The holiday season can be difficult for many people, but there are resources for those struggling with the extra stress
By State Rep. MARC MALON
The holiday season is a source of joy for many. The lights are pretty, the kids get excited for Santa and families gather in reunion and celebration; and obviously for many, it is an intensely holy and spiritual time of year.
It is also for many a time of elevated stress and emotional turmoil. There is something about the season which brings out complicated feelings. If this is true for you, know that you are not alone.
A 2021 study highlighted by the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) found that three out of five Americans feel that their mental health is negatively impacted by the holidays. Some of this can be attributed to simple pressures such as finding presents, and more difficult terrain such as navigating difficult family relationships.
The fact that the holidays coincide with the arrival of winter, literally the darkest days of the year, contributes to seasonal affective disorder in many folks.
I feel this as well. I frequently feel depressed and melancholy during the Christmas season, even though I love the holiday itself and the social aspect of gathering with family and friends.
Some of this is likely due to the fact that it is a rare time in which I slow down, which gives me more time to reflect and think about all aspects of life; good, bad and ugly. Many classic Christmas songs drive home the melancholy even further (except for “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” – that one just annoys me).
So, as we move through this season, it is important to remember that if you are struggling, you are not alone.
Many – myself included – feel the same, and there are many resources in our greater community which might be helpful while navigating this time.
The rising cost of food can make it difficult for many folks to afford feeding their family on a daily basis, making a special holiday meal outside the realm of possibility. Recognizing this, the Bon Appetit Community Meal Program serves supper Monday through Friday at 4:30 p.m. and a Sunday breakfast at the Second Congregational Church on Second Street from 8 to 9 a.m. The church also serves a community ham dinner on Christmas Eve. If you are interested in learning more, you may call 207-391-6279 or email secondcongbiddeford@gmail.com.
The Biddeford Food Pantry is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. and all are welcome. This volunteer-run organization is not seasonal, it is a year-round miracle.
NAMI Maine operates a help line for mental health resources Mon. – Fri. from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Simply dial 1-800-464-5767 and then press 1. They can help you navigate options for mental health and substance use treatment.
This part is crucial: If you or a loved one are in crisis, please call or text 988.
These resources only scratch the surface of what is available.
Now, I think we can mostly agree that things in the world could be better. It needs to be easier to find affordable mental health care, both for immediate needs and for ongoing preventative services.
If you have ever tried to find a therapist who takes insurance, you know what I mean. And it would help if Congress could extend the Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies so working families don’t see their premiums skyrocket at the start of the new year. We have to do better.
But we also must try to find mutual strength and support in each other. We’re often good at providing it to one another in an acute sense – by donating to GoFundMe campaigns or attending a community fundraiser, or maybe even by donating food to a local hunger relief program.
But we should also try to consider what is needed for people we don’t know, especially those who are different from us. Communities are stronger when support is coming from all and available to all.
One of my favorite Christmas carols is a classic, “O’ Holy Night.” It is a religious song, first written by a French poet named Placide Cappeau, set to music by composer Adolphe Adam, and translated to English by John Sullivan Dwight.
Dwight and Cappeau were abolitionists who saw universal meaning in the song, one which could be applied regardless of religious beliefs. The final verse, which is not sung in all versions, contains the following lyrics:
“Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.”
Happy Holidays.
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Rep. Marc Malon is serving his second term in the Maine House of Representatives, representing a portion of Biddeford. He serves as a member of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee and the Housing and Economic Development Committee. He can be reached via email at marc.malon@maine.gov
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