Christmas, Holidays, and Mental Health

Sometimes the holidays bring about a great loneliness, sadness, and despair for folks.  I know!  I've been there!  

During my first marriage, I remember having to work the graveyard shift over Christmas.  No one was there in the restaurant, but I was still tasked to complete my side work--filling the salt and pepper shakers, restocking the sweeteners, ketchup, mustard, coffee, and tea.  I still had floors to mop, counters to wipe, and the stray customer to serve.  

I felt so  downtrodden, hopeless, helpless, and without direction in my life.  

Once my shift was over, I paid half of my tips to a taxi cab driver to take me home so I didn't have to walk home alone.  At the time my (now ex) husband was still in bed and we had no Christmas, no decorations, no tree.  We had just enough "stuff" for a single bed, laundry baskets for our clothing, a little couch and no table.  We had pancake mix and eggs, so i made myself some pancakes for breakfast before heading to bed for the day.  

Looking back on that time, I remember how bleak and cold it felt.  I remember not taking "hand outs" from either of our family because we didn't want to have to pay them back.  We didn't ask any of them to come pick us up for Christmas either because we couldn't afford to give anyone gas money.  We had to keep as much money as we could to pay rent, electricity, and buy the few groceries we could.  It was a hopeless situation wrought with physical and mental abuse, financial bleakness, and lonliness--feeling like I couldn't reach out for help.

If you are in a situation like this and you're reading this right now, please reach out to someone.  The holidays were meant to be spent together with loved ones.  If you know someone who might be in this situaion, please let them know you'll pick them up and share your meal with them.  The holidays were meant to be shared.  

When you share your life and your love with someone who is needing it, you are the catalyst to help them begin their journey toward greater health.  Pray with them and for them.  Pick them up for church on Sundays and Wednesdays, encourage them, and include your Sunday school class in on the needs those folks may have.  Someone may be able to fill that small need.

What a blessing it is to be a blessing to others.  It helps not only them, to give them hope, but it also is a balm to our own souls, knowing we've helped someone--expecting nothing in return.

The National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI) has a website that you can visit to learn more about certain mental illnesses as well as support groups for folks.  There are numerous domestic abuse shelters, and churches willing to help as well.  All is not lost, nor is it hopeless!  Arm yourself with knowledge and reach out to help when you can!

Be a Blessing my friends!

God Bless,

Regina Graham