Seasonal Anxiety Disorder

Dear Dr. LeCrone:

I think that I suffer from a problem that I have labeled Seasonal Anxiety Disorder. My anxiety goes up during the time between mid-October and early January because of fear. It is the fear of losing control of my eating and weight, my spending and budget, and my time and schedule.

My problem becomes a vicious cycle because as I become more anxious, I eat more, spend more and begin to run around in circles. Please help.

-A reader in Illinois

Dear Reader:

You have pinpointed a problem many people experience during the holiday season. In a nutshell, the boundaries that we have successfully set for ourselves during other parts of the year are weakened and sometimes crumble.
Food surrounds us during much of the fall and winter months. Parties, family gatherings, and gifts of tasty morsels are ever present. When you couple these occasions with a decrease in exercise, which often occurs during this time of year, your weight spirals upward.

High expectations about remembering and pleasing friends and family with gifts are escalated by advertising everywhere you look. Ordering off he Web or by phone, and swiping your credit card at the checkout counter make spending a breeze. When the bills come in after the first of the year, you are financially challenged.

Too much to do and too little time to do it during the holiday season can result in physical and psychological “meltdown.” Parties, open houses and family gatherings become numerous. Saying no is often difficult.

Let’s face it. None of this is bad when practiced in moderation. However, moderation in a society which promotes all-you-can-eat buffets, shop-til-you-drop spending and don’t-slow-down-or-you-will-lose-the race mentality, leaves little room to set healthy boundaries.

Unless you are willing to back away from the way you have always done things and re-evaluate your priorities, you will go down the same path you have traveled before.

Can you resist following the crowd, keeping up with your peers, and trying to please everyone? Is being fat, broke and tired the smart thing to do?

Try something different this year. You may just love the results.