Weight gain, hair loss, sleepless nights:  This is the real Christmas season–the gift of stress and anxiety over gift-giving and fun.

Most people think of the holiday season as being a joyous, carefree time. With all of the gift-giving and family gatherings, this isn’t necessarily the case. According to the American Psychological Association, 81% of people experience an increase in stress around the holidays, including strained wallets and relationships.

Even before the Thanksgiving turkey is cold, family members rush out to stores to purchase presents and holiday decorations. This increase in spending can cause more harm than good. A sizable amount of one’s income vanishes during the November and December months. According to Business Insider, in the United States, the average working person spends about $704.18 on gifts. The gifts aren’t the only expense. The average amount spent on candy and food alone is $96.75. With these expenses, it’s not only the gift that keeps on giving, but people’s wallets as well.

For families who don’t have the money to provide Christmas presents, this is difficult. Of course, there are charities and organizations like Toys for Tots and The Salvation Army that attempt to help these people. What they cannot help them with is their sense of inadequacy and guilt at not being able to buy gifts for their children, family members, and significant others.

The City of Frederick Enumeration Report says that in 2013, there were 275 people claiming to be homeless. Of these 275 individuals, there were 38 families and 65 children. It’s difficult to play Santa without the basic necessities.

In high school, students with girlfriends/boyfriends feel the pressure of finding the perfect item to express how much they mean to them. Whether it’s a T-Shirt featuring their favorite band or a batch of the cookies they love most, the worries and concerns about pleasing this significant other can be too much for some to handle. It’s rare that students can afford the “dream” gift they think the other person would like.

The stress of spending also comes into play with family parties and outings. Some families have a hard time coming together due to the distances between them and varying views on politics, etc. This leads to frustration bred by dinners and parties at which they are forced together. The frustration also affects those that are not directly involved in the conflict yet have to be around it.

Many family members, whether it’s a parent or a grandparent, may have high expectations for the way their Christmas pans out. This can lead to frustration when something proves to be imperfect and different from their visions. Many people, especially parents, get upset about this and often get unhappy because of it.

Along with anger because of plans gone awry, some people don’t have family to spend the holidays with and, due to this, experience extreme feelings of loneliness. This loneliness can lead to depression (or if already an issue, strengthen its effects).

The activities surrounding New Years also lead to depression. Making resolutions can prove difficult for many people, whether they wish to change their appearance, direction in life, or relationship status. This pressure can pile onto the stress caused by Christmas, Hanukkah, and other winter holidays.

According to Psychology Today, in order to endure the holiday stress it is important to understand that not everything planned is going to be perfect and one should try to avoid overspending and also take a step back to relax every now and then. As Linus from A Charlie Brown Christmas would advise, “try to keep it simple.”