But Christmas isn't happy or jolly for lots of people. And we're not just talking the homeless here. For an awful lot of folk, Christmas is a time to be endured rather than enjoyed - something to get through rather than get into. For those who don't have anyone special in their life (and want someone) it can be a lonely time. For those who feel obliged to spend time with family they don't get on with, it can be very stressful, and for anyone who has lost a loved one, especially if they were bereaved during the Christmas period, it is a time of loss and sadness. Domestic Abuse goes up over the Christmas and New Year period, when a number of factors (including alcohol consumption) combine to see stress and anger issues rise to explosive levels. Suicide too becomes an option for some... Not a jolly picture... but the reality of many.
My experience is that the start of the stress or anxiety often coincides with the arrival of the Christmas goods in the shops, whether it be in September or October and builds slowly as the weeks go by. So December isn't usually a quiet time for me and therapists like me, who work with stress, trauma, anxiety, depression and grief. Having some therapy to help you through this challenging time might be worth considering before looking at ways to make long term permanent changes for yourself in the New Year. Christmas doesn't actually make life different or worse, it only highlights the flaws and reveals the gaps. As the saying goes... "If you do nothing, nothing changes, so what are you waiting for? Make this your last year like this and do something different...
If you'd like to change something in your life or would like to feel differently about something you can't change, call me to book an appointment.
Call me now to book an early appointment on 020 8947 3338
