ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The holidays can be stressful for all of us, but for some that stress can exacerbate underlying mental health issues that they already deal with day in, day out.
And things can get even worse in the days after a holiday like Thanksgiving.
“During the holidays a lot of people, if they’re struggling, they’re in a situation where they’re with people that they care about, they’re having an enjoyable time, they may be taking time off work, so they don’t have that day-to-day stress, so they may actually be having a good time,” said Ken Gibson, senior director of marketing and public relations for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
“What happens after the holidays, you get through Thanksgiving, you get through Christmas, New Year's, then it becomes back to work, back to the grind, and it can be kind of trying for people and they may struggle,” he said.
But, Thanksgiving is also a holiday where we are surrounded by loved ones, and it can be a perfect opportunity to check in on someone if you think they may be struggling.
“If you know that person really well, is their behavior abnormal? Especially if they’re withdrawn, if they aren’t as social as they may be, they may have a little bit of the blues and it’s OK to check in with them, it’s OK to say ‘Hey, how are you feeling? Are you struggling a little bit?’ And then obviously, if they are, do what you can to try to connect them to help, and that’s what we’re there to do,” said Gibson.
“Withdrawn is a big one, not enjoying normal things. If someone is a football fan and they’re just like, ‘Oh, I don’t really feel like watching the game today’ or something like that, there may be something going on there and you may want to check in with them. But I think the important thing is to ask questions. If you have concerns about somebody, check in with them and see how they’re doing.”
And while speaking up is generally the right thing to do if you think someone is struggling, be aware that there’s a time and place for everything.
“I think it’s in those quiet moments,” he added. “Not necessarily when you have 30 people there at the table having that conversation, but after the dust settles a little bit, maybe you say ‘Hey, let’s go take a walk,’ and that’s the time to have that conversation, saying, ‘I care about you, I’m concerned about you, what can we do to connect you to some help if you need it?’”
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