Newswise — The hustle and bustle of the holidays doesn't always translate into feelings of warmth and "good cheer" for everyone. A sense of loneliness or isolation -- particularly when compared with the glowing environment depicted all around us in seasonal movies, television dramas and store settings -- often brings the "holiday blues."
Quite different from true clinical depression, the holiday blues are transient and can be resolved or prevented fairly easily, says Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, director of the Mood Disorders Research Program and Clinic at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"Some people don't have the opportunity or the wherewithal to get involved with family and friends and that offers a stark contrast to the pictures painted by the media and the attention focused on the season," says Dr. Trivedi, professor of psychiatry. "On the other hand, it's surprising how soon people can shake those blues, if they just make a concentrated effort."
Dr. Trivedi offers the following suggestions for combating holiday blues:"¢ Get involved in your community or with charitable activities."¢ Exercise regularly."¢ Eat properly."¢ Don't drink too much alcohol."¢ Get enough sleep."¢ Stick with a routine.
"There's a natural way to deal with the holiday blues," he says. "Basically, it involves taking the same advice that your mother would have given."
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