 The holidays can be a difficult time of year for many people, but not all seasonal sadness is the same. While the “holiday blues” are typically brief and situational, issues such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are serious mental health conditions requiring professional care from a depression psychiatrist.
Whether it’s a temporary situation or something more serious, the symptoms are extremely unpleasant. Let’s take a look at each of these issues to gain a deeper understanding of how symptoms can be managed. Before we dive in, though, if your symptoms include thoughts of death or suicide, please get help immediately. The national crisis hotline can be accessed by calling or texting 988, and help is available 24/7. The Holiday Blues While a myriad of songs tell us that the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year, this is often simply not the case. The holidays bring with them a huge amount of stress and often high expectations of an idealized version of the season. Additionally, for those with few family members or friends or those who have recently lost a loved one, this season can be extremely traumatic. Of course, family tension also can play a role in triggering the holiday blues, as it can be highly stressful and upsetting to navigate family get-togethers. Of course, this “gift-giving” season also brings with it a financial burden that can cause huge amounts of stress, particularly if you are struggling financially. The season also brings with it disruptions in our daily routines, and while parties and special events can be enjoyable and meaningful, disrupted routines can alter our moods. With all of that, it’s little wonder why some people experience unpleasant emotional symptoms at this time of year. Some common symptoms of the holiday blues include:
The good news is that these feelings typically pass once the holidays are over and we return to our regular routine. There are also some steps we can take to minimize these unpleasant feelings during the holidays. 1. Keep Your Expectations Realistic We are barraged by idealized versions of the holiday season on television and on social media, but these are not images that reflect reality. It is perfectly normal to feel stressed out or emotional during this time of year, and it’s also ok to scale back your celebrations to something manageable and comfortable. 2. Set Boundaries Along these same lines, overcommitting can lead to burnout, and it is 100% acceptable to decline invitations to events that feel overwhelming. It’s also perfectly fine to limit time with stressful individuals. 3. Maintain Basic Routines With the holidays, we tend to have our schedules disrupted, but, as much as possible, stick to a consistent routine. Keep consistent sleep and wake times, and keep mealtimes as regular as possible. A bit of daily exercise can help as well, particularly going outside, especially if you live in an area with limited daylight during the winter months. Exposure to fresh air and sunlight can lift our mood. 4. Stay Connected For many, many people, the holidays are a time of loneliness. It is important for people to stay connected with others, but this is not always easy. If family members are far away and cannot be seen in person during the holidays, set up time for a phone call or a FaceTime call. You can even schedule an online event with friends and family, if access in-person is difficult. If you don’t have a strong network of friends or family, consider going to a house of worship to be around others or taking part in community activities. Volunteering is an excellent way to stay connected, and you will be brightening others' lives as well. Consider volunteering at a shelter, food bank, or perhaps a facility for the elderly. 4. Acknowledge Loss & Grief For many of us, the holidays can exacerbate feelings of grief or loss. Whether the grief is due to a recent loss, strained family relationships, or just past losses, it’s ok to acknowledge that you feel grief. Suppressing these feelings can cause great emotional strain, so give yourself some space to grieve. As a depression doctor, I find that joining a support group can help provide you with a safe space to talk about these feelings of loss. 5. Plan Something for the Future Whether you struggle to get through the holidays or tend to feel a huge letdown once the season ends, having something to look forward to can help improve your mood and maintain emotional balance. This doesn’t have to be a huge event, just something manageable that you will enjoy. It could be as simple as a salon appointment for a new haircut, a lunch date with a friend (it’s often easier to schedule after the holidays), a scenic drive, a nature walk, trying out a new class, or even setting a few manageable goals for the new year. Major Depressive Disorder While the holiday blues typically pass fairly quickly after the holidays, Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) does not, and it tends to interfere much more intensely with our ability to manage our day-to-day life. Common symptoms of MDD include:
