This week during a special presentation from Audacy's I'm Listening, AFSP Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Christine Moutier talks with Audacy's Katie Neal about mental health during the holiday season. Hear it this weekend on your favorite Audacy station, and below in an exclusive podcast.
LISTEN NOW: Mental Health Around the Holidays
While joyful, the holidays come with unique stress, including high expectations, a long task list, potential family trauma, and an accentuated sense of loneliness or isolation for some.
"I think there can be just a plain old mismatch between the expectations that society kind of presents, or maybe we even build up in our own head about how they're gonna feel, how we're gonna feel during the holidays, and so even under the best of circumstances it can just be, you know, taxing and and extra stressful," shares Dr. Moutier.
"I think also in this time frame, not just being the holidays but just thinking about the last several years and where we are as a society," she adds. "I almost feel sometimes like we haven't fully recovered in our brain health, our just, ability to breathe and be grounded and be present and thinking of others and have grace and sense of humor. All of those resilient parts that are part of all of our makeup, they got taxed on in a new way during those COVID years."
"For me it's a personal call to action for myself and for all of us to just kind of take a minute, reflect on that, because to be honest I think each person has it within themselves, their own knowledge of what works for them, to bring them back to a real sense of center grounding, to actually affirm our own identity even with the hardships that might be going on in in our lives."
"I do feel that maybe it'll for some of us be a time where we can actually make that extra moment because again it's not necessarily about the time it would take, it's the intentionality to just figure out our little plan for just taking a moment, breathing, connect with that person who you know is a positive influence. Instead of a passive, letting the status quo of life kind of run the show, a little more proactivity on our parts."
To hear more about managing mental health through the holidays, and how our nation's veterans sometimes struggle with navigating their own mental health, listen to the full episode above.
It’s okay to not be OK. We know the power of talk can save lives. Audacy's I’m Listening aims to share valuable resources for those who need to connect, heal, and share their own stories. To those who are dealing with mental health issues, understand you are not alone. If you or anyone you know is struggling with depression or anxiety, know that someone is always there. Additionally, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988. Find a full list of additional resources here.