Turkey Trot - Home Alone for the Holidays
You’ve lost your last friend, you’re down in the dumps, the planets are not aligned correctly, the holidays are fast approaching, and you’re home alone. There is nothing more depressing than the sense of utter helplessness one feels at the hands of a perceived abandonment forcibly endured during the festivities of Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is especially true when financial figures dip into the red, when family members are far away, when loved ones are no longer with us, and when television, magazines, the Internet, and other forms of mass communication show us those cozy fireplaces, warm and loving households, and smiling faces that we’d just love to punch in. While it can be normal to feel somewhat subdued and sad during the holidays, when those feelings become tantamount to downright depression, then we have problems. It is usually the elderly that bear the brunt of those “Thanksgiving turnarounds” or “Christmas crises,” due to a plethora of real or imagined factors ranging from financial limitations and being home alone to a loss of independence, eyesight, or mobility. No one is immune, however, and even the young can feel blue, as chestnuts roast on an open fire and mistletoe catalyzes self-embrace, for lack of a suitable partner to share a touching of lips. We know the problem, or do we? We have all felt it at one time or another, what with parties, shopping, baking, cleaning, and entertaining during the holidays taking their toll on sleep, exercise, and self-love. So, I guess my gift to you this holiday season is to come up with a primer or set of instructions for halting, or at least making bearable, that annual mad dash or stampede that leaves us feeling drained and devoid of healthy cheer between that last Thursday of November and the first of the New Year.
Our so-called quest to tame the turkey trot could not begin if we were unable to state categorically that before a cure can be prescribed, an accurate diagnosis must be made. What is it that actually causes us to wallow in self-pity during the most joyous time of the year? Are doldrums a normal sign of aging or are the social obligations, mad hatter shopping, financial difficulties, work-related angst, and sleeplessness of the holidays something greater than the sum of their parts but much less than incurable? Three things are certain at this crossroads of the year, that family can be a burden as well as a blessing, that overspending can mean financial worries for months to come, and that exhaustion, lack of sleep, and exercise deprivation increase stress in a vicious cycle from which it is difficult to extricate oneself. And let’s not forget those vodka spiked eggnogs, peppermint hot chocolates, or Christmas martinis that do little to raise low spirits, rather they have an opposite effect. Adding alcohol to imposed social obligations is a recipe for self-flagellation, when saying “no” to liquid amenities or social outings without pangs of guilt or a need to explain becomes an exercise in willpower that many of us are ill-equipped to muster.
While we have accurately presented this annual rite of remorse, which is new to no one and further complicated by “selection psychosis,” with incapacity to choose the right gifts for family and friends, and “tradition tampering,” with failure to duplicate the conscious and unconscious holiday ceremonies of a happier past, we have done nothing to solve the problem. The good doctor will now make amends, and give you his take on the remedies, which, by the way, are free of charge. The premise here is that we have all gone through this, and, rather than reinventing the wheel, we must adopt what is tried and true. While we cannot force ourselves to be happy during the holiday season, we can certainly reach out to the individuals and community organizations around us. The holidays don’t have to be perfect to be enjoyed, and new friends and traditions can provide an excitement lacking from the usual seasonal rigamarrow. Now, the name of the game is to also set aside family grievances for peace of mind, stick to a realistic shopping budget for obvious reasons, and plan ahead. Running around like chickens without heads was not something envisioned by the inhabitants of
Cheers! Things could be worse. I could have mentioned that turkey not only contains more cholesterol than ham, but that it has also been known on occasion to give one the “trots.”
ã 2009, Albert M. Balesh, M.D. All rights reserved.
posted by Dr. Al at
11/29/2009 10:28:00 AM
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