In general, with MDD, these symptoms persist for at least two weeks and often much longer, and these symptoms significantly impact daily functioning, including work and relationships with friends, family, and co-workers. This is one of the main differences between holiday blues and MDD. With MMD, the symptoms greatly interfere with daily life. With holiday blues, we may experience unpleasant mood changes, but typically, we can still function and handle daily tasks. MDD must be diagnosed by a professional, such as a depression psychiatrist. I recommend that you find a psychiatrist or ask your primary care physician to refer you to a local psychiatrist. While a therapist and a psychologist can provide you with valuable therapy and tools to help manage symptoms, a psychiatrist is the only mental health professional who can prescribe medication for MDD, which may be needed. Additionally, as we are also medical doctors, we can provide a more comprehensive diagnosis. In some cases, physical issues or other medications could be causing your symptoms, including drug or alcohol use. In other cases, you might suffer from multiple mental health conditions, and all of this must be treated properly. Medication management can be an excellent tool, and we have many medications available that can reduce symptoms. There are also other options to consider, especially with treatment resistant depression, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and more. Of course, as a psychiatrist for depression, I also strongly encourage all of my patients to find a good therapist or psychologist for talk therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other types of therapy can help you manage symptoms, and your psychiatrist can provide you with medication options or additional types of treatment, if needed. Seasonal Affective Disorder It’s not the holiday blues, and it typically doesn’t last beyond the winter months as MDD might, but Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can be difficult to navigate all the same. Typically, SAD occurs during the fall and winter, and this disorder is classified as a type of depression with a seasonal pattern. While many people feel a bit down during the winter months, often due to less sunlight and less accessibility to outdoor activities, people with SAD tend to suffer from symptoms that interfere with daily functioning, just as you would with any type of MDD. The symptoms can include:
Generally, with SAD, light therapy is one of the first treatments we try, and a depression psychiatrist can recommend some light box options as well as guidelines for use. Generally, people use these for about 30 minutes every morning and often see improvement within just a week or two. Psychotherapy can be a great option, as well, and there is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy developed just for people with SAD (CBT-SAD). This can help an individual not only deal with symptoms but also help reduce the likelihood of depression returning in the future. Medication may be prescribed by a depression psychiatrist, but often this is just for moderate to severe cases, especially when other treatments have not been effective. Sometimes, a patient will start medications a few weeks before the symptoms typically arrive to prevent SAD. Struggling With Depression? I Can Help If you need a psychiatrist for depression, I work as a psychiatrist in Thousand Oaks, as well as a psychiatrist in Westlake Village. In addition to treating depression, I also work as a psychiatrist for anxiety, a psychiatrist for bipolar disorder, and many other mental health conditions, including addiction, eating disorders, adult ADHD, and more. Whether you are searching for a depression psychiatrist or a doctor to help with other mental health conditions, I encourage you to give me a call, and we will get you on a path to a happier life.
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 Bipolar disorder is a complex mental illness that requires expert care and support. As an experienced bipolar psychiatrist, I know that finding a psychiatrist and therapist are crucial components of treatment, but there are a few other helpful resources that I can recommend for people with this disorder as well as their loved ones.
When it comes to resources, it’s important to be cautious about where you seek help. It can be tempting to head to social media sites and forums or even scroll through random medical sites, but these often contain erroneous information that can cause more harm than good. Instead, you need to rely on legitimate, vetted mental-health resources, and here’s why. 1. Accurate Evidence-Based Information Treating bipolar disorder or any type of mood disorder is complicated. Legitimate mental-health organizations and medical institutions use peer-reviewed research, clinical guidelines, and expert oversight. Social media posts, influencers, or unverified blogs often rely on personal opinion, anecdote, or misinformation, which can lead to harmful decisions about medications or symptoms. 2. Safety in Treatment Guidance Trusted sources explain safe treatment options, medication side effects, and when to seek emergency help. This can put someone at risk of relapse, hospitalization, or severe mood episodes.
3. Protection from Stigma and Harmful Myths Legitimate organizations work to reduce stigma, support families, and provide compassionate help.
