Support for Tennesseans facing grief, loss during holiday season

By Danielle Smith, Tennessee News Service

‘Tis the season for celebration and good cheer. However, for many Tennesseans, the absence of a loved one, whether through death, divorce or another painful separation, can make this time of year feel almost unbearable.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of people with depression report the holidays make them feel worse.

Dr. Ibrahim Sablaban, a psychiatrist and addiction medicine physician with Corewell Health in Michigan, said sadness is one of the most universal human emotions, and should be embraced.

“The worst thing somebody can do is really try to suppress feeling human; really suppress feeling lonely, feeling sad, feeling a sense of loss,” Sablaban advised. “It’s very easy to say, ‘Oh, I need to get my mind off of so-and-so who passed away’ but that’s not the healthy way forward.”

If you or someone you know in Tennessee is facing a mental health crisis, help is available 24/7. You can call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for free and confidential support.

Sablaban recommended those experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder to try sharing emotions with trusted family and friends, and reflecting on happy memories of loved ones.

“To be able to embrace the traditions and the things that you shared with that individual, even if they’re not in your presence,” Sablaban suggested. “To be able to keep those things alive.”

Mental health professionals also emphasized while family traditions can provide comfort and remembrance, it is OK to let them go if they become too painful. Explore new ways to celebrate and over time, new traditions will naturally evolve.