Feeling Down During the Holidays?
The holiday season is generally a time of happiness, joy, festive gatherings and good cheer for New Yorkers. However, the holidays can also be a difficult time.
Many people have trouble managing stress during and after the holiday season -- and may experience sadness, difficulty sleeping, increased anxiety, fatigue or loneliness. While brief periods of sadness (during the holiday season, these are sometimes called the "holiday blues") are normal for most people, prolonged or recurrent feelings of depression might be a sign of a more serious problem.
The good news is that help is available. Depression can be treated.
Symptoms of depression, a medical condition that affects one in six adults during their lifetime, include feeling down or hopeless, or having little pleasure or interest in things for at least a few weeks. Other symptoms may include fatigue, feeling slowed down, trouble concentrating or making decisions, sleep problems, feeling worthless, significant changes in weight or appetite, and recurrent thoughts about death or suicide.
Alcohol use can worsen depression and complicate its treatment.
If you have concern about yourself or someone you know, talk to a doctor or a mental health professional, or call 1-800-LIFENET, a confidential, toll-free help line for New York City residents operated by the Mental Health Association of New York City (www.mhaofnyc.org) in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
LIFENET operates 24 hours per day/7 days per week.
LIFENET is multilingual and multicultural:
- In Spanish: 1-877-AYUDESE (1-877-298-3373)
- In Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean: (1-877-990-8585)
- All other languages: 1-800-LIFENET (1-800-543-3638)
Additional Resources:
