The festive season is a time to take a break and celebrate with the ones you love. But for people with diverse sexuality and gender it can also be a time when we are reminded of our diversity and sometimes feel more lonely and isolated from our family if they are not understanding or supportive, or if we are not out to them.

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The festive season has been found to be a time of higher stress for many people with some of the pressures that come from end of year tasks, costs, and juggling family obligations and dynamics. Death, separation, divorce, remarriage, and job-related separations cause many individuals to feel a dissonance with the traditional holiday-related values, so this may also increase the stress through the festive season.

Whenever possible, put more energy into relationships or activities that make you feel good and allow you to de-stress. When you feel stressed or depressed there are options for getting support. As a community we need to support each other to cope with stress and depression. Here are some tips from www.beyondblue.org.au for doing that;

Top Tips: Practical ways to help someone with depression

DO – you can help someone by:

• Spending time talking about their experiences
• Indicating that you’ve noticed a change in their behaviour
• Letting them know you’re there to listen without being judgmental
• Suggesting they see a doctor or mental health professional
• Assisting them to make an appointment and/or going with them to see a doctor or mental health professional
• Asking how their appointment went
• Talking openly about depression and assisting them to find information
• Encouraging them to exercise, eat well and become involved in social activities
• Keeping in touch and encouraging close friends and family to do the same

DON’T – it’s unhelpful to:

• Pressure them to ‘snap out of it’, ‘get their act together’ or ‘cheer up’
• Stay away or avoid them
• Tell them they just need to stay busy or get out more
• Pressure them to party more or wipe out how they’re feeling with drugs or alcohol
• Assume the problem will just go away.

For more information about depression, the effective treatments available and how to help someone visit www.beyondblue.org.au or call Lifeline’s Just Ask information line on 1300 13 11 14.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, for urgent assistance call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (local call).

GLCS’s Counselling line 9420 7201 (metro) or 1800 184 527 (country) will remain open on weeknights 7-10pm through the holidays (excluding Public holidays).

The Freedom Centre’s drop-in centre will be closed from Sat 20th Dec 2008 until Wed 7th Jan 2009, however the forum (at www.freedom.org.au for people under 26 with diverse sexuality and gender) will be live and moderated throughout the festive season.

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Dani Wright, Freedom Centre Coordinator