DeKalb center offers help to those struggling with holiday blues

DeKALB – While the end-of-year holidays are known for bringing communities together, expert counselors say the season can be especially difficult for people who recently experienced trauma, or are going through grief or isolation.

Licensed counselor Suzanne Degges-White, a professor and chair of Northern Illinois University’s Department of Counseling and Higher Education, said people without the financial means to celebrate, those who are not celebrating family or friends, or are dealing with loss or trauma may find the the holidays difficult.

“If they’re dealing with grief, they may feel very much alone, and feel additional suffering from complicated grief or trauma,” Degges-White said.

Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center Behavioral Health Services Director Sabrina Nicholson said people often face personal challenges during the holidays and are impacted by financial stresses, grief and Seasonal Affective Disorder.

“So all of that really can contribute to just what anyone would expect to experience, which is that increase in anxiety and depression,” Nicholson said. “At times, sometimes that can escalate during crisis where we need a little bit of help.”

Northwestern Medicine’s Ben Gordon Center, 12 Health Services Drive, DeKalb, is a credible and growing resource for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis over the holidays, or at any other time of year.

Inside the Ben Gordon Center’s Living Room, clients – called guests by staff – can walk in at any hour of the day or night, any day of the week, every day of the year if they’re experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises and want help. Guests must be 18 or older and a DeKalb County resident, but do not need to make an appointment or be a registered client of the Ben Gordon Center.

Katie Sherman, the lead recovery support specialist for the center’s Living Room, said they’ve seen significant growth since expanding to 24/7 services in 2024.

As of Dec. 19, the Living Room has had 115 encounters with guests this month, whereas there were only 96 for all of December 2023.

In August 2023, 72 guests sought the Living Room’s services, this year there were 350, Sherman said.

“We’ve hit a kind of growth spurt here, and we’ll only surpass that as our numbers keep going for each day,” Sherman said. “Usually we’re over 200 for people coming in to talk to us in person.”

Sherman said it’s OK for people with not-so-merry feelings to feel how they feel, and that it’s not an uncommon thing.

“I think that entering this season a lot of people have similar feelings, however, everyone’s feelings are unique to that person,” Sherman said. “No one really has to go through that alone, and it’s totally OK to struggle with the holidays.”

DeKalb County residents can call or text 988, to reach out to the county’s crisis line, or 866-242-0111, which connects to the center’s mobile crisis response team.

Nicholson said people who are seeking help are able to stay in the center’s Living Room for up to 23 hours at a time and receive peer support from people who have gone through grief, trauma, addiction and other difficulties in life.

“These are trained peers, but they also have that ability to connect on that different level,” Nicholson said. “Sometimes, especially in this kind of season that’s exactly what we need.”

Nicholson, Sherman and Degges-White all agree that friends and family should look out for one another, and not be afraid to suggest seeking help when someone they know is experiencing isolation, grief, trauma or a mental health crisis.

While that help can often be found through medical practices, Degges-White said communities built by religion often bring people out of isolation. She also said helping others could be the key to finding internal happiness.

“We need to realize that the best way to bring joy to ourselves, or kind of help deal with depression, grief, is to help bring joy to others,” Degges-White said.

She says it’s who we are as a society.

“Human civilization is built on the good that we feel when we make other people feel good,” Degges-White said. “Finding ways to volunteer at the holidays is an amazing chance to put your own suffering to the side, and easing the suffering of others.”