Cherry Creek Psychology, Dr. Maximillian Wachtel

It may seem too early to start thinking about the 2007 holiday season, but I was at the Cherry Creek Mall last night buying a coat for my daughter, and I noticed that the mall staff had already set up the Christmas pavilion, filled with snow globes and various other holiday accouterments (did I come anywhere close to spelling that correctly?). Incidentally, the pavilion appears to be sponsored by the movie “Fred Claus,” which if you haven’t seen an ad for it yet, promises to be in the running for worst movie of all time (I would love for readers to comment on movies they think are worse).

Anyway, since the mall thinks it is time for the holidays, then time for the holidays it is. Along with all of the festivities, family fun and presents often comes stress, sadness and grief. For some, the thought of spending so much time with family is terrifying. For others, the absence of a recently-lost loved one weighs heavily this time of year. For still others, the notion of overeating and gaining more weight leaves them feeling hopeless.

As most of you are well aware, November and December can be extremely difficult months for a lot of people. But, it is important to keep in mind that this is supposed to be a joyful time where our everyday lives can be suspended while we spend time with friends and family and show others how much we care about them. And at the very least, no one expects you to get all that much done at work, so you can afford to slack off a bit, right?

Of course, many people find working through issues brought up around the holidays with a a professional to be helpful, and I would recommend that you talk to someone if you are feeling a lot of anxiety or depression. Even meeting with a therapist for one or two sessions to gain some tips on how to deal with holiday stress could be useful.

Good luck, try to remain calm, and beware of Fred Claus– Max Wachtel, Ph.D. (www.CherryCreekPsychology.com; maxwachtel@CherryCreekPsychology.com)