Dealing with depression amid the holiday season
AT A GLANCE
It’s okay not to be okay for a short while. What isn’t okay is when you no longer get to bounce back and depression already affects your relationships, physical health, and productivity, basically rendering your whole life incapacitated.
The merriest time of the year for most people may also be the saddest one for some. It may be because of a mental illness or circumstances that could cause one to succumb to depression. The death of a loved one, a broken relationship, losing a job, losing a home, a business going bankrupt, being diagnosed with a terminal illness, spending the holidays in the hospital and so on. There are just so many situations when our spirits get dampened, not even the Christmas season can lift them.
How does one deal with depression, especially at the time of the year when we are expected to be cheerful? Isn’t it overwhelming to have to put up a face each time? It’s okay not to be okay for a short while. What isn’t okay is when you no longer get to bounce back and depression already affects your relationships, physical health, and productivity, basically rendering your whole life incapacitated. You would need to seek professional help.
Dealing with symptoms of depression requires a holistic approach. One that includes being physically nourished with food, being physically active, nurturing spiritual health, being one with nature, and doing activities that will help the brain form new neural pathways, also known as, rewiring of the brain to help one cope with depression better.
When one is depressed, the appetite may be affected. Some have zero appetite while others tend to have food cravings and episodes of bingeing. No one has craved a salad in my experience as a registered nutritionist dietitian for over two decades. Cravings would be for sugar and other calorie-laden food which we all know, wreak havoc with our health and mood.
Even when depressed and not having an appetite, you will feel better if you try to get life-giving food into your body for nourishment. This would be a time not to eat for pleasure but to eat in order to help your body produce brain chemicals to stabilize your mood. Not hungry? Just grab a fresh fruit to munch on, and drink lots of water even when you’re not thirsty. Can’t stomach a full meal? Eat a bowl of salad or a comforting vegetable soup. Eating wholesome fruits, vegetables, and grains like oats can help balance your gut microbiome. Your gut cells also produce the same chemicals and mood-stabilizing hormones as your brain. Drink some tea to soothe your nerves as well as feed the good bacteria in your gut. Once you start eating small portions of these life-giving food, your cravings for sweets and unhealthy food will also decrease. You will start to feel better. You’ll observe that the brain fog will slowly go away. Your situation may not change but the way you cope and think will be improved.
Are you confined to your bed all day long? Too down in the dumps to even go out? Why don’t you try to stand up and pace in your room while listening to classical music, Christmas carols, or a worship song? Please avoid listening to songs that will only make you cry. It doesn’t have to be a full hour of walking inside the room. 5 minutes at a time will do until you gradually get your strength back and perhaps walk outside for longer periods. When we have movement, our blood circulation improves. Your brain gets more oxygen and nutrients. Exercise also helps in the production of the mood-stabilizing hormone known as serotonin. Endorphins are produced which can alleviate pain and stress. These are your happy hormones. You aren’t expected to get into a high-intensity exercise especially if you weren’t physically active before you got inflicted with depression. All you have to do is begin to move. Gradually increase pace and intensity until you are able to exercise. Don’t think about a full exercise for now. It can get overwhelming. Just stand up and pace for starters.
Are you too tense that your body is starting to ache all over? Too anxious that you no longer know what to do because you feel hopeless? Breathe. Practice mindful breathing. The only thing that you can control in your life is your breath. You can choose to hold it or release it. The brain reacts to stress by increasing the respiratory rate to get more oxygen in. This causes the heart to pump faster and cause shortness of breath. Mindful breathing will help calm your nerves down. It will help with efficient blood flow and oxygenation sans the increased heart rate and respiratory rate. Get yourself in a comfortable sitting position with hands on your lap or lying position with a hand over your abdomen. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Feel your abdomen rise as you inhale. Then slowly exhale and feel your abdomen fall. Repeat this several times and notice that your muscles will be more relaxed.
Functional medicine is a comprehensive approach that targets the root causes of illnesses. The spiritual aspect is a major factor that contributes to one’s health and well-being. Therefore, dealing with depression must also involve faith and spirituality. To give you a sense of purpose, hope, and relationship with a greater being. We may have questions as to why things happened to us. We may feel resentful towards God. However, God is not intimidated by our thoughts and feelings. The first thing to do is pray to Him. I once found myself in a situation where I no longer knew what to pray for. I still prayed: “Jesus, I no longer know what to pray for but I am still praying.” God meets us where our faith ends. It’s not about us but about His unconditional love for us. No matter the gravity of the mistake that we have made. Pray to Jesus – the real reason why Christmas is being celebrated. It’s not the abundance, festivities, and merriment that is important this season. It is ok not to be ok for now. But there is hope for you.
Have a blessed and merry Christmas!
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