It’s common to wish that your holidays be merry and bright. While that’s a healthy desire for the season, it ends up not being the reality for everyone. Many people get the holiday blues for various reasons. And for those already dealing with depression, the holidays can make their struggles even worse. Consequently, those facing holiday depression may seek out substances like drugs or alcohol to cope. But when this happens, it can unfortunately lead to co-occurring disorders that produce further challenges.
Unwrapping Holiday Depression
Depression and the holidays can go together like Santa Claus and his eight tiny reindeer. But why? According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the holidays can trigger difficult emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, leading to the holiday blues. Many people experience loneliness and grief this time of year, often due to unmet desires, family difficulties, or missing former loved ones. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is also a reality, as the days are shorter, colder, and bleaker as the winter begins. Other sources of holiday blues, shares WebMD, include:
- Unrealistic expectations
- Fatigue
- Over-commercialization
- Financial stress
- The inability to be with family or friends
- Overwhelming demands from others
Holiday stress can also cause challenges with negative emotions, too. According to a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) survey, 64% of people with a mental illness find their conditions worsening around the holidays. And stress can be one of those major influences, worsening symptoms of depression for those who already have it, shares SAMHSA.
When holiday depression occurs, it can feel very much like regular depression, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It’s often triggered by the holidays, seasonal parties and get-togethers, family gatherings, and social events. It can come and go, or it can linger for long periods of time. Some may even experience post holiday depression. Signs of holiday depression can include:
- Lack of interest in activities you previously enjoyed
- Regular feelings of anxiousness, nervousness, or being on edge
- Feeling hopeless and depressed more often than not
- Sleep difficulties for an extended period of time
- Intrusive thoughts that are hard to manage
- Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
Substance Abuse and the Holiday Season
When the holidays and depression collide, substance abuse can follow. Holiday depression or not, this time of the year often puts people in close proximity to substances, especially alcohol. Holiday parties can involve heavy drinking. You may visit relatives at family gatherings who like to drink regularly or use drugs. For those who are navigating the holidays in recovery, the Christmas season can produce several addiction triggers that could lead to drug or alcohol relapse. Whatever the circumstance, it’s simply easier to get exposed to substances during the holidays.
But the experience of holiday depression or having regular depression can also contribute to substance abuse. Considering the symptoms of holiday depression above, those struggling may be driven to self-medicate with substances as a way to cope. Those with worsening depression symptoms during the holidays may do the same. People who struggle with holiday trauma from recalling childhood traumatic memories may also want to seek alcohol or drugs to self-medicate.
As you use drugs or alcohol as coping mechanisms for depression, however, your brain can become dependent on the dopamine these substances provide. And because substances only provide temporary relief from your depression, you end up going back to drugs or alcohol again and again. Over time, you can develop a tolerance for this steady supply of dopamine, leading to substance abuse and eventual addiction.
Addiction, Depression and the Holidays: Co-Occurring Disorders
When your substance abuse leads to addiction, in addition to holiday depression, you soon find yourself struggling with co-occurring disorders. When you have co-occurring disorders, you have both addiction and mental health issues simultaneously, and each condition often makes the other worse. Your depression fuels your substance abuse, and your substance abuse increases your symptoms of depression. It’s a vicious cycle.
When this happens, it’s best to seek professional treatment for help. However, treating one issue at a time often backfires, as the untreated issue worsens further. And then all the progress you make with one disorder gets cancelled out by the other untreated condition.
If you want to find peace and healing this holiday season from your co-occurring disorders, you need to seek dual diagnosis treatment. Dual diagnosis treatment centers will have the specialized capabilities to address both your depression and substance abuse at the same time. This gives you the best chance at long-term healing and redeeming future holiday seasons.
Dual Diagnosis Treatment in Vermont
Are you struggling with holiday depression and substance abuse? While you may feel anything but merry and bright right now, there is hope. With the right dual diagnosis treatment, you can find healing and sobriety. At Sana at Stowe in Stowe, Vermont, our comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment program can get you on the road to healing quickly. Using a variety of holistic and evidence-based therapies, we can help you restore your life. To learn more, contact our team today.
