BY NANCY STOOPS

Nancy Stoops M.A., M.F.T Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Did you know that suicide rates are among the highest during the holidays? This may sound very strange to some of you, but it is true. Believe it or not, this isn’t a wonderful time of year for everybody. I remember as a little girl wondering how anybody could be sad at this time of year. Now that I’m grown up and work as a therapist, I understand this concept much better.

The holidays seem to make us vulnerable and open our eyes to things that are painful for us. This time of year, we seem to become very sentimental and want to be close to our family and friends. This is a great idea in theory, but what if you have alienated them or maybe they have passed away. This could make your holiday feel like a very lonely time. It makes it worse when you see other families and friends gather together.

Are you feeling without purpose this holiday season?   This may be the cause of your depression this time of year. There are many places you could go and donate some time. There are many people that are sick or just plain less fortunate than we are. You could really make a difference for an individual, a family, or an animal – and fight off the depression as well.

Whatever may be causing your depression during this holiday season, decide to do something about it. This year, don’t sit around and feel sorry for yourself, life is just too short. Call an old friend, make up with a family member, help the less fortunate, or whatever else it takes to get through this holiday. My point is, learn to help yourself, and you will give yourself the greatest gift you have ever received.

This article was written by Nancy Stoops M.A., M.F.T. Nancy is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has a private practice in Diamond Bar and is currently accepting new clients. Nancy is also a motivational speaker who can inspire your employees or group members. She runs free family support groups, a group on loss for seniors, and groups on how to manage anger. For more information about any of these services, feel free to contact Nancy at (909) 229-0727; or you may e-mail her at stoopsshecter@earthlink.net. You may purchase Nancy’s books, Live Heal and Grow and Midnight the Therapy Dog at Amazon.com.