Note: I’m not talking about just suicidal. Crisis lines handle a lot more than just suicidal calls during the holidays. There are a lot of people that are lonely and disenfranchised that just need to hear a voice of encouragement and support. If you’re one of them, probably the best thing to do is to call the operator and ask them to put you through to a crisis line.

Below are a couple of sources.

TERROS Mobile Crisis Intervention Services: http://www.terros.org/crisis.htm

TERROS continues to be one of the major providers of mobile crisis services to residents of Maricopa County.  Provided through a contract with Value Options, TERROS provides services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and staffs teams comprised of certified behavioral health professionals who respond to calls received through the county-wide crisis hotline, (602) 222-9444 or 1 (800) 631-1314.

EMPACT- SPC: http://www.empact-spc.com/home.html

American Association of Suicideology accredited Center in Arizona. Providing 24 hour telephone intervention to people experiencing suicidal crisis.

24-Hour Crisis Hotlines:

800-SUICIDE — HopeLine Suicide Hotline (National)
480-784-1500 — Suicide/Crisis Hotline (Maricopa County)
866-205-5229 — Toll-Free Crisis Hotline (Arizona)

ARIZONA Suicide & Crisis Hotlines: http://suicidehotlines.com/arizona.html

Additional links: http://www.twloha.com/find-help/

Sometimes it’s hard to admit…that we need other people.

Sometimes depression & suicidal thoughts contain a component of upset & anger towards the world & the people in it.

But the truth is, nothing can really substitute for human contact. We do need people.

If you are afflicted by the symptoms of trauma we encourage you to call our office at (480) 478-4221 or schedule a complementary thirty minute consultation with one of our therapists at Psychological Health and Wellness, meet with one of our psychotherapists and learn how our trauma counselors can help you live a life free from the suffering effects of anxiety, depression and trauma. We are located in Mesa, AZ.

For example you might go to a restaurant that’s open 24 hours a day and sit and strike up conversations with other people that are there. Almost any time that you are in that situation, there are other people that you’ll find wanting to talk and are there for the same reasons that you are, congregating together.

If you have a gym membership to a 24 hour gym you may consider spending your time there for a mid-night hour workout with other like-minded people.

I know that several years ago one of my clients actually had a strategy where he would go to the airport and sit it the waiting area outside of the security point. There people would be going through the airport, they’d stop and talk. Or they’d be sitting there waiting for planes. And he’d absorb several hours just talking to strangers.

If you’re already depressed it may not be a great time to be losing money or drinking but areas of congregation such as a casino or a bar or even gentleman’s club are areas of solo activity and interaction all year long and the holidays are no exception.

These places cater to people and it can be a celebratory atmosphere for people that would otherwise find themselves isolated and alone. It is an area where everyone can say “Happy New Years” together but individually and it can become a festive area for everybody there.

For urban locales like Phoenix there are festive events such as the Mill Avenue New Years Eve Block Party that one may participate in, where all are welcome and it is a festive atmosphere. No one is there to judge you and it is a celebration amongst strangers, acquaintances and loved ones alike.

If you are afflicted by the symptoms of seasonal depression we encourage you to call our office at (480) 478-4221 or schedule a complementary thirty minute consultation with one of our therapists at Psychological Health and Wellness, meet with one of our psychotherapists and learn how our trauma counselors can help you live a life free from the suffering effects of anxiety, depression and trauma. We are located in Mesa, AZ.

It’s the unusual person that isn’t connected to someone or several people. The problem is that people that are feeling isolated and alone, and this is part of the depression, they tell themselves that they don’t have anybody in their life. They tell themselves they don’t have any network of connections outside of what they normally do. Because they tell themselves this they don’t see the opportunities that they could have.

Think about whom would you call if you had a flat tire or a dead battery? Those might be the same people you might want to call if it were nearing New Years Eve and you had no plans and are feeling kind of alone.

There are also lots of people that invite even pretty relative strangers or an acquaintance to come to a Christmas meal or another event because a lot of people don’t want to see their associates unattached during the holidays.

If you’d reach out to these people because your car is stalled or if you’d call them for a ride to work, if you had somebody that you would go and help if they’d call you, those would be the people that you may want to reach out to if you are feeling alone during the holidays.

If you are afflicted by the symptoms of depression we encourage you to call our office or schedule a complementary thirty minute consultation with one of our therapists at Psychological Health and Wellness, meet with one of our psychotherapists and learn how our trauma counselors can help you live a life free from the suffering effects of anxiety, depression and trauma. We are located in Mesa, AZ.

What they may find over the holidays is that a lot of their peers that they interact with on-line are not available during the holiday season and off-line and they realize that they are not as connected with people as they normally think they are and loneliness and feelings of isolation can kick in. A lot of times these people can find themselves feeling depressed, anxious and a lot of times just really lonely over the holidays.

The things that I would suggest is that they do to kind of deal with that, physical activity being one, is changing up what they do in their normal daily basis, changing their routine. Put themselves in places where there are a number of people. Put themselves in places where they can have pleasant experiences.

One suggestion to counter seasonal depression is to do some community work which is always productive and highly appreciated. In addition to that what we know is that people that do volunteerism get a tremendous boost to their self-worth and self-esteem and they feel connected.

I would recommend for people that suffer from seasonal depression around the holidays is to go out and serve in a soup kitchen to help the homeless or volunteer at a local hospital, they are always clamoring for people to visit during  the holidays, or volunteer at a nursing home. These kinds of things that put you out of your normal range of being self-absorbed really help people who are suffering from feelings of depression.

If you are afflicted by the symptoms of depression we encourage you to call our office or schedule a complementary thirty minute consultation with one of our therapists at Psychological Health and Wellness, meet with one of our psychotherapists and learn how our trauma counselors can help you live a life free from the suffering effects of anxiety, depression and trauma. We are located in Mesa, AZ.