(Washington Insider Magazine) -If you know someone who needs it, please call the RAIN One Stop program at (718) 239-4358.
For most of our community, this holiday season is a time for joy and celebration. But we must not forget those who, for various reasons, do not have a good time.
“These parties represent family togetherness,” says Dr. Anderson Torres, “and lead some people to reflect on loved ones who, for one reason or another, are not with us. That can have a strong emotional impact.”
Background of Dr. Torres
Dr. Torres is the Executive Director of RAIN, Inc. an organization of our Hispanic Federation that since 1964 provides various services to people over 60 years of age throughout the city through 14 day centers, home care services and housing , and case management, among others.
“The absence of someone in the home,” Anderson Torres explains, “can also have an economic impact, and that economic predicament can manifest itself in depression or anxiety.”
In addition, as the years go by, the elderly lose family and friends and may become more and more isolated, which contrasts with the spirit of celebrations and gatherings this season of the year. And, of course, the long months of the COVID-19 pandemic deepened the isolation and loneliness.
But Dr. Torres says that it is necessary – and possible – to combat the Christmas blues.
“First of all,” he explains, “you have to take inventory of how you feel. RAIN staff are trained to help people identify these problems, from poor appetite to suicidality. And once symptoms are identified, they can refer people to one of the many resources available.”
In addition to the symptoms the RAIN Director mentioned, the holiday blues – and other forms of depression and anxiety – can manifest themselves in excessive consumption of food or drink, or lack of sleep or sleeping too much. Also high blood pressure and palpitations, digestive or respiratory problems, and many more real or psychosomatic illnesses.
“RAIN was recently called by the daughter of a man who not long ago lost his wife after 60 years of marriage,” says Dr. Torres. “Her daughter told us that her father missed her, cried for her, lived isolated, depressed. And she asked us if we could do something for him. We recommend one of our day centers, and the man accepted. In this way he began to reorganize his life. It is not that he is going to forget his wife of so many years, but now he is surrounded by other people who can give him support, who can give meaning to his existence ”.
If you need help from RAIN Inc., or if you know someone who needs it, please call the RAIN One Stop phone number at (718) 239-4358.
“That”, Dr. Torres ends by saying, “is the number the woman called worried about her father, who is already recovering”.
And if you need more information about the Hispanic Federation and its organizations, call our toll-free, bilingual information line at (866) 432-9832 or visit http://www.hispanicfederation.org.
Merry Christmas, and until the next column!
This article is authored by Frankie Miranda.