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1. If you or someone you love suffers from mental illness one of the best things that you can do is to be understanding and compassionate. Mental disorders can make life difficult, and the holidays are a tough time even for those who do not have any mental disorders. If symptoms appear or worsen treatment should be sought as soon as possible.

2. The holiday season is full of stress, and stress can cause some forms of mental illness to worsen. Stress relief techniques and methods should be used as often as possible to keep your stress levels down. Don’t feel pressured to pack every minute of every day, make sure that you give yourself some down time to relax and unwind.

3. You may be tempted to stop any medications you are on for mental illness during the holidays but this is a bad idea. If medications are part of your treatment and they help if you stop taking them then you could end up being hospitalized during this time of year as a result. If the medicine doesn’t seem to work as well or you have symptoms that get more severe then you should discuss these issues with your mental health professional.

4. It is easy to feel overwhelmed during the holiday season, and this is true even for those without mental disorders. Make sure that you have an extensive support network so that there are people available if you need support.