5 Coping Tips for Holiday Grief
Seniors, especially, may recall and miss happier times when they celebrated the holidays with loved ones who have since passed away.
Barbara Rhode, a St. Petersburg therapist for two decades, knows this time of year poses a special challenge, especially seniors: How to deal with grief during the holidays. When it comes to the holiday blues and seniors, the statistics are staggering. According to the National Institutes of Health, of the 36 million Americans age 65 or older, about two million suffer from full-blown depression. Another 5 million suffer from less severe forms of this illness. It is not the actual holidays that intensify or spur depression, but the fact that the holidays tend to bring memories of earlier, happier times – times that older people miss. Rhode points out, however, there is one major exception to this. If someone loses a loved one during the …
