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Showing posts from December, 2013

5 Ways to Help Manage The Stress of The Holidays

By Laura Hull, LMFT Coping Coach   This time of year is filled with lights, laughter, and loads of activities.   From the week of Thanksgiving through the end of New Year’s celebrations, this is the most active/busy time of the year for many people.   Though many regard this as a time of happy celebration, there is no doubt it is also a demanding time of the year.    Between decorating, holiday parties, shopping, wrapping, food preparations, family visits, etc., it can be stressful to navigate the expectations that come along with the holidays.   Sometimes the stress is enjoyable.   For some people, the stress is more anxiety provoking than pleasurable.   There is certainly an added social pressure to “enjoy” the holidays.   After all, why would anyone be anxious or depressed when everyone else is partying and enjoying the festivities of the season, right?     We are “supposed “ to be happy during the holidays.   But what if we aren’t?   Depression and anxiety during this

Hurt for the Holidays

Managing the major grief of those who have major loss   By: Dwight Bain   Holidays are not always happy days, especially if you have experienced major loss. Think about it – if you lost a job or a house through foreclosure can you still have a Merry Christmas this year? Some people can manage the loss of material things because they rely on their savings, or extended family for support. But what about those who don’t have access to those resources – what do they do? What about the wife of a man who cheats and leaves the marriage with another woman before the holiday. What do you say to someone who won’t have a happy family memory on December 25 th , because she will be sharing her children with a new woman and her relatives while she sits in the marital home (which is missing half the furniture) alone. Or think about the family who have to say goodbye to a beloved family pet because of age or illness. How can they celebrate a happy holiday without a trusted ani

The Relentless Pursuit of Grace: What I Learned From My Little Boy

By: Aaron Welch     This will not be a fun article for me to write.   In fact, my heart hurts to even sit down and begin typing.   It's because I screwed up.   I mean.......I royally screwed up tonight.   If I could go somewhere and hide under a rock, I would.   Honestly, there was a moment tonight when I thought about packing a bag and just taking off to some hotel, rather than face my family.   In the past fifteen years or so, there have not been too many moments that I've been ashamed of....but tonight was one.     If you ask anyone who knows me they will tell you that one of the greatest passions of my life is being a dad.   Honestly, it's the ONE thing I've always wanted to be.....a father.   I grew up idolizing my dad and the love and support I always felt from him was an anchor for me as I moved into adulthood.   I believe God used my dad to instill in me a deep, fiery passion to invest in the lives of my children and, additionally, into the lives

There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays...Unfortunately

By Aaron Welch, LMHC, NCC     For much of the world the holidays are a time of joy, peace and goodwill towards men.   We have songs like "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "I'll Be Home for Christmas," and, as the title says, "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays."   However, for more people than we'd like to admit, this last title reflects the emotions of sadness and anger, rather than peace and good will.   The truth is that a high percentage of people see the holiday season as a time of year when they battle depression, when old feuds re-emerge, and when they feel more stressed than any other time.     It is safe to say that the holidays are a time when all emotion tends to get amped up to new levels.   If you're happy, you tend to get happier during the holidays.   If you are struggling with anxiety, what time of the year can be more anxious than a season where traffic is a nightmare and finances