Why is it that shortly before my birthday I feel so low,depressed,sick and ideation worsens..

[Still here]

Hello pals,

Please consider the title above.. A few days before my birthday I tend to fall sick and feel miserable all the time, i am demotivated the whole day even simple tasks like eating feels like hell let alone going to work... I also have like flashbacks,things that happened in the past and I turn out to be too suicidal.. is this normal??? Or it could be some underlying issue......

 

[Imeavie]

Birthdays can be a time of depression much like any other holiday for many of the same reasons.

This is a time to be celebrated, and happy with friends, and family. Those without a romantic partner, who have lost, or lack friends/family will have these issues highlighted for them.

Birthdays are also unique among other holidays which makes them potentially more devastating for people who are going through difficult times.

A birthday is a day that of course signifies the passing of time. You are made aware that another year has went by, and the suffering persists, and that it's seemingly never going to end.

However, a birthday most importantly is a day about you. This is the one day of the entire year that is dedicated to celebrating the fact that you're alive. The one day you should be happier than any other.

When a birthday is not celebrated, when it is ignored by others, when it is not special, or happy, then it serves as a painful reminder of your suffering. If you are not happy, or acknowledged on a day dedicated to you, then everything falls into a negative perspective.

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Conclusion: It is common for people to be sad around their birthdays, and it can be for a variety of reasons. If you are sad around your birthday, then there is something in your life that you are unhappy with. I know that's a "duh" for here, but it's universally true.

 

[Forever Sleep]

I get like this around birthdays too. I think because they are such a pivitol time to celebrate life and having been born, when I detest life and wish I hadn't been born! What's there to celebrate? It was the start of all my problems.

Both new years and birthdays tend to make me reflective, which is depressing. It's rare I'm all that proud of what I achieved that year or any other.

Plus, as Imeavie pointed out, all holiday celebrations tend to be family times. If we have dysfunctional families, it tends to highlight that.

In itself, I don't think it's abnormal for someone who is already unhappy with life to be especially unhappy around those times. If you used to enjoy those times though and this is coming as a shock, I suppose it may be a symptom of something like depression.