With the months of January and February, come the lowest points of depression for a lot of people. Some experts simply shrug it off as the winter blues', while other professionals believe it goes much deeper than a decrease in sunlight.
Where it starts is the build up to the Christmas holidays. Feelings and emotions that might have been denied, or ignored over the past year can suddenly begin to appear. Anxiety, fear and what to expect going home for the holidays can develop in to a stress far greater than anything else throughout the year.
"Loneliness and isolation are two of the key issues around Christmas. That's where the post-Christmas pain continues," said Harry McNeil, a counsellor from Serenity Renewal for Families. "Sometimes there is a relief, because Christmas is over, so things can get back to normal. But for some, the isolation and depression become so overwhelming. If they don't choose to reach out to a doctor or group, sometimes it can reach a suicide attempt."
McNeil also says the two biggest fears are rejection and abandonment.
At Christmas, they visit their families still looking for approval, and when it doesn't happen, it leads to more stress.
The depression that follows Christmas can hit an all time low. Especially for people who isolate themselves, or turn to alcohol, drugs, food, or work. "Denial is something,that takes over very fast, and it's not a conscious effort," said McNeil. Symptoms range from moderate depression and constant headaches to suicide attempts. "One of the first steps is to ask, how' will I break the isolation and reach out. To be able to know they are not alone is very important and there are people out there to help them."
Over the last decade there has been an increase in recovery programs that deal with these types of issues. One example is Adult Children Anonymous (ACA), or Adult Children of Alcoholics, a 12 step program which was adapted from the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
ACA holds meetings nightly in most major North American and European cities, and weekly meetings in some rural areas. It's estimated there are over 2 million members throughout the world.
In order to recover from these problems, adult-children need to break the three, major rules they grew up with: `don't trust, don't feel and don't talk'. "We see a five to seven per cent increase, (new members) right after Christmas. We're there to help people help themselves." said a contact person
for ACA meetings in Ottawa who preferred to remain anonymous. "There used to be a stigma attached to people who reached out for help. But today,
that's not true anymore."
With the information that is currently available, people are becoming more responsible in dealing with their problems.
"For some people this, time of year doesn't have ' very good memories," said McNeil. “ However, there is help, provided someone is willing to reach out and ask for it.”
