Year-end syndrome increases anxiety and depression – 12/02/2023 – Balance

“Many think that because I’m a yoga instructor I’m always zen, that I no longer have anxiety”, says communicator Michelle Palermi, 30. Diagnosed with the disorder five years ago, she managed to control her condition with exercise and writing. , but still feels that the arrival of December could be a trigger for her.

“I, personally, feel anxious to end the year well, for everything to go as planned and to be able to complete the goals I set during the year”, she assesses. This strange sensation that the instructor notices is what experts tend to call “end of year syndrome”, a symptomatic set that can manifest itself as excessive anguish, stress or melancholy at this time.

Although it is not included in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) within the framework of mental disorders, it is admitted to psychiatry and psychology to describe and advise on complaints brought to the office by patients during this period of the year.

Several factors can trigger the problem, such as realizing goals that have not yet been achieved, increased expenses and even the proximity of family commitments and parties.

“Holiday syndrome is not an officially recognized diagnosis, but is a term used to describe a set of symptoms related to anxiety and stress that some people experience during the holiday season. These symptoms may include irritability, insomnia , excessive worry, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, among others”, says psychologist Claudia Melo, specialist in children, adolescents and addictions.

Melo states that feeling constant fear, pain and worry is not normal and that when symptoms start to significantly interfere with the affected person’s quality of life, it is necessary to seek professional help from a psychologist or psychiatrist.

Roberta França, a geriatrician and psychiatrist, is a member of the Elderly Law Commission (OAB/RJ), the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology and the Brazilian Society of Geriatric Neuropsychiatry, and says the problem can affect the elderly in particular.

“The end-of-year syndrome is recognized by psychiatry and is very common in geriatrics offices. It is characterized by a feeling of anxiety, anguish and sadness about the end-of-year festivities, both Christmas and New Year”, says the psychiatrist.

França highlights that there is a lot of social pressure at this time for people to be happy, but that too much can be bad. “Even because the construction of affection has to take place throughout the process. So many families are having fights, with a series of difficulties, losses, and then, suddenly, because it has become the key to December, everyone has to forget everything, getting along well is really difficult”, he ponders.

The lack of dialogue about mental health is another problem. “People often stop asking for help because they think they are somehow bothering them and are inconsistent with the moment”, says the doctor.

Larissa Fonseca, clinical therapist and member of the Brazilian Psychological Society (SBP) and the Brazilian Sleep Association (ABS), says that in these cases it is necessary to assess what suffering there is and how much of it is related to the arrival of the end of the year.

“For each person, anguish can be related to a different feeling. There are people who may be suffering as a result of having to socialize and meet other people. Others have lost many loved ones and Christmas brings back these memories. It can also be related to the feeling of inability to achieve some goals”, he points out.

Fonseca adds that many of these pains need to be worked on in psychotherapy to be overcome. In the case of those who already have mental disorders, crises may occur due to the worsening of mental health problems.

“Symptoms can be behavioral changes and can also appear in difficulty concentrating, problems with memory. Anxiety can have physical manifestations such as headaches, palpitations, skin allergies and end up interfering with the person’s daily life”, he highlights Fonseca.

Chronic or generalized anxiety also influences the quality of sleep and food issues, leading the person to eat too much or too little (or to reduce the quality of food), which disrupts the distribution of physical and mental energy in the body. “We can have risks in relation to harmful behaviors such as substance abuse such as alcohol and drugs, when we try to deal with this emotional anguish in a negative way, committing excesses”, says Fonseca.

Ignoring the problem solves even less and can cause physiological comorbidities such as gastrointestinal and cardiac disorders (including risk of heart attack) and worsening of the immune system.

To deal with so much pressure, in addition to therapy, the advice is to look for escape valves. “Anxiety doesn’t disappear, but we learn to deal with it. Yoga makes me aware of what I’m feeling. One of the exercises that helps me the most is breathing”, says instructor Palermi.

Melo reminds us that regular physical exercise, such as walking, running or any other activity that brings pleasure, can help release endorphins and reduce stress levels. “Leisure is also important, setting aside time for relaxing activities such as dancing, listening to music, swimming”, says Melo

Fonseca suggests making lists and putting your ideas on paper. “And be able to be as realistic as possible. Because often we say: ‘I’m going to do physical activity every day’ and it’s not a real possibility. And if we list the good and positive things that we’ve experienced and that we can maintain over the weeks of the year?” he says.

França reinforces that a support network to talk, read well, walk outdoors, away from shopping centers, also help to deal with feelings, which should never be minimized. “No one is obliged to always be happy all the time or according to the time of year.”

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