Elvis Presley’s song “Blue Christmas” may be a hit holiday tune, but feeling blue, or depressed, during the holidays is very real for many people.
The reasons vary, but most often loneliness is cited as a major cause of “Christmas blues.” Other reasons include stress, unrealistic expectations, financial pressures and too many holiday commitments.
Scott Roderick, chief clinical operations officer at Verde Valley Guidance Clinic offered some helpful tips to alleviate the holiday blues.
“First is to make a plan; then assess your expectations. Consider if they are realistic. Many want to recapture those happy days of Christmas past, but we need to find ways to enjoy what we have now rather than trying to recapture what we remember,” Roderick said. “It’s particularly important if there’s a change in the family like moving to a new place with no family around like the many retirees who live here, or when there’s been a death.”
Empty nesters — parents whose children no longer live at home — can have a problem with the blues when suddenly there are no stockings hanging on the mantel or piles of colorfully wrapped presents under the tree because the children are off on their own.
For the full story, see the Wednesday, Dec. 19, edition of The Camp Verde Journal or the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
