Holiday Depression

flhrci

flhrci

Final Approach
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Jan 26, 2007
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Groveport, OH
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Display name:
David
For those like myself that get holiday depression this time of year, keep your head up and keep going! Call some one if you need help.

This time of year sucks. I can't help the way I feel. But it isn't worth doing something bad thinking it will help you. We will come out the other side in time.

David
 
holiday depression is real and not helped with some of the attitude expressed so far...
 
If things aren’t going well, don’t hesitate to talk to someone. I feel like this year will be harder on a lot of people. Just know your friends on POA are here for ya! Hang in there!
 
Bob Noel said:
holiday depression is real and not helped with some of the attitude expressed so far...
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I don't know if that was aimed at me, but yes, it is, and yes, I get very depressed over the holidays. I don't know why, I just do. I think a lot of it has to do with anxieties over gifting, and shopping, crowds, plus the cold weather. I would fast forward to March if I could.
 
Going to be even harder this year with the pandemic affecting people's plans, reducing family time.

For many years I haven't been able to travel to see family at the holidays due to work. I finally have a position that allows me the ability to travel year round, and now we have a pandemic the discourages travel. Our family thanksgiving was cancelled, due to family members having pre-existing conditons.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Going to be even harder this year with the pandemic affecting people's plans, reducing family time.

For many years I haven't been able to travel to see family at the holidays due to work. I finally have a position that allows me the ability to travel year round, and now we have a pandemic the discourages travel. Our family thanksgiving was cancelled, due to family members having pre-existing conditons.
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Aside from my wife and daughter, I have no family to be sad about not visiting. I am grateful to have what I got.
 
May be POA should have a holiday hotline ....
 
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Awesome! Another thread I can put on ignore. I'm getting great at this.
 
Sac Arrow said:
I don't bother calling people anymore about that. The suicide hotline keeps hanging up on me.
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Hope you are just joking Sac, not really something to joke around about though. Suicide is serious stuff, devastating to families. I know a couple of people who have ended their lives, very nice people, very sad, I wish they had sought out help rather than doing what they did.
 
So serious question. How much is holiday depression related to being single vs dating/married.

How about the cold dark months (seasonal adjustment)?
 
SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is a real thing. Make sure you are getting plenty of Vitamin D and get thee outside during daylight hours.

-Skip
 
I thought pilots weren’t allowed to have depression?? If alone, have Rover close, dogs are always in a good mood.
 
I thought pilots weren’t allowed to have depression?? If alone, have Rover close, dogs are always in a good mood.
 
flhrci said:
If we did it would be a BBQ/Grilling hotline, right @Matthew ? LOL
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Holidays have all sorts of effects on people, some good and some not so good. If you are having a not so good time of it, please call someone. This year has been especially tough in a lot of other ways, too.

Maybe I could have an 800 number like Butterball, but for Q. It's been a tough year on the contest circuit, with the 'ronas there were a lot of cancellations. I didn't do any competitions this year and didn't get nearly enough smoking time in my own back yard either. My cholesterol is getting dangerously low.
 
PaulS said:
Hope you are just joking Sac, not really something to joke around about though. Suicide is serious stuff, devastating to families. I know a couple of people who have ended their lives, very nice people, very sad, I wish they had sought out help rather than doing what they did.
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Yes, it is devastating...but so is taking everything way too seriously to a point that can exacerbate Holiday Depression...

It brought a much needed chuckle to my day.
 
This year has been depressing with the pandemic, extra precautions, etc. (I have never showered and washed my hands so often in a single day, and my clothes have never been laundered and so clean since new!)

The holiday cheer isn’t within me this year. You’d think the extra time would allow for flying, but SoCal weather has been uncooperative the last few weekends...plus where would I go? If I fly over the border, so I have to now self quarantine for 14 days?

I am able to work on my plane, and that keeps me distracted for a while, and that helps keep me out of my funk...
 
Sinistar said:
So serious question. How much is holiday depression related to being single vs dating/married.

How about the cold dark months (seasonal adjustment)?
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As Skip mentioned, SAD is a real thing, certainly impacts a lot of people.

