Holiday Anxiety

On Christmas day I was unexpectedly stricken with melancholy. I've experienced some of these feelings over the years but never to an extreme; this time, I got hit hard.

The very things that make holidays exciting (and challenging) for adults can wreak havoc on the world of a child, particularly for an anxious child.

With shopping, social gatherings, and end-of-year obligations, however, we humans go against nature -- increasing our activity and stress levels at exactly the time that the body wants us to be decreasing them.

Thanksgiving kicks off a six week period that can put people in a state of anxiety about potential weight gain, loneliness, unresolved family relation...

For some children, the holidays can be stressful and confusing. Family plans and celebrations may be complicated by divorce, separation or remarriage. Here's how parents can do to help children cope with holiday stress.

Many people suffer what I coin FGA -- Family Gathering Anxiety. Basically, this refers to those who experience strong feelings of anxiety before and often during a family gathering.