The bright lights, the happy childrens laughter. Gathering with family and friends and lots of food. The colourful wrapping paper and trying to guess what each box is under the tree. These things are what Christmas means to many people. But we need to remember that it is not what is under the tree that counts but who is around the tree with you.
Feelings of loneliness and depression are also common. Depression is common often due to the focus on gifts and the emphasis on hosting the perfect holiday gathering. . Others get depressed because Christmas appears to be a trigger to engage in excessive self-reflection and rumination depression can also arise due to the inadequacies of life in comparison to other people who seem to have more and do more.
If life events have changed situations in your life since last Christmas it could be your first Christmas in a different situation that you didn’t necessarily choose.
To a lot of people Christmas means stress, anxiety due to the possibly financial ruin by showing people how much you love them in the form of gifts. Also, family tension during the holidays can cause stress.
As loneliness is common during the holidays I refer to my last blog post touched on something of great significance I believe is the power of support groups on ones health. Research substantiated this, that support groups have shown to provide more positive health outcomes in individuals dealing with disease of any kind. In hearing this, I began to think more about about interconnectedness and wanting to reach out more to ensure that, as we fight.
While dealing with this current MS relapse I’m definitely feeling a sense of loneliness as I’m not feeling well enough to get out and to do what I want. I also find I’m not making the effort to reach out to people maybe as much as I should. I also think maybe it is the chaos of this time of year but not many are reaching out to me either. So friends take take a few minutes in your day and reach out to someone you haven’t talked to in a while and see how they are doing. Such a small gesture can have a profound impact on a persons life. Remember everyone is struggling with something we know nothing about.
Still smiling,
C
Edited by Aaron Andreino
RightLeg Down 