Par for the course, as we are slowly inching towards the big day, I feel like I'm ready to start sinking. And, New Years usually gets me lower than Christmas because New Years is like a birthday, it means another year older. I've always wondered why people celebrate the new year rather than celebrating having just "survived" the past year. When you think about it, it's about as absurd as celebrating winning the lottery before even purchasing a ticket. Perhaps non bipolar folks don't have to look at life as "surviving". Yes I suppose that there are fortunate people who have the luxury of living rather than surviving. Must be nice, huh?

Does anyone else feel like this as well?

[LostMommy227]

We celebrate the new year because we are hopeful of the possibilities it holds. But yea, pretty depressing looking back and seeing that all we did was survive another year.

[~Christina]

I am not a fan of the holidays, I have lost all my family from December through Jaunuary. So I just try to coast through the season .

One thing I do find helpful when I have a rough time seeing any light in that damn tunnel nor having a hard time getting a grip on myself is to offer help at my local soup kitchen or offer to wrap presents that have been donated so that kids will have something to unwrap on Christmas morning and my favorite ? just go hang out at the local animal pound, sit with a scared dog or cat , the animal didnt ask to be abandoned or lost and there is proof spending time with Animals lowers your blood pressure.

I look at the New year heading my way and honestly I just hope I can remember to write 2015 on my checks instead of 2014, yep silly isnt it? lol

I do think everyone on the planet is "surviving " some kind of struggle or hell. Why could I consider myself any different ?

Maybe a lame saying ... but I believe 100% I just need "enough" to feel content.

Before anyone starts flipping out because I try to keep my posting with positive things. Am I always positive ? No of course not , but neither is my none MI husband.

I reach out with advice to help comfort someone because at times it gets me outta my own head and maybe just maybe something I have to say may be something that a person might need to hear.

[emgreen]

This might make you smile for a minute. I greatly dislike regular Christmas carols and, in fact, dislike the entire season...but I plod forward & try to remember that the season is important to others. This is my GF's first Christmas without her mother (she passed away last winter). It has made her very sad & weepy the past week or so, with so many memories of past holidays flooding back. It makes me feel good that I can be there for her...& to put aside my own feelings this year. Watching this video made me smile for a minute & really encapsulates the season for some people:

As for the new year, I find celebrating the winter solstice as the start of the new year instead of the traditional holiday helps. Starting December 21st the daylight hours will increase day by day...until spring & summer return with the growing daylight hours. Its' about trying to find hope in whet can often seem like a pretty hopeless time of year.

[newtothis31]

The holidays are tough for me too. It's my first holiday season as a divorced person, and I have had some weepy moments so far.

Remember holidays can be on your terms- for me New Years is an affirmation that Spring is on its way. Holidays can be what you want them to be.

[aged2324]

The holidays just get way out of hand...too many expectations. ..hopefully this Chistmas my family and I are keeping it simple celebrating the real reason for the season...Jesus

[furiousfever]

This year was a garbage fire. I remember how sad the holidays were last year and all of the hope that went into the new year. I resent that hope, even though I know I needed it. It was all a hoax lies, and I can't muster the energy to be let down again. Christmas will luckily be full of distractions.For new years I think a ritual cleansing is due rather than a celebration. Im going to focus on putting the negativity to rest instead of celebrating the future, cause who really knows...
Let's all just get through it?

[Victoria'smom]

I use to travel 11 hrs. for me and my family and extended family to put whatever crap we had aside. We'd catch up. I didn't have much to say because I'm a stay at home mom. My grandfathers fural was the last time all of us got together that was 2+ years ago. My grandma died last year and with it my extended family's ability to put their crap aside. We all kind of floated around for the past two Christmas's. Last week I was informed my parents, siblings, and their families are coming to my house for Christmas. I'm the new Christmas house I'm mixed about this.

I celebrate new years as my depression will be over soon. This is when we use to get Miguel back and I do celebrate surviving and changing.

[wiretwister]

Christmas always stresses and downs me,, thanksgiving is my ip annaversity,, my dad died on new years,, the whole season is tough but I have hope this year will be better the cloud has lifited some.........

[Resident Bipolar]

Originally Posted by ~Christina

I am not a fan of the holidays, I have lost all my family from December through Jaunuary. So I just try to coast through the season .

One thing I do find helpful when I have a rough time seeing any light in that damn tunnel nor having a hard time getting a grip on myself is to offer help at my local soup kitchen or offer to wrap presents that have been donated so that kids will have something to unwrap on Christmas morning and my favorite ? just go hang out at the local animal pound, sit with a scared dog or cat , the animal didnt ask to be abandoned or lost and there is proof spending time with Animals lowers your blood pressure.

I look at the New year heading my way and honestly I just hope I can remember to write 2015 on my checks instead of 2014, yep silly isnt it? lol

I do think everyone on the planet is "surviving " some kind of struggle or hell. Why could I consider myself any different ?

Maybe a lame saying ... but I believe 100% I just need "enough" to feel content.

Before anyone starts flipping out because I try to keep my posting with positive things. Am I always positive ? No of course not , but neither is my none MI husband.

I reach out with advice to help comfort someone because at times it gets me outta my own head and maybe just maybe something I have to say may be something that a person might need to hear.

You're in my thoughts, Christina

Well as far as New Year's goes, what I would like to do is go on a Charlie Sheen spree and just party my *** off like it's 1999, for those of us who knew when that song was "in the future". Knowing how much I loved partying, it wouldn't be a good thing especially for my situation. However, as bad as I need it, I could probably over-do it quickly and be out of my misery.

Instead, I will have to be a shut in, middle aged, sit around my house and watch tv, as John Cougar sang I Want The Real Life.

But hey, Christmas is around the corner. It's really the best time of year, and I'm going to be fine. Hopefully St. Nick brings me a job that I can mentally and physically competently perform, so that the new year will be better than the last three.

Only one problem with that philosphy. I have the same odds that St. Nick will visit me as I will finding an honest politician.

[newtothis31]

Well starting on Sunday, daylight will start to come back. Slowly but surely.
I'm so sorry to hear about what you're going through- it does get better.

[Mountainbard]

Originally Posted by newtothis31

Well starting on Sunday, daylight will start to come back. Slowly but surely.
I'm so sorry to hear about what you're going through- it does get better.

Yes it will, and thank goodness for that. And the return of the light of longer days is how this whole Christmas-season celebration got started, anthropologically, long before there was a Christian element to it. We yearn for the light, and when we figured out the winter solstice meant a turning back to it, we began to celebrate it. I think that's something that's still worth celebrating, however you feel about the more recent accretions to the holiday.