The holidays are suppose to be a joyous time filled with family and friends and holiday parties. We are bombarded with advertising images that tell us that if you are not joyously happy during this season than you are doing something wrong. But for many people the holidays are not a time to celebrate. For many seniors the holidays are a lonely time filled more with memories of better days than the celebration at hand.

For many seniors the holidays draw attention to the fact they are alone, perhaps have lost a spouse or their children have moved away and the whole world seems to be celebrating without them. During this busy holiday season sometimes people are so busy shopping and wrapping and baking that they forget the people in their lives. Often times seniors are unable to get out and take part in a number of holiday traditions and festivities due to poor health or a lack of transportation so they are isolated during this season.

The Holiday Blues can be easily triggered during the holiday season due to poor health, being alone during the holidays, comparing the holidays of today to the holidays of the past, remembering loved ones passed, and financial troubles. Many seniors have spouses, sibling or parents who have passed making the holidays even more painful and emotional for some. Holidays come with an expectation of family and fun and when that does not happen many seniors become lonely and depressed.

In order to combat the holiday blues families should make an effort to include seniors in their holiday celebration. Phone calls and visits can make seniors feel less isolated and more a part of the holiday season. Help seniors with their holiday shopping to make it less stressful and as an opportunity to spend more time with them. Helping to decorate a senior's home can help alleviate loneliness and help seniors avoid accidents while putting up decorations. Physical activity helps to combat stress and depression in us all and is good for our physical heath. Make sure to monitor your alcohol intake, as alcohol is a depressive and will only worsen signs of depression.

For seniors who have lost loved ones or have moved to an assisted living facility or moved in with relatives they may find they have lost their social network, which will be more acutely noticed during the holiday season. For many seniors they may not notice the signs of depression. They may chalk it up to declining health or they were brought up in an era where people did not talk about their emotions and feel they need to pick themselves up by their own bootstraps.

Depression is not just feeling sad, in fact some people may not know that they are feeling depressed or down instead they will have a number of physical symptoms. People who are depressed usually are tired, have a loss of appetite, mood swings, have anxiety, irritable, loss of pleasure in activities, lack of energy, pacing, changes in sleep pattern, inability to concentrate, and frequent tearfulness. Holiday Blues should not be taken lightly and if they persist people should see their doctors to figure out the best course of treatment. Depression is a medical condition that can seriously affect your health and the quality of your life.

For seniors who are in grief the holidays bring even greater challenges filled with loss and emotion. Feeling sad or angry or alone is to be expected in grief so seniors need to take care of themselves. Do not feel you have to follow tradition,do what will make the holidays easier for you. If you want to memorialize you lost loved one think of creating a memory tree where everyone brings an ornament in the persons memory or set a special place at the dinner table where people can leave notes, make a donation to your favorite charity or adopt a family for the holidays. Allow yourself to heal but if you need help remember family, friends and professionals are available to give you a helping hand to deal with the pain of loss and the blues that can come from this emotional season filled with many expectations.

Sarah Lemnah writes on senior issues for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. This article originally appeared in the Burlington Free Press.