Christmas & New Year 2017
Haemosexual wishes you a peaceful Christmas and New Year
Christmas is a time when many people get together with their families, friends and loved ones. The annual ritual of binge eating, drinking and festivities accompanied by commercial excesses is an extremely stressful and lonely period in the year. But for many the things we take for granted are not even an option open to them.
The information below from LGBT Foundation provides some tips to combat loneliness at Christmas
Advice Support & Information
Amongst older people, rates of chronic loneliness have remained steady since the 1940s; with 6-13% of people over the age of 65 reporting they feel lonely ‘all or most of the time’ according to the ONS. But it isn’t just those over 65 who experience a lack of social and support networks. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 18-34 year-olds are more likely to feel lonely more often, to worry about feeling alone, and to feel depressed because of loneliness than those over 55. Those, from all age groups, who report bad health are more likely to be socially isolated, and the research shows that LGBT people are more likely to be isolated and have poorer health outcomes.
Louie Stafford, LGBT Foundation’s Trans Programme Coordinator caught up with some of his friends, family and colleagues, many of whom are LGBT, and asked them what were their best tips for coping with loneliness and isolation. Not all these tips will work or be appropriate for everyone but as we are fast approaching this the Christmas period we wanted to give people some inspiration to think about how they might combat loneliness.
http://lgbt.foundation/news/tips-for-christmas—dealing-with-loneliness/132
- 25-34 year old males feel the loneliest at Christmas
- Unmarried men affected most
- Job security and attending Christmas parties amongst main worries
Though the festive period is arguably the busiest time of year, it seems that males aged 25+ suffer from loneliness, anxiety and a number of pressures at Christmas, new research from leading professionals in behavioural care, The Priory Group, has revealed.
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The information below from Mental Health Foundation offers some tips and support to assist everyone at Christmas who might need their valuable experience.
Christmas and mental health
Christmas can be a challenging time for our stress levels and it’s even harder for those of us with mental ill-health.
So many things that are part of our routines and we take for granted become disrupted by the change of pace in our lives.
Leaving all your preparations for Christmas until the last minute can cause unnecessary stress, but planning ahead can save you time and money. Making lists for jobs to do, presents to buy and groceries you’ll need helps to organise your thoughts, prevents you forgetting something (or someone) and makes it easier to stick to a budget.
Shopping online can save you even more money, as well as avoiding the stress and crowds of the Christmas shopping season. Give as You Live provides a price comparison search and donates money to charity when you shop at no extra cost to you, so you can save money on your Christmas shopping and support a good cause at the same time! Some online stores will even deliver as late as Christmas Eve and many offer Click and Collect services. If the expense of Christmas is causing you anxiety, you may find this advice from Money Saving Expert useful
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/c/christmas-and-mental-health
For more information on organisations offering advice and support please visit:
Have yourself a Haemosexual Christmas…
