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The Pennsylvania Psychological Association Offers Tips to Get Through the Holiday Season Losing a loved one is hard enough. But getting through the holiday season can be tough, particularly if it's the first without that special person in your life. With everyone around you chatting about cooking, shopping and other holiday preparations, your loneliness and despair only seem to deepen. "The first holiday without a loved one is the most difficult," says Dr. Pauline Wallin, a licensed psychologist in Camp Hill, PA. "All the special memories of past celebrations are still fresh in your mind, which intensifies your feeling of loss. It does tend to get a little easier each year, although the degree of improvement varies from person to person." The Pennsylvania Psychological Association offers the following tips for those who are grieving through the holidays:
Dr. Wallin notes, "One good piece of news here is that holiday stress is time-limited. Keeping in mind that January is just around the corner makes it a little easier to get through one day at a time." There is a difference between normal grief and serious depression. If, for several weeks you can't stop crying, have lost all interest in people and activities, or have difficulty managing your everyday tasks, you may need professional help. It is recommended that you talk to a psychologist who can help you develop coping strategies. Use our Psychologist Locator at http://www.papsy.org to find a psychologist near you. To learn more about managing stress and emotional well-being, visit the Pennsylvania Psychological Association's website, www.papsy.org, or the American Psychological Association's Consumer Help Center at www.APAhelpcenter.org. ![]() |
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