All about Birthday Blues, Know the Symptoms and Causes
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VIVA – Usually, when it comes to birthdays, some people will feel happy to welcome their birthday. However, it turns out that some people will feel sad, not interested, or even not thinking about birthdays, this situation is called Birthday Blues.
In addition to experiencing sadness, the Birthday Blues include feelings of low self-esteem or being stuck in the past, as well as anything that hasn't been achieved so far. As quoted from verywellmind.com, this feeling may appear in the days leading up to the birthday, on the D Day, and a few days after.
dr. Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist says that the birthday blues are a type of mental health disorder. However, it does not mean that individuals do not experience depression or sadness during birthdays.
“It (birthday blues) can be associated with other mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety. For someone who has a history of depression, it is not uncommon for them to experience sadness around their birthday as well,” dr. Ernesto explained.
Potential Causes of Birthday Blues
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Several factors cause a person to experience the birthday blues because of a bitter experience on a birthday when experiencing something difficult.
“For some people, it could be related to previous negative experiences with birthdays. Others may reflect on their lives and may not feel where they want to be at a certain age. For others, birthdays come at a time when they are experiencing something difficult,” dr. Ernesto explained.
dr. Ernesto added that if someone has been traumatized in their life, they may experience a birthday as a trigger, depending on the context and duration of the time they experienced the trauma.
Potential causes of a person experiencing the birthday blues include depression, anxiety, fear of growing old, and a history of family drama on birthdays during childhood. According to dr. Ernesto all of these reasons are normal and valid.
Symptoms of Birthday Blues
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Certain signs may remind someone of experiencing someone experiencing grief on a birthday.
Mood swings persist and last for a few days around the birthday feeling down, or sad than usual, reflecting on the past and unachieved goals, stressed about how much time you have left to live, and not having much energy or motivation to do something.
Also, lack of interest in doing anything you normally enjoy, changes in appetite, difficulty focusing or concentrating, disinterest in celebrating birthdays, and desire to isolate oneself.
How to Handle Birthday Blues
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1. Practice Self-awareness and Compassion
According to dr. Ernesto, realizing that experience and being kind to yourself is an important factors.
“If we increase awareness of our feelings, we can approach feelings with compassion. We can calm down and improve ourselves that we are human and feel various emotions,” dr. Ernesto said.
2. Talk about Experiences with Someone who Trust
Express your feelings to a friend or family member. Someone you know may be going through the same thing, which can validate and confirm hearing your story. However, being open about your feelings with someone can provide some relief.
3. Prepare for your Birthday with Healthy Activities
According to dr. Ernesto, doing things that make you feel connected to others or yourself and preparing for your upcoming birthday can reduce the intensity of sadness. However, prioritize activities that make you feel good and lead to improved emotional, physical, and mental health.
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