[Overcastbutclearing]

I am not one for the Holiday Season...which already feels like it begins earlier every year.
It is my most depressive time of the year. In fact, 3 years in a row I tried to kill myself and was hospitalized during the Holiday Season. I try to be jolly with the rest of my friends and family to not look miserable but @ times it is so difficult.
I wish I could totally disappear during this time.
I am not currently suicidal...let me make then known.
I just hate the arrival of this time of the year and all the events that come with it.
Does anyone have the same thing going on?
Does anyone have a way to make it better?

[JustBen]

I can sympathize on a much lower level. I love the holidays, but it does seem like bad things kind of pile up this time of year -- deaths in the family, that kind of thing. I try to take some time every day to actually think about the religious significance (to me, anyway) of the season. It's a nice break from the constant shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc. that occupies so much of my time for the next couple of months.

And, yeah, it is starting earlier every year. Eventually, I think, the "Christmas" season is going to start on Oct. 31st immediately after the kids change out of their costumes. (Just like the back-to-school sales keep starting earlier and earlier...the kids are barely out of school when they start these sales to begin with.)

[ozzie]

Susan, I love the Holidays but I have found that in recent years it takes me longer to get started on all my preparations for them. I think it is the depression. Sometimes I wish we only celebrated them every other year. lol

In an effort to get motivated, I go to Hobby Lobby and look at all the decorations. I also buy one new Santa figurine each season to add to my collection. This will usually put me in the right frame of mind to start cleaning and decorating, shopping and wrapping and all the rest of the things I do.

I'm fortunate the past few years in that my daughter who loves to cook, has taken over the Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone goes to her house now for that Holiday. It sure has been good for me since I don't care much for cooking.

I love christmas and so on but yet every year starting from late sept sometimes october straight on into february sometimes march I just want to find a hole to slip into like a hybernating bear and and say wake me up when its all over with. one therapist suggested bipolar but that was ruled out when we corrolated my journal entrys, poems and so on and found the pattern - most of my abuse centered around holidays and those months. So now that I know why I cycle down this time of year its a little easier to fight. I ex off the days on a callendar so that I have a visual reminder that the cycle isn't going to last forever. I also do one special thing for myself every day. I always make sure its something I don't HAVE to do, or anything that I NEED and so on. Just something frivolous and just because. My friends have also gotten on board. One year the doorbell rang and there sitting by the door was a the biggest and most outragious bosten cream pie cup cake with the words "you're special" in icing on top with a circle of lit candles. To this day I still haven't figured out which friend left that one. each year I can usually figure who the "giver" is but that one still has me stumped and its been three years.

anyway yea I go through this too.

[Azalysa]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Does anyone have the same thing going on?

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

The holidays usually don't affect me one way or the other. My immediate family is very small and over the years we have scaled way down on the commercial side of Christmas and instead established our own special traditions. So, I'm not in that whirlwind that others may experience.

~However~ today I went to the grocery and just saw a display of Christmas wrapping paper and such and immediately felt my mood drop. (I think it's a full moon now too.)

Anyway, my reaction really surprised me and I've been musing on it on today, then I find your post.

As a sidenote: Many people who do not live with a depressive illness get the "holiday blues" so, logically, it's not unusual that we do. However living with it is the pits.

Yep, count me in for having these feelings.

I TOTALLY agree. I am miserable just thinking about the freaking holday season. I want magic powers to just snap my fingers and make it January 2.

My annual dank gloom has officially descended on me. Wish I could live in a closet for the next 2 months. Perhaps I shall.

em

[kvinneakt]

"Christmas" sucks. Period.

This formerly religious celebration was hijiacked long ago by commercial interests. It is such an obscene orgy of gross consumption that it is amazing those who hold it holy don't start a revolution.

If you don't like the "holidays", don't worry and don't feel guilty. There is NOTHING wrong with you. You are having a very rational reaction.

You have permission to simply set the whole thing aside and do something else that better suits you.

"But what about the children? It's all really for the children!"

BS! What are you teaching them but the pursuit of gluttony. They don't have a clue what is going on until they are 3 or 4 years old, then they no longer beleive in Santa Claus when they are 9 or 10. They get a half dozen years of pre-pubescent, materialistic, orgiastic, ecstacy followed by a lifetime of longing for "the way it used to be."

"You are a horrible Grinch, Kvinneakt!"

Ok. Now you call on Dickens to justify yourself. Somehow I don't think he would have much appreciated how his tale was subverted to the cause of corporate greed and consumer crap feeding frenzies.

That said, if anyone wants to send me an Apple Airtunes Express for Xmas, I will be delighted to accept!

I don't like the holidays...I agree with the previous post about commercializing a once religious holiday. But the kids are gone and the grandchildren are zilch so it is me, hubby and 4 dogs, 2 cats. So I sit and think why to I think I have to kill myself over this?? cookies, decorations, cards to people I only talk to once a yr and never ever see...
Besides alot of cr*p that I carry from Christmases past, I keep on piling it on by allowing myself to feel guilty that I'm not a party person, don't like crowds, hate the hoopla, despise baking, etc, etc.
This year I say, I am going to enjoy the day for the day...and before that day, NOT put myself through the torture by venturing out except if I must, into Walmart, the mall or any thing of that sort. And if I do, then remind myself that the selfish commercial bigwigs have NO power over me and I will keep my dignity and not get sucked into it.
meanwhile, a good spiked eggnog goes a long way...

liked your vent. sounds like me at times. But I do think a big part of christmas is for the kids. so I celebrat christmas for my son BUT I also teach him about the reliqous end and how Christmas first begain with a man in another country (I think it might have been austria oh well) anyway the guy gave just because. he didn't give to get anything in return or because it was expected. So now the holiday is celebrated with the idea of santa claus which is the spirit of giving "just because" with no motive or expectations. So now my son thinks about giving just as much and sometimes more than recieving. Im am very proud of my boy because as far as christmas is concerned he is unselfish, ungreedy and so on that I see in alot of people (children and adults).

And because I am having a great day happy holidays to all that want it.

[jmo531]

((((((((((((((((((((Susan Jane))))))))))))))))))))

This time of year is very hard for alot of us for many different reasons. I agree with alot of the posts here.

Just take things one day at a time and be gentle on yourself.

Big Huggles,


Jen

[justaman]

That's quite a common problem for lots of people. It is not at all unusual to be depressed during this time. My doc has talked to me about depression in the holiday season, how you feel that you are meant to be happy and everything.

For me, escaping thicker depression involves seeing through all the Christmas atmosphere, and seeing it for what it is. Advertising. It's november and i'm already hearing christmas tunes. don't ppl know that it is only for one day? Advertisers like to promote christmas to sell their stuff, even though it has nothing to do with jesus OR santa. It's just advertising, see it for what it is, don't play carols, just enjoy the day if you can, as a day to get together with ppl.

That's my advice.

P.S. Santa Claus was invented by Coca -Cola in the 30s.