by Karen Chaffee

Created on: December 04, 2009

For some people, Christmas brings with it feelings of warmth and a sense of added togetherness with loved ones, while for others, the season tends to make lonliness or a sense of isolation stand out like the proverbial sore thumb. The reasons for this heightened sense of isolation vary, but the pain is universal in its reach.

-Why do some people feel more isolated during Christmas than any other time of year?

1. Geographical distance is one reason people can feel isolated at Christmas. If we're in one place and our loved ones in another, our minds tend to focus on memories of how it was in the past, and how lonely and different it is now.

2. The other side of the above coin is that one can feel isolated at Christmas, even among family and friends, if a special loved one is absent. The source of the absense could be due to a death, to someone having recently moved, to a child who has left for college, or a spouse that is in the military.

3. Any life-altering changes, even seeminly positive ones, can play a role in the sense of feeling isolated. Among these are things such as recently getting married, leaving for college, buying and moving into a new house, becoming a step parent, or a job promotion.

4. For those who suffer from depression or chronic health problems, illness can be the source of feeling isolated at Christmas time. The body or mind holds some people prisoner and prevents them from enjoying even the gatherings they do attend.

5. As with illness, old age can hinder one's enjoyment of the holidays. Hospitals, veterans' homes, facilities for the elderly, or outright homelessness can easily make people feel more isolated than ever at Christmas time.

-What can people do to feel less isolated at Christmas?

If geographical distance is the main factor for feeling isolated, one can connect with family and friends by telephone, by e-mail or snail mail, and by web cam over the computer. These are ways to indirectly feel connected with loved ones during the Christmas season.

Along these same lines, if the geographical move is recent, it's good to get acquainted with our new community. Christmas Eve church services, local Christmas parades, or doing volunteer work within a new community can make one feel less isolated. If it is a loved one who has recently moved, joined the military, or passed on, make efforts to ease the sense of isolation these things cause.

Send a care package to the child away at college, the soldier serving in the military, or the

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