For another year, that's all there is to it. We're sure you had a wonderful time with your family and friends, but what if you didn't? Because, despite what we're told and marketed, the holiday season is for many of us the least enjoyable time of the year. Have you ever tried communal gluttony while suffering from an eating disorder? Or going to Christmas drinks while under the influence of alcohol? It'll be awful if you've been bereaved because of who isn't there, and it'll be painful if you've been abused because of who is. There's nothing like group happiness to confirm what appears to be individual misery: the 'everyone's having fun except me' effect, if you will.
It's enough to send anyone straight to therapy, but private therapy is expensive (once you get past the waiting lists), and NHS therapy tends to be brief - so what are you expected to do in the meantime? With the rise of accounts operated by professional therapists, Instagram, which has long been viewed as a pantomime villain in the mental health theatre, may now be a vital and immediate source of therapeutic help for anyone in need.
If sending memes to friends provides a lighthearted affirmation of their difficulties, therapy account content provides a more serious confirmation. While a meme is always welcome, the latter are more akin to care gifts for anyone in need. Of course, Instagram will never be a substitute for in-person counselling, but it comes remarkably close - and in 2022, we could all use a little more self-awareness.
In case the algorithm has yet to bless you: