“It feels like a dark cloud is hovering over me,” a friend commented. She recognized she was suffering from depression and wisely sought help.
A few days later, someone else said, “I’ve been struggling, stuck in a dark place.” She, too, found a therapist.
Another friend said with a milder form of depression commented, “This time of year is difficult. The dark clouds, cold weather, the season—it gets me.”
I wondered, is depression “on the move,” like the flu or COVID?
Nearly 10% of Americans suffer from depression, with the mood disorder increasing fastest among teens and young adults, according to a recent study. Another study concludes that nearly 18% of Americans will suffer from an anxiety disorder “in any given year.”
And the time of “any given year” when depression and anxiety disorders seem to spike is the holidays. For years doctors have documented the increased rates of depression during the holidays.
It’s not difficult to see why. Responsibilities increase. Sometimes it’s from work or year-end demands. Or it could be the situation at home: the arrival of guests, the consequent adjustment in schedules, cleaning the house, extra baking and cooking, and the increase in expenses for entertaining. Then there is the anxiety that accompanies traveling to see relatives for Christmas. And I haven’t even mentioned budgeting for Christmas gifts. Hovering above it all are the memories associated with the holidays, prompting a complex vortex of emotions.
It can be overwhelming. A sense of foreboding, even dread, prevails. It’s no wonder that between late November and mid-January, people frequently feel depressed and anxious.
What to do? How to cope?
Sometimes an effective acrostic can be a place to start, although it’s not permanent solution and certainly not a panacea for more severe depression. However, the word “ACT” reminds me that I am not a victim; I can do something about how I may feel this time of year.
A is for attitude. My thoughts do affect my behavior as well as my feelings. What I dwell on affects how I feel, and how I feel affects how I behave. People can work themselves into a state of anxiety, even mild depression, by overthinking and anticipating the worst in a situation. As I visualize the negative, I experience it as if it happened. But the opposite can also be true: I can picture the positive and the good that is possible.
C can stand for confide. Confide in someone you trust. We all have negative feelings; none of us are perfect. Confiding in the right person about how you are feeling can help you process and redirect your emotions more fruitfully. Being honest with yourself empowers you to confront the problem. Name it to tame it.
T is for thanks. If I can cultivate a thankful attitude in advance of the situation, I can move outside myself. How can I be someone for whom someone else is grateful? The less I focus on myself, the better my emotions tend to be. The more I work on cultivating an attitude of gratitude, the more optimistic I become. As Michael J. Fox said, “With gratitude, optimism becomes sustainable.” It’s true. By anticipating moments of gratitude, I infuse myself with positivity.
Getting through seasons of depression requires more than simply repeating an acrostic. People are wise to seek professional help. But perhaps my little acrostic might at least be a place.
The night air must have been chilly as the shepherds tended their flocks on that first Christmas. Once again, they had to work late. Who would care for and protect their flocks? But the shepherds went anyway, and the Scriptures indicate that at the birth of Jesus, they glorified and praised God (Luke 2:20). They had to start where they were and head in the right direction.
And so can we.