12-06-05

The holiday season can be a stressful and even sad time for some people, which may be caused by unrealistic expectations or stress.

Some people experience the "holiday blues" during this time of year. This feeling of being "let down" is fairly common says Dr. David Resch, associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine. He says the blue feeling is usually caused by unfulfilled expectations.

SOUND BITE: ". . . a lot of people have expectations of how they think things should go. Hollywood has done a good job of creating the ideal family, the ideal holiday perception of what people should be experiencing and very few families have that interaction. And so people may go into the holidays thinking that all the problems they have had with their families will magically go away because this is supposed to be a time of giving or happiness . . ."

Dr. Resch says some people may become a little more irritable and tense or on edge. They may experience headaches, muscle aches, an upset stomach, or feel shaky. Sometimes there’s a sense of being overwhelmed with too much to do. He says these feelings may be temporary.

SOUND BITE: ". . . if it’s just stress related to the holidays and expectations or the time schedules, some of that may not go away particularly if people have gotten themselves into a lot of financial difficulties, either spending more than they’ve got or budgeted for. And as the bills come due, it’s that late January or early February credit card blitz that a lot of people deal with . . ."

Dr. Resch advises people to modify their holiday expectations and take time to relax and enjoy the season. If the holiday sadness does not subside within a few weeks, he recommends seeing a family doctor or mental health counselor for an evaluation and possible treatment.