Author Topic: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression  (Read 2330 times)

sunblue

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PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« on: January 03, 2010, 06:22:44 PM »
I don' t know about anyone else...but my depression really kicks in overdrive after the holidays...especially after holidays which are particular reminders of the lack in our lives and families.  Personally, my clinical depressionis worse at this time of year not just because of the holiday experiences but also because of the physical lack of sunlight.

Aside from solutions or remedies to the longer term problems we share (N famiilies and their effects), does anyone have any suggestsion for getting through these first few weeks of January....to help with the sadness and depression of this time?

Just curious if anyone else shares this and how they get through it. 

I'm heading back to work tomorrow and to my severely N boss, and I feel physically sick at the thought.  I'm trying to think of things that will help me get through the week and through January which are always hard times.

Thanks!

Ami

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #1 on: January 03, 2010, 06:41:52 PM »
I had a very hard time this holiday season, too (((Sun))).                         xxoo  Ami
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.        Eleanor Roosevelt

Most of our problems come from losing contact with our instincts,with the age old wisdom stored within us.
   Carl Jung

sunblue

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #2 on: January 03, 2010, 06:51:03 PM »
I'm sorry Ami......I know how heartbreaking these times can be.  I hope the new year brings you things you can be hopeful about.

Logy

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #3 on: January 03, 2010, 06:52:13 PM »
Oh, Sunblue!  I just logged on to create a post and...................you said exactly what I was going to say!!!  Right down to the N boss you will face tomorrow!

My NM is always worse around the holidays - rude, demanding, and of course, being the holidays, I spend more time with her, which affects my self-esteem.  So all weekend I have been feeling like that girl who was never listened to, whose thoughts and opinions were ridiculed.  Today I can feel the tightness in my chest and tension in my jar at the thought of facing my boss tomorrow.

SO what i plan to do as soon as I log off is to meditate.  I tried meditating last summer at the advice of my therapist and it did seem to help.  As it got closer to the holidays I stopped because everything was so crazy and busy.  My New Year's Resolution is to get back to it, work on my affirmations, and love myself better.  These things really helped me last summer when things with NM were bad.  I also am going to mention to my adult daughter, who is living with me right now after graduating from college, that I am feeling a little blue and ask if she could keep that in mind and give me a little more TLC right now.

Hope you can find something to help you!
Logy

Ami

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #4 on: January 03, 2010, 09:31:00 PM »
Thanks (((Sun)))
This holiday was the worse I can remember.       xxxooo  Ami
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.        Eleanor Roosevelt

Most of our problems come from losing contact with our instincts,with the age old wisdom stored within us.
   Carl Jung

nolongeraslave

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2010, 09:50:22 PM »
It sucks for me too...I've been sleeping a lot to make time go faster.  I've hade nightmares, episodes of crying in the shower, etc. Just can't wait until it's over.

Hopalong

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #6 on: January 04, 2010, 12:25:46 PM »
I use this and it's helped a lot with winter blues (it was about $80).
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-GoLite-Spectrum-Therapy-Device/dp/B000C1946S

Amazon's out of them but I'm sure there are other places...or check the main Philips web site.

hugs
Hops
"That'll do, pig, that'll do."

JudyK

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #7 on: January 04, 2010, 04:34:44 PM »
 Sure do have it......first Christmas without the GC sister. Had my parents stay 2 nights (Christmas Eve and Day). NM got a "Jitterbug" phone (simple phone, large numbers, for seniors) from us, my sister and 2 BIL.  She never said anything negative about ANYTHING while she was with us. Then, an hour after she got home, she started calling my sister. Said the monthly phone bills were too expensive for her and the phone was too complicated (she ALWAYS criticizes her gifts). Then proceeds to start triangulating.  Says something is wrong with ME (meaning how I act with her) and says she is UNCOMFORTABLE staying in my house. I called her last Monday and told her to stop using my sister to complain about me (my sister has too many personal problems going on).  I told her to take any issues she has with me to ME. She says she can't talk about such things on the phone (guess bitching about me to my sister doesn't count.) She accused me of being angry (well that IS a valid human emotion..)  She then reduced herself to sobbing and hung up.  Yeah Merry Christmas and whatever! :(

HeartofPilgrimage

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #8 on: January 04, 2010, 07:40:36 PM »
JudyK,

I don't have siblings but my mom and dad were the worst triangulators.

And my mom is really negative, stupidly so sometimes.

So I can relate.

Can you put a guilt trip on your mom? Tell her how hard sis has it, and how important it is that she tell you to your face if she is unhappy with something you did? Can you convince your sis to put pressure on your mom to call you and tell you these things when she starts in on you to sis? Your mom's not gonna do it but maybe you can guilt her into stopping the triangulating b.s.

If you must tell her something, I vote for telling her the reason you were angry was because your sister was so upset and has so many bad things going on and you felt really sorry for her. DON'T let NMom get the feeling that she got under your skin because she hurt your feelings.

Why is it always the holidays that they act up??? Holidays, birthdays, fourth of July. No day is sacred, is it.

