The holiday season can be both full of joyous celebrations with family and friends and also fraught with potential mental health aggravation.
With growing stress possibly coming from things like the finances and social interactions, Northern Health manager of mental health addictions, Joseph Savage, said it's important for people to be aware of the need to take care of themselves when things start to get overwhelming.
"The holiday season just adds some stress, some anxiety, some pressure," he said. "It can be enough to tip some people over into a period of depression or anxiety."
Everything from trying to plan for out-of-town guests, to a change in eating and drinking habits can be difficult for some people to handle. In some cases Savage said it can lead to depression, anxiety or conflict between people.
One way to control possible stress overloads is to manage expectations.
"Are we expecting that we have to get the perfect gift or make the perfect meal or be the perfect host? Are we expecting are family to get along perfectly?" Savage said. "We have to stop and think, 'OK are my expectations for myself and my expectations for the season realistic?' "
For those going through a tough time, Savage pointed to many community resources. People can talk to friends, counsellors or doctors, they can go to a drop-in centre or call a crisis line. The emergency room is an option for people who reach the point where they begin to fear for their own safety.
"There's quite a few supports in the community, it's a matter of people connecting with the supports they feel the most comfortable connecting with," Savage said.
For those with family or friends who reach out for help, Savage said it's important to really listen rather than simply prescribing possible solutions.
"The biggest gift they can give someone is a very good ear, just that unconditional kind of ear that listens to somebody, supports them, expresses an empathy and understanding that things are very difficult for that person," he said. "Then being quite open to what the person might ask for."
The Canadian Mental Health Association also offers a 10-point plan on how to reduce holiday stress, touching on many of the same issues as Savage. The charity also provides tips on dealing with holiday grief as the absence of a loved one can be even more pronounced this time of year.
Among the suggestions are talking about the deceased person, acknowledging that things will no longer be the same and designating a time to celebrate the memories of the person who died.
More information is available on the organization's website at cmha.bc.ca.
For some people, holiday stress can be exacerbated by seasonal affective disorder - a type of depression which manifests itself as the amount of daylight decreases.
"It can be around the holiday season that it starts to kick in for people," Savage said. "We're approaching Dec. 21 and the time of the year where there is the least amount of light."
In addition to dealing with the symptoms of their illness, people with mental health issues also often have to deal with societal stigmas around their condition. Sometimes those stigmas can be self-imposed - people can become embarrassed about their struggles and don't want others to know.
Savage said as more light is being shone on things like depression and anxiety, he hopes those suffering from mental illness will feel more comfortable coming forward.
"One thing that I hope comes out of people's increasing awareness of mental health is a decrease in that stigma so that people can talk more openly about their mental health struggles, be less worried about disclosing that," he said. "Mental health struggles are very common, very normal and very natural."
