’s “outsides” (what they look like), and those two usually don’t match. Usually those aren’t fair comparisons. We’re looking at co-workers, fellow students, those in our community and even on social media who may seem like they are having the time of their lives and have everything together. We’re comparing those outside, surface images to how we feel inside. The story we come up with is often, “There must be something wrong with me” or “That’s nothing like my life. I’m not normal.” What’s more, we blame ourselves as it gives us more control over these feelings. We think we must figure out the “problem.”
2. Needing space and time to work through feelings and reality. You may not be in the mood to celebrate or buy gifts this year. Or maybe something did occur in your life that you’re working through. Or perhaps you’re grieving a loss. Usually, the world doesn’t slow down for us to work through these. So we put on an “outside face” and keep moving. We may grow depressed because we don’t take the time and space to just feel our feelings.
3. Finding the right gift, affording the cost, and missing loved ones. The holidays can bring a lot of pressure to spend, spend, spend, and find the perfect gifts. Sometimes, the best gifts though are thoughtful gifts, or time and experiences spent with our friends and family. Know you’re not alone. Almost 90% of U.S. adults say “something” causes them stress during the holidays, and money concerns were the top source at 58%. Be sure to make a plan so you don’t over-spend or put too much pressure on yourself.  And if you’ll be missing someone this holiday, plan to call them or visit later.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

The ins and outs of Seasonal Affective Disorder aka holiday depression

If you suffer from depression or depression symptoms in the winter, you might be experiencing these thoughts and the pull to hunker down. But keep in mind there’s help to make your life extend beyond your door if that’s the goal.

Understanding depression and approaches to managing depression during the holiday season

Depression worsens for many people around the winter holidays. There may be a biological basis for your depression such as Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD (convenient acronym, right?).  SAD typically begins in the fall and winter months.

What are some symptoms of SAD?

• An increase in appetite

• Feelings of hopelessness

• A loss of interest in activities

Who’s affected most by winter depression?

• Females
• Teens & young adults
• People who live farther away from the equator
• People whose family has a history of depression

What are other factors that can contribute to depression throughout winter?

• Less sunshine (and therefore less Vitamin D)
• Less movement
• More screen time
• Fewer activities

People with SAD may also overproduce melatonin which responds to darkness and causes sleepiness and lethargy. The combo of decreased serotonin and increased melatonin impacts your internal clock and circadian rhythms. (Yeah, we’re not fans of the time change either.)

People with SAD might not produce enough Vitamin D. Vitamin D’s role in serotonin activity is associated with clinically depressive symptoms. The links among serotonin, melatonin, circadian rhythms, and SAD continue to be researched.

What should you do if you think you have SAD?

As comfy as it is to cuddle up on the couch when it’s cold and you’re going through it, you’re not stuck having to crawl under a blanket for the winter and stay there. Between supplements, medicines, having people to talk to, and more, you’ve got options.

• See if your doctor can uncover any biological reasons for your depression that supplemental Vitamin D and/or melatonin could help. Many people with SAD and S-SAD have deficient levels of Vitamin D. Taking 100,000 IU daily may improve symptoms [74, 75]. Be sure to start before the winter begins. [12].

• Ask your doctor will also be able to help you find medication if that’s what will be best for you Looking at prescription antidepressant medications like Bupropion (Wellbutrin) [59–61] and other SSRIs, and Fluoxetine (Prozac) to offset winter depression can be the next step. In the northern U.S. and Canada, one study supported using Bupropion early in the winter while people still felt well to stop seasonal depressive episode.[62]. So starting medication in the fall might be an excellent approach.

• Get out of the house to be around people who get what you’re going through and won’t judge you for it Our IOP programs are group therapy programs you can go to 4-5 times a week. Group therapy sounds weird to most people, but most of our clients changed their minds when they realized they could just listen and not talk, that they’re not alone in their experience, and that they had a place they didn’t have to spend energy masking being okay. If this is what you’re looking for, you might benefit from checking out our IOP programs for yourself.

Other therapies to get you through holiday depression

Prescriptions and vitamins, as well as therapy and counseling can help you get past depression you experience during the holidays. Here are other treatments you can look into:

Light Therapy (also known as Bright Light Therapy or Phototherapy)

Knowing decreased daylight can trigger SAD, many people start light therapy through bright artificial light, particularly in the morning [31, 33, 43, 58, 64–67].

You can purchase light boxes that emit full spectrum light similar in composition to sunlight. Symptoms of SAD and S-SAD may be relieved by sitting in front of a light box first thing in the morning, from the early fall until spring [68]. Light boxes are common in Scandinavian countries, where it’s difficult to get enough sunshine during the fall and winter, [66].

The good news with light therapy is that adverse effects are usually less severe than those associated with antidepressants. Be sure to review the side effects, regardless, and ensure you aren’t taking any photosensitizing medications such as lithium, melatonin, phenothiazine antipsychotics, and certain antibiotics [69]. Other side effects and treatment should be discussed with your medical practitioner.

Counseling

Counseling provides support to people with SAD. In one study, 6 weeks of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in a group format during two 90-minute sessions per week was found as effective as two 30-minute light therapy sessions each morning [76]. Goals of CBT are to break down individual problems that seem overwhelming as well as negative patterns[5].

Counseling for SAD can also propose new ways of thinking about some moods and low energy. Programs may help people improve their diets by limiting starches and sugars; boost their exercise; manage their stress; avoid social withdrawal; and spend more time outdoors.[5].

With us you can expect somatic approaches, light movement, and deep-processing experiences like EMDR that are incredibly useful in helping you feel refreshed for the holidays.

Transcendental Meditation (TM), and other forms of mindfulness

TM, mindfulness practices, yoga, walking, and exercise that is personally enjoyable were beneficial. Trips to sunny locations before winter also helped along with a diet high in proteins, vegetables, unprocessed foods, and complex carbohydrates.[35]

If you’re worried the holidays will take away your joy, we’ll help you make sure that doesn’t happen.

The appointment process is easy:

1. You’ll call in and our admissions team will help you schedule your initial consultation within 48 hours
2. During your in-person or virtual consultation, one of our therapists will help determine which program (or trusted partner) will be the best fit for you
3. You’ll show up for your first session (possibly a bit freaked out but that’s okay), listen to others’ stories, and start gaining tools you can apply the same day.

Get in touch today.

Sanare Today is a mental health provider offering IOP, PHP, and outpatient therapy programs for adults dealing with childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, and more. We offer therapy in Philadelphia, PA; Wilmington, DE; Raleigh, NC and beyond.

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