JudyK

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #9 on: January 05, 2010, 12:03:20 PM »
Dear Heart,
  Yes, I have tried everything you suggest (boy, do we think alike, or what? LOL) NM knows about my sister's problems (her son is a drug addict and is on his 3rd relapse). When I spoke to NM last week, I told her that I was worried about my sister and don't want her to suffer anymore unnecessary stress.  NM says how she KNOWS my sister is suffering and says she thinks about both of us every minute of every day. Funny, dear mother certainly doesn't SHOW her concern. When she is upset, stressed, and feeling sorry for herself, everyone around her must be taken down, with her. And, yes, she is negative, nearly ALL the time, and nearly ALWAYS stupidly so.
   My sister has repeatedly told her to call me, not her, if she has issues with me. To no avail. I just saw my T last night, and he said it was good that I set bounderies regarding her triangulation , but now I must maintain those bounderies. When NM backslides (and I have no doubt she will), I must reinforce what I told her. I am determined to do that.
   Last summer, when she feigned contrition, and asked me to tell her what was wrong so she could fix it, I broached a few subjects. My sister was there. NM became soooo angry and hysterical, banging her fists on the counter, crying. Yet she says I was the one who was hysterical. Her accusations of me being angry last week, translate into me being very controlled and emotionless on the phone. I am no longer capable of reacting to her tears and rants.  She is obsessive about how we sound on the phone, demanding what seems like a "pollyanna" attitude, yet she feels she can let her own emotions run amok. She is unreasonable in most every way. T says on the N spectrum, she rates a 7 or 8 out of 10. Gotta say I was surprised by that, thought she was more in the middle,but it explains a lot. Thanks, so much for your input, it it always appreciated,  Judy

bearwithme

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #10 on: January 05, 2010, 03:45:56 PM »
Dear Heart,
  Yes, I have tried everything you suggest (boy, do we think alike, or what? LOL) NM knows about my sister's problems (her son is a drug addict and is on his 3rd relapse). When I spoke to NM last week, I told her that I was worried about my sister and don't want her to suffer anymore unnecessary stress.  NM says how she KNOWS my sister is suffering and says she thinks about both of us every minute of every day. Funny, dear mother certainly doesn't SHOW her concern. When she is upset, stressed, and feeling sorry for herself, everyone around her must be taken down, with her. And, yes, she is negative, nearly ALL the time, and nearly ALWAYS stupidly so.
   My sister has repeatedly told her to call me, not her, if she has issues with me. To no avail. I just saw my T last night, and he said it was good that I set bounderies regarding her triangulation , but now I must maintain those bounderies. When NM backslides (and I have no doubt she will), I must reinforce what I told her. I am determined to do that.
   Last summer, when she feigned contrition, and asked me to tell her what was wrong so she could fix it, I broached a few subjects. My sister was there. NM became soooo angry and hysterical, banging her fists on the counter, crying. Yet she says I was the one who was hysterical. Her accusations of me being angry last week, translate into me being very controlled and emotionless on the phone. I am no longer capable of reacting to her tears and rants.  She is obsessive about how we sound on the phone, demanding what seems like a "pollyanna" attitude, yet she feels she can let her own emotions run amok. She is unreasonable in most every way. T says on the N spectrum, she rates a 7 or 8 out of 10. Gotta say I was surprised by that, thought she was more in the middle,but it explains a lot. Thanks, so much for your input, it it always appreciated,  Judy


JK:  Your NM and mine are the same.  I ran an experiment last time she visited and was robotic in my ways and pretty emotionless when I communicated to her, especially regarding my 2 year old daughter, yet, I caught her telling my husband I was "jumping around angry and all hysterical" when I told NM to be careful when leaving sharp objects (knives) on the counter where my baby can reach them.

My experiment worked only for my peace of mind.....she's the crazy one.

Your NM pounding her fist on the table, etc., is the same exact reaction my NM had when I confronted her N behavior in my house.  She went ballistic.  Life is so crazy when that happens.  I always feel so isolated and strange watching her do that.  Like an out of body experience or something and my mind is full of her at that moment.  It's really hard to explain but when she ranted and cried hysterically I felt like that if she died at that very moment, I would spit on her and walk away....seriously, I feel bad saying that but it's true.  My T said that is my anger and to not be afraid of those thoughts even as distburbing as they may seem, they are not material but totally human.

Bear

JustKathy

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2010, 04:00:53 PM »
Quote
NM says how she KNOWS my sister is suffering and says she thinks about both of us every minute of every day. Funny, dear mother certainly doesn't SHOW her concern.

Ns have NO ability to feel guilt or empathy in a case like this. My sister is currently battling breast cancer, and has had numerous surgeries and secondary problems, yet my mother is using her as a tool to get to me. I don't think she's stopped to consider S's illness for even a minute. M's world revolves around one thing ONLY, and that's HER.

JustKathy

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #12 on: January 05, 2010, 04:05:15 PM »
Quote
Your NM pounding her fist on the table, etc., is the same exact reaction my NM had when I confronted her N behavior in my house.  She went ballistic.

Such drama queens. When I finally confronted my mother on her N behavior, it was over the phone. It caught her off guard and she didn't know how to react to me finally standing up to her. She burst into tears and started calling for my father, and was crying "Kathy's being mean to me - help me - I don't know what to do." I finally hung up on her.

My NM also routinely stomps her feet and pounds her fists on the table when she gets mad. LIke a child throwing a tantrum. Drama drama drama.

JudyK

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #13 on: January 05, 2010, 04:12:09 PM »
 Kathy,
   I wish your sister the best. I, too, am a B/C survivor, and it was after my diagnosis and during my treatment, that I truly, truly discovered what a cruel person my NM can be. They are so full of drama, and it would be laughable, if not so tragic. Hugs, Judy

JudyK

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Re: PHD--Post-Holiday Depression
« Reply #14 on: January 05, 2010, 04:17:06 PM »
 Bear,
  I know exactly what you are talking about! It was surreal, seeing her like that. Yet, I could not even conjur up an ounce of sympathy for her. She is such a FAKE! When I talked to my T last night, and told him I still have anger for the most recent things she has said about me, and that I know I need to get thru that, he told me to give myself permission to feel angry. THAT was a HUGE relief for me. Hugs