Prolonged questioning by relatives can lead to “Lunar New Year holiday syndrome,” causing depression, panic attacks and sleeplessness, two experts said.
However, symptoms of the syndrome can also appear before and after the Lunar New Year holiday, such as physical pains from pre-holiday housecleaning bouts, said Chang Tzyh-chyang (張自強), director of Bali Psychiatric Center’s occupational therapy department.
After the holiday, some people might have trouble focusing on their jobs and at school, experience a lack of energy or motivation and report headaches, stomachaches and other physical ailments, Chang said.
These symptoms usually gradually ease as people resume their normal schedules, but if they persist to where they are severely affecting your life or interactions with others, then medical advice should sought, he said.
If you are worried about family members asking too many personal questions, try to reduce potential awkwardness by letting your families know ahead of time about your relationship and job status, he said.
If that is unlikely to stave off questions, then postponing trips home or traveling abroad could be good options, Chang added.
Hou Te-bin (侯德斌), a psychiatrist at Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, said people should try to keep a normal schedule, eat a balanced diet and exercise during the holiday if they have had trouble readjusting after the holidays.
To avoid conflicts during the holiday, they should learn to communicate with their family members on a regular basis, Hou said.
“If people really cannot communicate with certain family members or have different values, they should think ahead about strategies to cope with the situation or try to avoid awkward encounters,” he said.
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