4. Balanced Perspectives (Not Extreme or Oversimplified Advice) Good resources aim for balanced, nuanced mental-health education. In contrast, social media and random internet sites often amplify:
Information from dubious sources can distort someone’s understanding of bipolar disorder. 5. Better Outcomes and More Informed Decisions Misinformation can delay treatment and worsen outcomes. However, accurate education leads to:
The internet is full of information about bipolar disorder, but what resources can you trust? As a bipolar disorder psychiatrist, I recommend the following resources as they provide the most helpful, fact-based information about bipolar disorder as well as many other mental illnesses. National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) NAMI is the largest mental health organization in the United States, with more than 650 affiliated organizations nationwide. On the NAMI website, you can find educational resources and support groups both for people with a mental illness as well as family members and loved ones. As a psychiatrist in Thousand Oaks, I often recommend NAMI to patients. For residents in the Thousand Oaks area, NAMI of Ventura County can provide resources and support. Just head to https://namiventura.org/. I also serve as a psychiatrist in Westlake Village, and https://namiglac.org/ is the website for NAMI of Greater Los Angeles. On either website, you can find details about upcoming support group meetings (both in-person and virtual), as well as classes and webinars, and all of these resources are free. The websites also include a Resources section with information and psychiatric care, crisis support, education and much more. NAMI also runs the National Hotline for Mental Health Crises and Suicide Prevention. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, you can access this hotline by the following methods:
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) While NAMI provides support for all mental illnesses, DBSA concentrates solely on depression and bipolar disorder. For more than 40 years, this organization has been providing support for people with these mental health conditions as well as their loved ones. On the DBSA website, at https://www.dbsalliance.org/, you can find educational resources for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and co-occurring conditions. The website also includes links to informational podcasts and webinars on a wide variety of subjects. Additionally, the website includes a Support section, where you can find support systems for adults, young adults, teens, and for friends and family members wanting to support a loved one with bipolar disorder or depression. I particularly like the website’s Wellness section. There is so much misinformation out there about depression and bipolar disorder, but DBSA’s Wellness section provides research-based information about treatment options, therapy options, as well as the Wellness Wheel. The Wellness Wheel is an interactive tool that encompasses different types of wellness, including spiritual, social, occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial and physical wellness. With the wheel, you can create goals to improve all of these areas, and to be honest, this is a great tool for anyone, regardless of whether or not they are dealing with a mental illness. As a side note, if you need a psychiatrist for depression, I don’t just serve as a bipolar psychiatrist, but I also have extensive experience helping patients with depression, including treatment resistant depression. There are many new medications and therapy options these days, and I strongly urge you to get in touch with me so that we can find a treatment plan that helps you manage symptoms and improve your quality of life. Why You Need A Psychiatrist For Bipolar Disorder Bipolar disorder treatment usually involves the use of medication to help manage symptoms, which is why you need a psychiatrist. Psychologists and therapists cannot prescribe medication. As medical doctors, psychiatrists are uniquely qualified to assess mental health symptoms while also identifying potential physical contributors, allowing for a comprehensive treatment approach. Often, patients suffer from co-occurring mental health disorders, which can make medication management more challenging. Working with a psychiatrist can ensure that we select the best possible medication. We are highly trained in pharmacology and have extensive education with psychoactive medications, and understand interactions between these types of medications, as well as any other medications you might be taking, such as blood pressure medicines, diabetes medications, etc. This is a huge reason to work with a bipolar psychiatrist rather than a general practitioner. In general, I recommend seeing a bipolar disorder psychiatrist in person as opposed to virtually, especially during the early phases of diagnosis and treatment. Telepsychiatry has made it easier than ever for people to access mental health care, but, whenever possible, it’s usually best to meet face-to-face. Of course, if you are out of town or unwell, we can certainly talk via phone or online to ensure that you have consistent care. Why You Need A Therapist/Psychologist For Bipolar Disorder While a therapist or psychologist cannot prescribe medication, these professionals can be a hugely valuable resource for individuals with bipolar disorder, as well as any other mental health condition. Therapists and psychologists can provide many different types of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), family therapy, trauma therapy (if needed) and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT). While CBT and DBT can be very beneficial, IPSRT was developed specifically to treat people with bipolar disorder. This is an evidence-based therapy that helps to stabilize mood through the creation of consistent daily routines as well as improving interpersonal skills, such as communication skills, learning how to adjust to major life changes, or dealing with conflict. Get Help & Support Today! Living with bipolar disorder can be difficult, but the good news is that there are some wonderful resources available. Working with a bipolar psychiatrist as well as a therapist, as well as taking advantage of resources from NAMI and DBSA, can transform your life. Don’t wait another day to seek help; bipolar disorder is treatable, and I am always here to get you started on the road to a happier, healthier life. |
AuthorDr Jesalva is a psychiatrist. He is in private practice in Thousand Oaks, CA since 1989. He successfully treats very challenging patients with varying co-occurring disorders with medications. Archives
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