I'll Have a Blue Christmas Without You...

It is said that the holiday season is the worst time of the year for depression. A popular song calls it "the most wonderful time of the year." Yet because of our highly mobile society many people find themselves living far away from those they love. Perhaps people have high expectations for Christmas celebrations, but the reality does not meet up to their dreams or wishes.

We might think that homeless or unemployed people would be prime targets of depression. However, the truth is that no profession or class of people is exempt from depression. Surprisingly, even those in the "helping" professions are prone to it. Here is a brief excerpt from a book called Emerging from Depression by William Rabior (Liguori Publications). The words are from a conversation between a psychologist and a priest.

"Over the years I've treated a good many priests for depression. In fact, depression seems quite common in that profession."

When I asked him why, he looked at me reflectively. "There is probably no single reason," he replied, "because depression occurs when a number of factors converge. For example, priests are alone a lot and may not feel supported or affirmed. Sometimes they drink too much. Or it could be a combination of a lot of things: too many transfers, too much work, too little genuine intimacy with too much loneliness, too many demands on too little resources."

How many of us who are not priests can identify with these problems? Depression is something that just creeps up on us and if not dealt with it only gets worse and worse. I admit that I have experienced periods of depression resulting from the loss of a very close friend and from living alone after I moved halfway across the country.

What helped me was getting involved with a musical performance group. I am a trained musician, but I had set music aside because I felt so burned-out by the demands on my time for practice and performing. After a while when I realized what was happening, I joined a new chorus and started to come alive again. Now I know how important it is to have music in my life.

I close with a few signs of depression that Rabior points out toward the end of his book. If you identified with the characteristics above and are experiencing any of the following symptoms, I encourage you to seek help from a physician or counselor - especially at this time of year.

Sleep disturbances - insomnia, sleeping too much, waking too early.
Decreased or increased appetite with weight changes.
Thoughts of death.
Guilt, shame, worthlessness, loss of self-esteem.
No interest is activities you normally like.
Decreased energy, exhaustion, fatigue, listlessness.
Aches and pains that have no cause or remedy.
Irritability.
Social withdrawal and isolation.