Hopefully, all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the least amount of familial dysfunction at the dinner table! This time of year can be difficult for all of us for various reasons, but for those with mental illness, this time of the year can be additionally stressful due to the increased familial expectations, travel, possible lack of access to therapeutic services, etc. If you or someone you know falls in to this category, consider the tips offered by Lio, Ada (2010) at About.com:
- If you are on medications, continue to take them as prescribed.
- Make sure you have sufficient refills and request them in enough time to avoid any holiday-based pharmacy closures.
- If you travel with medications, consider current rules and guidelines to avoid possible problems…some tips available here. https://www.verywellhealth.
com/tips-for-traveling-with- prescription-drugs-48805 - Ensure recognition of stressors and access to some stress relief…consider some tips here. https://www.verywellmind.com/
understanding-and-managing- holiday-stress-3145230
While Thanksgiving is over, consider the above points for yourself or loved ones during Christmas/New Year/Other holidays and hopefully they help everyone to enjoy the holidays to the fullest…best wishes.
By Shahzad Chaudhry, LMFT
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Phone: (661) 371-2525
8329 Brimhall Rd. Building 800 Suite 804, Bakersfield, CA 93312
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