Unfortunately using the word "depression" is one that the FAA makes pilots be careful about, when in reality feeling sad is a normal part of life and lots of things can set it off for all of us.

Yeah, being single with minimal family makes the holidays harder. It's a time when we're bombarded with the concept of Hallmark families getting together and having their happy time together. I don't think that represents a significant group of us but it’s further away from some of us than others.

Nowadays holidays are pretty good. We’ve lucked out that my wife has managed to be home for pretty much ever major holiday the past few years, which is a miracle given her job. I’m thankful for it with small kids. But when they get older, we’ll probably just go back to treating the holidays like any other day.
 
Holidays are only depressing if you dwell on what you don't have, instead of giving thanks for what you do have, and rejoicing in the blessings from whatever power greater than yourself you are willing to accept. This year is tough... we had a big Thanksiving planned, and for the first time in years all of our kids, their wives, and some of our parents were all able to make the trip to our house.... and we cancelled it out of Covid Caution. You know what? Yes, my wife and I are really bummed, as is our who family. And yet... we have many, MANY things to be thankful for, and blessings to count. Christmas and Thanksiving only become problems if you focus on the things they are NOT.
 
This will be my first year without my mom for the holidays. I suspect Christmas eve eve will be the worst. December 23 was her birthday. But I'm thankful that my family is healthy, my plane isn't broken and I have my friends here in Tucson (one of which makes a really, really good fruitcake) and on this forum.
 
PaulS said:
Hope you are just joking Sac, not really something to joke around about though. Suicide is serious stuff, devastating to families. I know a couple of people who have ended their lives, very nice people, very sad, I wish they had sought out help rather than doing what they did.
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I get what you are saying, and yes I'm joking, but only halfway and for other reasons. I think you have to make light of the situation without downplaying it to keep sanity. Suicide is a terrible thing, but the mental conditions leading to it are a terrible thing, and anything you can do to defuse the situation is a plus.
 
Some of my relatives have decided on a Zoom tomorrow afternoon. I've never Zoomed with my relatives. Not only that, under normal circumstances, we would have mostly gone our separate ways on Thanksgiving. Wondering if we'll be able to find something to talk about for 40 minutes...
 
Sac Arrow said:
I get what you are saying, and yes I'm joking, but only halfway and for other reasons. I think you have to make light of the situation without downplaying it to keep sanity. Suicide is a terrible thing, but the mental conditions leading to it are a terrible thing, and anything you can do to defuse the situation is a plus.
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As one who also tends to have a morbid sense of humor, I agree. I found the joke funny.
 
Honestly, this is probably the first year I do not feel holiday depression, simply because my anger and rage about how 'things' have and are being handled supersedes the seasonal pettiness.
 
Timbeck2 said:
This will be my first year without my mom for the holidays. I suspect Christmas eve eve will be the worst. December 23 was her birthday. But I'm thankful that my family is healthy, my plane isn't broken and I have my friends here in Tucson (one of which makes a really, really good fruitcake) and on this forum.
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We lost my mother to cancer when she was 56...four years younger than I am now. She was walking and living kindness and grace here on Earth, ...and her birthday is Nov. 26th. Yep. I feel for you, Tim. Will be thinking about you, and being thankful for YOUR help and friendship...
 
Everskyward said:
Some of my relatives have decided on a Zoom tomorrow afternoon. I've never Zoomed with my relatives. Not only that, under normal circumstances, we would have mostly gone our separate ways on Thanksgiving. Wondering if we'll be able to find something to talk about for 40 minutes...
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Drunk family fights just aren’t the same on Zoom.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Going to be even harder this year with the pandemic affecting people's plans, reducing family time.
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There’s a couple of family members that reducing my time near them brings great joy. LOL

Timbeck2 said:
This will be my first year without my mom for the holidays. I suspect Christmas eve eve will be the worst. December 23 was her birthday. But I'm thankful that my family is healthy, my plane isn't broken and I have my friends here in Tucson (one of which makes a really, really good fruitcake) and on this forum.
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My plane is broken. I can’t say I’ve ever let broken machinery make me anything but annoyed, determined to fix it, or flat out angry depending on need of machinery, but definitely never depressed. All machines break. Repeatedly. Throwing tools across the shop and cussing loudly is generally cathartic. LOL.

