Celebrating and Surviving the Holiday Season

This time of year can be full of mixed emotions for many people – joy, happy, sad, lonely, loving, anxious, wonder, depressed, and hope. We may be celebrating blessings, mourning for losses, and hoping for continued well being or changes in our lives for the future.

Any and all of these feelings may touch us during the holiday season. People may feel overwhelmed with emotions, especially those who are alone or not feeling well.

There is no magic answer to celebrating and surviving the holidays, but here are a few thoughts to consider.

• Whether you have epilepsy or are a loved one or caregiver, take care of yourself first. The hectic pace of the holidays can be exhausting and stressful. Too little sleep and more stress can make seizures worse and just lead to not feeling well!
• Pay attention to all your seizure triggers and do your best to pace yourself and avoid certain triggers. For example, if you are sensitive to flashing lights, patterns, or too much stimuli, be careful around some Christmas displays. Consider shopping in small stores rather than large stimulating malls.
• If you can’t drive or don’t have accessible transportation, try online shopping or, better yet, share your love and time with others. The holidays are not supposed to be about material goods.
• Recognize and take time to deal with mixed emotions. Talk with a trusted friend or counselor and make a plan on how to deal with your mixed feelings. How can you remember the good times and memories?
• Reflect on the meaning of holiday spirit. A little quiet time for this is so important!
• If you are on a special diet for epilepsy, make sure you can continue on the diet during this time. If you will be visiting someone, do they know your dietary needs or can you bring something with you to eat?
• Make sure you stay on your regular medicine schedule and take extra medicine with you if traveling. It’s always best to have some extra in case your travel plans change or you lose some medicine.
• Take a written copy of your Seizure Response Plan with you and a supply of rescue medicine or a VNS magnet if you have one. Review your plan with trusted people traveling with you. Then if seizures change or you have clusters while you are away, you’ll be prepared to manage these.
• Have the name and phone number of your health care team with you, just in case.
• Don’t let seizures get in the way of your plans if possible. Yet at the same time, be flexible. Can you change plans if needed? Is there a place for you to rest where you are going? Can you visit with friends or family online if you can’t see them in person?

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.