The holidays are often the most stressed time of year. This is because expectations are extremely high, and people are over extended. Depression can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Depression and stress can occur at any time of the year but the holiday season can help to push people from healthy to stress ridden, and deeply sad.

1. Christmas is a time of gift giving and holiday meals and trips.This causes added stress to a person's immune system, and mental health. Financial pressures can be the main cause of marital problems, physical health strains, and panic attacks. Family members expect gifts under the tree, and Christmas turkey on the table. Financial stress is over extended in this shaky economy causing a breakdown of a person's overall health.

2. Family pressure is heightened during the holiday season. Families often live apart for many days of the year, and often have different lifestyles. People in families can have various personality types that often do mix well even over cranberry sauce or festive holidays. Elders in the families like to give the young adults often unwanted advice. This can lead to psychological pressure and unneeded anxiety.

3. Social pressure is particularly ignored during the holiday season. There are large amounts of single people in this country. Adults without children or significant others can develop emotional stress during the holiday season. Festivities and parties are often geared toward or families. If a person is not in this category it might lead to a temporary sense of inadequacy which can last longer than just a few months.

4. Christmas can also be a time that causes people to feel stressed on a societal level. Religion or belief systems often plays an important role in the dynamic of a person's well-being. Some faiths or philosophies do not believe in celebrating Christmas, or they choose to celebrate in ways that are not endorsed by mainstream society. Churches and schools often celebrate the holidays in very collective ways. If your faith or belief system celebrates differently than the mainstream world this can cause friction in families especially with young children who are striving for normalcy, and at very young ages want to be like everyone else around them.

The holiday season can be a time of happiness and joy, but it can also be a time of frustration and pain. It is important as people to remember that, and try to remove stress when we see the signs manifesting in our friends and families.