Christmas and New Year are often very difficult for people with mental health problems. Whether the time of year has troubling personal meaning or because you are supposed to be so happy and content or whether it is because everyone is with family and friends and an individual may be alone with mental health problems at Christmas, there are things you can do to help yourself.

Alcohol is common place in most adults Christmases, be it enjoying a few drinks at a work Christmas party or sitting alone having a stiff drink. Alcohol is however a depressant, however good it may make you feel whilst drinking it, the after effects are never good. Your sleep may be affected and you may feel more depressed after an episode of drinking particularly if you have drunk heavily. Obviously you don’t have to become teetotal for the Christmas period but be mindful of how much you are drinking and try to pace yourself with soft drinks. It is an easy step to take to help yourself, drink in moderation.

Another important point that few people consider is to eat well. This can be very difficult if you have an eating disorder, if you have a tendency to binge or struggle with bulimia life gets harder because of all the tempting sweet treats around. At Christmas when people have time off work, the structure of meals can be disregarded, but it is imperative to ensure that you eat three good meals a day to keep up your energy and your resilience to negative emotions. Eating a balanced diet can help prevent vulnerability towards difficult emotions. This is the same for overeating as under eating, neither is good and finding the middle ground is important.

Rea more: http://www.sane.org.uk/how_you_can_help/blogging/show_blog/350