Four Ways People Get Depressed Over the Holidays

People have a lot going on this time of year. Party planning, family and friends in town, plus thinking about work next year and meeting those New Year’s resolutions.

For some, all of this can be too much. Michelle Magid calls it the holiday blues. She’s a psychiatrist at Seton Shoal Creek Hospital and an assistant professor at UT Southwestern in Dallas.

Magid told KUT she sees four types of people during the holidays.

1. The first is those who are stressed and overwhelmed because they’re stretching themselves too thin. “These are the people that you know have a lot of shopping to do, cooking, travel, house guests, family reunions, office parties, holiday greeting cards, it’s just too much on your plate,” Magid said.
2. People grieving a loss during the holidays. The holidays are a time to spend with family and that gets people thinking about loved ones who’ve passed away or who aren’t present at family gatherings.
3. Seasonal affective patients. “These are people that tend to get more down during the winter time and they suffer from seasonal affective disorder,” Magid said.
4. The final type of patient she sees is those who are clinically depressed.