Linda GeorgeProfessor, Duke University Department of Sociologyhttp://fds.duke.edu/db/aas/Sociology/faculty/lkg
George is a sociologist interested in social psychology, aging and adult development, medical sociology and family relationships. Her recent research examines the social precursors of depression, the effects of stress on health and the relationships between religion and health.
Quote:
"Stress takes two distinct forms before and during the holidays. The most common form is the stress that accompanies trying to prepare everything for a ‘perfect' holiday -- decorating, shopping, cooking, wrapping presents, etc. The predominant response to this pressure is anxiety - -- feeling overwhelmed, tense, experiencing sleep problems, and irritability.
"The second stressful scenario occurs for people who find themselves alone or lonely during the holidays. There is a special sadness that often accompanies being alone at the holidays, when others seem to have houses full of relatives and the mass media intimates that every family is like the Waltons. The dominant response for these folks is depression.
"After the holidays, many people experience a significant letdown because their holiday experience did not meet their expectations. The same people who were extending themselves beyond reasonable limits to create the perfect holiday are now discouraged because they feel that their efforts stopped short of perfection.
"All of this is unnecessary suffering. But many -- maybe most -- of us have unrealistic expectations for ourselves and for others during the holidays."