That first holiday without a parent or sibling is a tad rough though. Agreed. Sucks. Gets easier. Then you almost wish it didn’t later. So strange.

Everskyward said:
Some of my relatives have decided on a Zoom tomorrow afternoon. I've never Zoomed with my relatives. Not only that, under normal circumstances, we would have mostly gone our separate ways on Thanksgiving. Wondering if we'll be able to find something to talk about for 40 minutes...
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At least 20 minutes will get eaten up by “you’re on mute” and other connection and training issues for the first one. Haha.

Matthew said:
Drunk family fights just aren’t the same on Zoom.
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LMAO! Our extended family on my side has done some of that. Haha.

As for the suicide thing, those with a tendency toward depression — reach out. Just do it. We’re all happier you’re here and we’ll help do anything to make you happier too. Anytime.

We’ve already been through this and the personality type of the depressive wouldn’t have let them do it anyway (staunchly out to prove self-reliance mixed with massive alcoholism to make sure a continual level of feeling fussy while also maintaining a constant depression level, that never let up).

Just call.

Anyway...

Jokes about the hotline are fine by me if humor helps. It usually does. If you’re into dark humor call AND share. I’ll send ya back worse stuff from the medical support groups for disabilities, and you’ll probably find you have it made over whoever made these memes. LOL!

Here’s a tame one that surprisingly wasn’t from one of those groups but is a perfect representative of the sorts of stuff we all share for a laugh...

(Actually came from an Army long-timer turned CFI then airline guy. He and I get along well. LOL!)

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Happy holidays. Phone is always on. If you prefer sunshine and unicorn rainbow farts I can do that too. Not very good at it, but I’ll try. Hahaha. Whatever works.
 
Many of us design holidays to be a fantastic thing, by working so stupid hard the rest of the year that a few days off is utterly amazing! (but then we have depression from the damn workload. And many of my friends work 2x what I do so I can't imagine what they are going through)
 
Everskyward said:
Some of my relatives have decided on a Zoom tomorrow afternoon. I've never Zoomed with my relatives. Not only that, under normal circumstances, we would have mostly gone our separate ways on Thanksgiving. Wondering if we'll be able to find something to talk about for 40 minutes...
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I have a large family; 5 brothers, sister-in-laws, nieces, nephews, and now grand nieces and nephews. Trying to find a opening in the conversation to be able to say something is the challenge on our family Zoom calls. :)
 
I'm really lucky. I have a mutation in the promoter for the serotonin uptake inhibitor protein. I don't get holiday depression. I don't get any kind of depression. Takes something really serious to make me unhappy. I'm not wealthy or handsome, but I am happy, and I suppose that counts for quite a bit.
 
Matthew said:
Drunk family fights just aren’t the same on Zoom.
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I don't holiday so I have a many reasons to continue to be happy. But I've learned that the old saying can be really true with family ...
"Some people bring happiness wherever they go, others bring happiness whenever they go!" :popcorn:
 
denverpilot said:
At least 20 minutes will get eaten up by “you’re on mute” and other connection and training issues for the first one. Haha.
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That too... Some of them are old and not much into tech. Maybe their children (I say 'children' but they are about 50) will help. The daughters, including the one who had the idea, are teachers so they ought to know how to Zoom. I have a cordial relationship with my relatives, but I know I don't quite mesh with them culturally. I've always been the black sheep, so to speak. Even before Covid I didn't see them any more frequently even though I now live within 20 miles of most of them rather than 1000.
 
Everskyward said:
That too... Some of them are old and not much into tech. Maybe their children (I say 'children' but they are about 50) will help. The daughters, including the one who had the idea, are teachers so they ought to know how to Zoom. I have a cordial relationship with my relatives, but I know I don't quite mesh with them culturally. I've always been the black sheep, so to speak. Even before Covid I didn't see them any more frequently even though I now live within 20 miles of most of them rather than 1000.
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Black sheep unite!

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