The Holiday Blues
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/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2022

The Holiday Blues

The holidays can overwhelm. Social commitments, financial pressures, tension among family members, and routine-disrupting events can leave us feeling exhausted. Those who are struggling with grief or without social connections often choose to isolate and can feel resentful of the season. Furthermore, people often feel pressured to create a perfect story-book experience for their families.

An important factor to avoid the holiday blues is to take control over what you would like your holiday to be. Choose to forgo traditions that may be overwhelming and become comfortable with deciding what you can realistically make, give, buy, and handle. Allow yourself to decide which events to attend and be unapologetic about building in time for self-care activities that help you to reduce stress. 

Layering Stressors
The holidays can also be a time when some of our most stressful experiences seem to be amplified. If you have experienced any traumatic events in the last several months—such as the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of housing, major illness, or job loss—you may be at greater risk for mental health conditions. Depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder are some of the more common mental health issues resulting from trauma. Recognizing the signs and symptoms early can make all the difference in lessening the symptoms and promoting early recovery. The pandemic, while becoming a more normal part of life, also had a major effect on our collective and individual wellbeing. Its repercussions are still playing out, especially during the holidays.

Seasonal Affective Disorder
This time of year, some people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It affects approximately 5 percent of people, and it goes beyond the holiday blues. In fact, SAD is characterized as
“major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern.” Symptoms of depression, regardless of when it occurs, include feelings of sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness; angry outbursts or irritability; loss of interest in things that typically bring joy; disrupted sleep, and many more.

Depression
If symptoms of depression remain, even after the days brighten and warm up, you could be struggling with depression. Depression affects nearly 20 percent of people over the course of a lifetime and symptoms can vary from person to person.

What to Do
If you feel you might have SAD or depression, you should speak with a counselor for proven treatments that can help. Locally, you can call 802-442-5491 or talk to your primary care provider.

If a friend, family member, or acquaintance has begun showing signs of withdrawal, including decreasing interactions with others, discontinuing their favorite activities, or increasing their use of alcohol or other drugs, it’s important to reach out and ask them about how they are doing. You don’t need to be a physician or mental health counselor to make a difference. Letting them know you are concerned and willing to help, as well as providing resources, is often the first step to reaching mental wellness.

Katie Aiken is a Blueprint Spoke Clinician with United Counseling Service in Bennington.

 

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Introducing Dr. Amy Freeth

Amy E. Freeth, MD, resumed endocrinology services at SVMC in March 2020. The practice, known as SVMC Endocrinology, is a part of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) and Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC). It replaces the Bennington Osteoporosis Center, where Dr. David Gorson had provided similar services to the community until his retirement in 2019.

How do you describe endocrinology to people who don’t know what it is? The endocrine system is made up of glands that make hormones. These hormones are chemical messengers that travel via the bloodstream to communicate with the cells and organs of the body. Hormones are important for growth, development, mood, metabolism, and reproduction. These glands include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, adrenal, testes, and ovaries.

Endocrinology is a practice of medicine that specializes in disorders of these systems. Disorders most commonly are related to underactive or overactive function of these glands and require replacement of the hormone or specific treatments such as medications, ablation, or surgery.

Since hormones function in feedback loops and are part of a larger complex functional system that exists in flow with the human body, replacement hormones or treatment of endocrine disorders can be challenging and involve changes to our lifestyles that support the optimal functioning of the body.

What diagnoses are most common among the patients you treat?  Pituitary tumors, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, hyperparathyroidism, osteoporosis, diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, Cushing’s disease, primary hyperaldosteronism, pheochromocytoma, obesity, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.

What sorts of treatments do you offer? I offer comprehensive consultation and management of endocrine disorders. I also interpret testing and make treatment plans for endocrine disorders. I also provide interpretation of bone density reports and perform fine needle aspiration biopsies in collaboration with Radiology Associates of Bennington. Technology is increasingly becoming more important in the management of diabetes. Technology includes glucose meters, insulin pumps, and continuous glucose monitoring (sensors). I work with certified diabetes educators to create a team approach to diabetes management. As we develop this new department, we are looking for innovative ways to help people regain and optimize their health. I have training in nutrition counseling and health coaching to help people find their path to good health.

Why is it important for patients who need an endocrinologist see them regularly? Your endocrinologist is part of your health team and has experience and a deep understanding of what is happening within your body to help assess, guide, and co-manage your disorder. There is testing that may need to be done to make sure you are living with optimal hormonal balance. Allowing hormones to run too low or too high can have lasting adverse effects on the body leading to other disease or imbalances.

How do you help protect patients who need to come into the office from infections, like COVID-19? At this time, I am seeing patients via telemedicine and phone visits. This week we are starting to see a portion of our patients in the clinic. Patients can register on the phone and wait in their car until the room is ready. Patients will be screened for fever and should wear a mask. Staff will wear proper protective equipment and follow guidelines for handwashing and cleaning of the rooms.

Since many patients who will likely want to come to the endocrinology clinic will be members of high-risk populations (diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and the elderly), patients will have a choice of the type of visit they have.

Dr. Freeth sees patients 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday - Thursday in Suite 307 of the Medical Office Building located at 140 Hospital Drive in Bennington. For an appointment, call 802-447-4555. The schedule will expand to additional days as needed.

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