SALT LAKE CITY — During the holidays, the American Psychological Association reports that about 9 and 10 Americans feel stressed and overwhelmed.
From substance use and depression to loneliness and grief, there can be a lot to deal with during the holiday season. According to MountainStar Healthcare, Utah ranks 14th among all the states in terms of how much the seasons have an impact on depression.
“It naturally happens too because there is less sunlight and those types of things,” Justin Hatch, the executive director of Behavioral Health at Ogden Regional Medical Center, said. “Also, because of the holidays, people feel isolated and maybe not included in family things as well. So many different reasons that people are feeling depressed as well.”
He said there are several symptoms of depression that include feelings of hopelessness, frustration, helplessness, trouble sleeping, oversleeping, and changes in appetite. “First and foremost is to recognize those symptoms within yourself,” he said. “And you’ll want to go do something about that. Talk to someone about that and get some help.”
He said that at Ogden Regional, they have a lot of different mental health services available for people in need. “In our MountainStar Hospitals across the Wasatch valley have different resources for both inpatient and outpatient,” Hatch said.
The holidays bring other stressors like financial struggles and struggles with substance use disorder as well. Hatch said it’s important to know your triggers and create new traditions to avoid being in a situation with a substance.
“With holiday parties comes alcohol and other substances; it’s really prevalent,” he said. “Know what your triggers are, or if you still want to go to the party, have a buddy with you to help you out.”
Grief and loss are also prevalent during the holidays. Grief isn’t linear, and the stages can happen at any time in any order. “You may feel like you’re doing good and then it can hit you another day, especially during the holidays,” he said.
He said this is another time where people should create new traditions and reach out for help. Talking to someone can help let those feelings out as opposed to keeping everything inside.
MountainStar Healthcare has several services for those looking for inpatient and outpatient care, which can be found here.
For those looking for grief support groups, there are some found at the University of Utah, and St. Mark’s Hospital Pastoral Care Center offers grief support as well. Intermountain Health has grief support classes as well.
