填空题
For most of us, the purpose of the holidays is to bring peace, love and goodwill towards all. Yet, for many, the holiday season often means stress, fatigue, pressure, disappointment and loneliness.
These feelings, often known as the "holiday blues," may be even more 1 this year, due to the emotional turmoil of the past few months, not to 2 the unsteady economy.
Experts say even the more ritual tasks of shopping, 3 , late-night parties, cooking, planning and family 4 can be holiday stressors. In addition, the psychological phenomenon known as 5 affective disorder, or SAD, may bring a specific type of depression 6 to winter"s shorter days and longer nights.
"Certainly just because it"s the 7 which doesn"t mean people are going to be happy," says Dr. Doug Jacobs of Harvard University. "And 8 will be a particularly hard holiday for some who are dealing with a 9 job, debt, or even a lost loved one."
And with family reunions becoming less frequent 10 over the years, there is now the added pressure of getting just one 11 to get it all right. "Families are much more disparate now," says John Stutsman, a 12 psychologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
The 13 and sense of alienation that often results from family gatherings, he 14 , is actually a realization that "the fantasy is not met."
Still, say experts, the 15 should be addressed. The most essential step, says Stutsman, is for the individuals to 16 their feelings and the reason for their withdrawal. "Denial will only 17 the stress they"re feeling."
Stutsman also advises that 18 "avoidance is actually not such a bad idea." In some situations, fulfilling social 19 "may be self-destructive when the best thing may be to just stay home." The healthy 20 has to do with taking care of oneself.