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Show teajft Mil UNDERSTANDING YOUR HOLIDAY BLUES It happens to Mary K. HrP, every year. The wreaths, J YTV? N Christmas carols and gift- E L ji v .AV"l giving trigger painful mem- x3.4rl HV, ', jfy ories and depression. As A" - ' ' !i y friends and family members C'A4' VjL TTj anticipate the festivities, Mary's depression grows. fstjff flJT 1 The holiday season becomes ?'f'J6f I y J a burden almost too great WJi' f JL f jj for her to bear. Mary's case is not an iso- tention. Positive changes in lated one. Psychiatrists your life, such as new friend-know friend-know the number of docu- ships to replace missing mented cases of depression ones, may eliminate your rises significantly during the blues completely. But for Christmas and New Year's some the depression is period. They point to a severe and persistent enough number of reasons which to require psychiatric care explain why the holiday sea- and even hospitalization, son is an emotional hurdle Appropriate attention and for many pre-holiday counseling is Thanksgiving, Christmas recommended. By reaching and New Year's are "time the root of your depression, machines" because they take you may lend a happier and us back to childhood more satisfying life all year feelings of hostility, resent- round. ment or insecurity. In- Medicines, such as tran-creased tran-creased time spent with quilizers and antidepres-family antidepres-family members during the sants, have greatly enhanced holidays may cause you to treatment of severe depres-dwell depres-dwell on these feelings, sion. Since the introduction especially if your childhood of these drugs in the mid-memories mid-memories are not happy fifties, the number of ones. patients confined to mental The absence of a family hospitals has decreased by member due to death or more than half. I'harmareu- separation is painfully ob- tical advances help keep vious during this time of people out oT hospitals, al- year and can also result in lowing them to continue to anxiety and depression. be active, productive mem- If you are a person who bers of society in spite of is often "down," you may their illness. be unable to cope With the The National l'harmiirutlral pressure exerted by society Council, a nonprofit oriinnl- ir i ration, provlrlpi Information to enjoy oneself during the ;,,out n'p,lh loplr. ,.,rvi,:r t holiday season. If your c,in,um,rl, if Vou hv r, u t i. . n mood is not joyous, you are about your health, or merlirirn- considered a Scrooge at best. Most holiday depressions mrtl Ntm,l Pharmarnitlral are mild enough that they r,unril. Inc.. I .'to I r.i h sim.-t An. r,r.t ,.,,! rv,-l-.l t- N W.. WalhlnK ton, DC. iil. |