depression

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Depression During Holiday Season Should be Taken Seriously

December 8, 2009 in Depression & Anxiety by Evelyn Wenzel

For many people, “Happy Holidays” and “Merry Christmas” don’t esist.  , Whether they are lonely and without family, grief-stricken from a recent loss, associate the holidays with bad memories, many people’s depression deepens or they begin their annual depression associated with the holidays.

There are many ways to combat this depression. Increasing exercise, looking to see if there are nutritional issues, engaging in social interactions with safe people, and taking dietary supplements are just a few ways to help improve your outlook.

Depression is a serious disorder, though there are many uninformed people who believe that someone can decide not to be depressed and they simply won’t be. Depression involves complicated neurochemical issues in the brain and won’t be resolved by simply “bucking up”.

In a November 2009 edition of Dr. Amen’s (a man famous for helping nonbiology majors understand the functions of the brain through brain scanning) newsletter stated that depression increased the risk of death as much as smoking. It also indicated that in studies on cancer patients, that those who were depressed had a 39% higher death rate than those patients without cancer.

Again, depression is very treatable and no one should have to suffer from this debilitating disorder. Cognitive therapy, medication, and addunjtive therapies all can help people live depression free.

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Depression: Learning to Fight the “Beast”

August 31, 2009 in Depression & Anxiety by Evelyn Wenzel

Depressed? Lonely? Feeling like you could sit in a chair and let the world go by? One of the best books that I have read on the topic of depression is Depression: Challenge the beast within you. . . and win. When it comes to books written for depressed people, this book is unique. The pages are filled with pertinent pictures with little text. This is great because when you are really depressed, it is difficult to focus and concentrate. Understanding this, the author breaks the information down into easily read and understood sections.

This book teaches the depressed person how to fight against the “beast”. The pictures do such a good job illustrating depression, “the beast”, that the image of the beast remains long after the book is finished. This book is a must have if you have ever struggled with depression!

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Tips to Combat the Holiday Blues

March 31, 2009 in Depression & Anxiety by admin

Whether someone has lost a loved one, has a house in foreclosure, or gone through a divorce, Christmas is an especially difficult time of year. Loss, death, separation, and divorce issues seem especially painful during the holiday season. At a time when people focus on their family and relatives, it accentuates the depth of many people’s pain.

This year many people have lost their jobs and have the added stress of worrying about how they are going to keep food on the table and pay their mortgage. Depression, sadness, Remembering the “happy” times compared to the present can create depression, sadness, anxiety, and loneliness.

So knowing that this is a very difficult time, what are some steps that can help?

o Forget the expectation of what is “supposed” to happen and decide what you want to experience during the holiday season. Take charge of your life!
o Exploring past memories may create a spiral into depression. Both happy and sad memories can do this! If focusing on these memories trigger depression, focus on experiencing the moment and give yourself permission to feel a wide range of emotions.
o Create new traditions. Often expressions of holiday traditions involve painful connections to loss. Creating new ones can make the holidays tolerable. If a family member died, decide if it would be a positive move to include this person’s memory in some aspect of this new tradition.
o Volunteer time to help others. Oftentimes the loss causes so much pain that there is no desire whatsoever to celebrate the holidays. However, helping others may keep the focus off self and add meaning to this time in a new way.
o Reduce stress. This may mean examining your lifestyle and finding ways to reduce the demands on your life.
o Talk to a friend 
Sharing thoughts and feelings with a trusted friend often decreases the sense of loneliness.

About the Author: Evelyn Wenzel, MSW, LCSW, CAP enjoys working with children, adolescents, and adults. She specializes in PTSD, Depression, Addictions, Anxiety, self-injurious behavior, and sexual abuse. She has a diverse background in counseling, which includes working in a hospital setting, drug rehab, school counseling, home health counseling, and private practice. Evelyn has spoken on a variety of topics all over the state. She has spoken at the National Association of Social Workers, Christian school regional conferences, School Social Work National Conference, and school in-services. Some of the topics she has spoken on include: Self-Injurious Behavior in Adolescents, Sexual Abuse, Mandated Reporting, Depression, Anxiety, and Eating Disorders. NOTE: you can freely redistribute this resource, electronically or in print, provided you leave the author’s contact information below intact.

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