The holidays can be a particularly difficult time, for multiple reasons. You may be mourning the empty chair at the table of a loved one you've lost. Or it could be that you don't have loved ones to spend this time with. Maybe it's just the financial stress that the holidays needlessly bring. Throw in the fact that, by this point, seasonal depression has gotten a tight grip on many of us, and now you have the perfect recipe for a breakdown.
There is just something ironically harsh about being sad during the "happiest time of the year." It feels like there's increased pressure to hide your sadness. It almost feels inappropriate. The night is lit up with a million lights, the air is filled with carols and bells, families are bonding and children are laughing. Who are you bring down the holiday spirit, right? Well, you are one of an estimated 64% of people who struggle with mental health that feel their conditions worsen during the holidays. And even if it wasn't this huge number of people that were struggling, you're still you. And you matter. Your happiness is just as important as the anyone else's.
Silence is too often the chosen route of those who struggle. I know many of us feel like our sadness is a burden other people, and when the whole world is screaming CHEER at the top of their lungs, we feel the need to push our emotions down even further. Because there are already so few joys in life, it feels rude to ruin the few weeks of the year that make others happy. But this silence only ensures the peace of others, and it begs to question when will your joy come?
You deserve joy. You deserve to be heard and supported. Talk to your loved ones, your friends, your therapist, a support group. Talk to anyone who is willing to lend a caring ear. Don't choose silence for the sake of keeping others happy. Because you, too, deserve a time of year that fills you with excitement and cheer.