Holiday travel, closed offices and packed schedules are when medications get missed and appointments slip. A little planning before Thanksgiving helps protect your mental health through the new year.
Why the holidays disrupt care
Thanksgiving week is when routines fall apart. Offices and pharmacies close or keep short hours, you're traveling or hosting, and meals, sleep and bedtimes all shift. In Colorado, add the weather: a storm or a closed mountain pass can keep you away from your pharmacy or your usual routine for a day or two.
Small gaps, like a missed refill, a skipped dose or an appointment pushed to January, add up. They're also easy to prevent with a little planning.
Your pre-Thanksgiving checklist
Work through this in the week or two before the holiday:
☐ Count how many days of each medication you have left, and ask for refills early enough that holiday closures can't catch you
☐ Check your pharmacy's Thanksgiving week hours
☐ Book your next appointment now, before the holiday rush fills the calendar
☐ If you're traveling, pack medications in your carry-on, in their original containers, with a few extra days' supply in case a storm or flight delay keeps you away longer
☐ Ask your provider how to handle dose timing if you'll cross time zones
☐ Confirm your provider can see you from where you'll be (see the telehealth section below)
☐ Save your provider's contact information and 988 in your phone
☐ Pick one person you can text if the day gets hard, and decide in advance how you'll step away for a break
☐ Plan for sleep: keep your usual bedtime as close as you can
Don't skip or stop your medication on your own
Running out of medication over a holiday weekend is one of the most avoidable problems on this list. A clinical review of antidepressant discontinuation notes that skipping doses or stopping suddenly raises the risk of discontinuation symptoms. They can start within hours, though more often they show up over days, and they can last weeks to months.
Common symptoms include flu-like feelings, trouble sleeping, nausea, dizziness, unusual sensations such as "brain zaps," and anxiety or agitation. The risk varies by medication, with some leaving the body faster and causing more trouble when they're interrupted, so ask your provider about yours.
If you run out or miss several doses, call your provider instead of waiting until after the holiday. And if you're thinking about stopping or changing a medication, that's a conversation for your provider first. The review recommends gradual tapers guided by a clinician rather than stopping all at once.
Traveling? Check the telehealth rules first
If you're staying home in Colorado, a virtual visit means a snowstorm doesn't cancel your appointment. If you're traveling to see family, there's one rule to know about: telehealth generally depends on where you are physically during the visit, not just where your provider is based.
One telehealth provider's patient guidance explains that a provider must be licensed or legally permitted to practice where you are during the session. If they aren't, they generally shouldn't assess, diagnose or treat you there. A telepsychiatry compliance fact sheet adds that some states have limited exceptions, such as continuity-of-care rules for established patients, so the answer can vary by state.
Before you leave:
Tell your provider where you'll be and for how long
Ask whether they can see you there and, if not, what the plan is for the gap
Check with your insurer whether your coverage applies in the state you're visiting
Getting through the gatherings
The holidays are stressful for a lot of people, not just those with a diagnosis. In an American Psychiatric Association poll fielded in November 2025, 41% of U.S. adults said they expected more holiday stress than the year before, up from 28% in 2024. Challenging family dynamics worried 32% of respondents, and loneliness worried 31%.
A few things make a real difference:
Be careful with alcohol. Mayo Clinic advises against combining alcohol with antidepressants. Alcohol can undermine the medication over time, make depression and anxiety harder to treat, and add to drowsiness. Don't skip a dose so you can drink, either. Ask your provider what's safe for you, and keep a non-alcoholic option in your hand so you're not answering the question all night.
Protect your sleep. Late nights, travel and a different bed can all knock your routine off. Aim for your usual bedtime, even on the biggest day.
Plan your exits. Decide ahead of time how you'll step away for a walk or a quiet room, and who you'll text if the day gets heavy.
Limit the topics you can't control. You're allowed to change the subject or leave a conversation that isn't going anywhere.
When to reach out
Contact your provider, ideally before the holiday, if you notice any of these:
You're running low on medication, or you've missed several doses
Your mood has been low, or your anxiety has been up, for two weeks or more
Your sleep or appetite has changed noticeably
You're dreading the holidays in a way that's hard to shake
You're considering stopping or changing your medication
If you're having thoughts of suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 right now. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is open 24/7, and you don't need to wait for an appointment.
Mae Mental Wellness is a virtual psychiatric practice that sees Colorado, New Hampshire, Montana, and Florida patients by telehealth, so you can plan care from home without worrying about the roads.
If you want to get medications, appointments and support lined up before Thanksgiving, contact Mae Mental Wellness to schedule a psychiatric visit. Visit our services page to learn more about what we diagnose and treat.
Cover photo courtesy of Pexels.com.
