Holiday effects on mental health

As New Year's draw closer, many of us are bracing for changes to our routines that could shake anyone's mental health. Travel and jetlag, a break from the rigid schedule of work or school, meals at unusual times, and the distractions of family can all contribute to forgetting to take medication. Many therapists and other mental health providers are out of reach while they enjoy their own celebrations (and hard-earned rest). Holiday stress may worsen mental health conditions, and while holiday joy is a wonderful thing, January can be a real let-down.

If you have an anxiety disorder, this sometimes helpful emotion can keep you from coping and can disrupt your daily life. Anxiety disorders are more than just a case of "nerves." They are illnesses, often related to the biological makeup and life experiences of the individual, and they frequently run in families. There are a number of anxiety disorders, each with its own distinct features. Read this article for more information on anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD),panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

There is one thing that can be said about this mental illness and it's that, since so many celebraties have publicized their Bipolar diagnosis, it has lost some of it's stigma.

It's important to keep in mind that, just because some famous people have opened up about their illness, that there are many more individual in homeless shelters, on the streets and who are poverty stricken because of this illness. If some people who have this affective disorder are creative geniuses it may be due more to their I.Q. than any other factor.

Manic and depressive behaviors come with lasting and very stressful consequences for both patients and their families. Families suffer directly through the exhaustion of bipolar suicidal crises, the emotional and medical risks associated with sexual infidelities, and the financial damage that comes with unrestrained spending and abandonment of any long-term financial plan. The family's focus may be shifted entirely onto patients in a dysfunctional manner that deprives other members of attention that they need in order to feel valued and important. Children of bipolar patients learn that their affected parent is unstable and adapt by being careful in their behavior and language. Young children are prone to believing that their parents' mood swings are their fault, creating new sources of stress within the family. In cases of bipolar children, siblings may feel jealous of their ill sibling creating an unpleasant and exhausting home life in which parents are always refereeing interactions. Spouses have to handle responsibilities for their bipolar spouse during times when they are most ill. Jobs may be lost and the family deprived of an important source of income. Insurances may be difficult to obtain.