The holidays are not magic,” stuns Dr.Geraldine Frances “Geri” Mayor, a psychiatrist with the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and a diplomate in Psychiatry. I say “stuns” because she probably is speaking like the child in the fairy tale “The Emperor’s New Clothes.
“Always examine the meaning you assign to things. The meaning will determine how you feel afterwards.”Dr. Geri, speaking live to the Philippine audience from New Jersey, was then asked by one member of the online audience, consisting mostly of frontliners, “How do you know that you’re depressed? When does one seek help?”
“There’s even agitated depression where you’re irritable. You’re always angry and you avoid people. You withdraw. So if it’s going on for more than two weeks, and then the people around you already notice it, and then your work is suffering, you may need intervention,” Dr. Geri explained in Joy Ortega’s online showWhat are some signs of the holiday blues during the holidays themselves? Citing studies, Dr. Geri said, “You’re feeling sad, angry, lonely and can’t sleep.
What causes holiday blues in what is supposed to be the happiest time of the year? Again citing studies, Dr. Geri says these are some of the causes of holiday blues: Hectic schedule, multiple activities, family encounters, overeating, financial stress, fear of disappointing others and bad memories. “Don’t be afraid to say NO. Be realistic. Accept your true feelings. Exercise. Do volunteer work and engage in altruism.”
“Your bedroom should be a place only for two things. It should only be for sleep and for sex. Don’t bring your work to bed. Don’t bring your computer to bed. Don’t watch TV in bed. Your brain needs a signal that it’s time to shut down. So ideally, it’s a dark room. It should just be a comfortable bed that you want to lie on. And the body should know that when you lie down, that’s a signal for it to shut down.“You need to train the brain to shut down when you lie down.