The Shrink’s Links: Bright Ideas for Treating the Winter Blues

Posted byKeith R WilsonPosted inDepression, The Shrink's LinksTags:,

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Christmas time is a busy time of the year for malls, elves, and postal workers, but, despite the myth, it is not a busy time for us shrinks. Actually, it’s April.

Nonetheless, there is something about this time of year that makes it hard, especially in the Rochester area, to kick it into gear. It’s the time when clients complain more and more about loneliness, family conflicts, and dashed expectations. Alcoholics have more temptations to drink, overeaters to eat, and drug addicts remember the time they once hocked the kids’ Christmas to score, get guilty, and hock Christmas again just to feel better. There is something about Christmas that makes people miserable.
Why is this so? Christmas is supposed to be a happy time of the year.

Have you looked outside lately? Go ahead and do it now. What do you see?
Chances are, you can see nothing because it is dark. It’s mostly dark this time of year. Can that have anything to do with it?
It does. A lot of of heartache could be prevented by turning on a few lights.
Read this article from the Wall Street Journal to learn more.

Published by Keith R Wilson

I'm a licensed mental health counselor and certified alcohol and substance abuse counselor in private practice with more than 30 years experience. My newest book is The Road to Reconciliation: A Comprehensive Guide to Peace When Relationships Go Bad. I recently published a workbook connected to it titled, How to Make an Apology You’ll Never Have to Make Again. I also have another self help book, Constructive Conflict: Building Something Good Out of All Those Arguments. I’ve also published two novels, a satire of the mental health field: Fate’s Janitors: Mopping Up Madness at a Mental Health Clinic, and Intersections , which takes readers on a road trip with a suicidal therapist. If you prefer your reading in easily digestible bits, with or without with pictures, I have created a Twitter account @theshrinkslinks. MyFacebook page is called Keith R Wilson – Author.