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By Sheba R. Wheeler
The Denver Post

Feeling blue? Seasonal sadness is fairly common, but clinical depression lasts beyond the holidays. (Jupiter Images)

This time of the year, you’d better be jolly … or else.

It seems like the unceasing celebrations began with the first bite of Thanksgiving turkey and won’t stop until the kiss on New Year’s Eve.

So why do so many people dread the winter season, muddle through the holidays, or feel isolated, sad or stressed when everybody else seems happy? And how do you know if what you are feeling is just the holiday blues or something more serious, such as clinical depression?

The key indicators are the duration and severity of the symptoms and whether they interfere with daily function, says Dr. Eugene DuBoff, assistant medical director at Radiant Research in Denver, which is conducting clinical trials on new antidepressants

The seasonal blues come and go but aren’t persistent and will clear up shortly after the holidays go away. A person won’t be magically happy, but will return to how he or she was feeling a few months prior, says DuBoff.

But clinical depression simultaneously affects the mind and body. Symptoms include loss of interest, feelings of guilt and inadequacy, a significant loss of energy, sleeping too much or too little, or eating too much or too little.

A depressed person has trouble concentrating. And symptoms will last for weeks on end, seriously hinder personal relationships and make it difficult to function at work or school, DuBoff says. He is recruiting patients for a clinical trial to evaluate amitifadine, a new medication for major depression that acts on three chemicals in the brain without the weight gain and decrease in sexual function often associated with other treatments.

“It’s important for people to know that many, many people feel a sense of sadness, loss and some depression during the holidays,” says DuBoff. “But the differences between the holiday blues and clinical depression are vast and based on duration, severity and interference with daily functioning. Imagine the difference between pancake batter versus molasses. Depression is all-consuming, and it drags you down.”

On top of the normal seasonal stresses on finances and time, the poor economy and job losses continue to plague many who are struggling to make their mortgages, utilities and car payments.

“People come into my office to talk about health issues when they are in fact suffering from anxiety and depression,” says Dr. Linda Petter, a family-practice physician in Tacoma, Wash. “I’m seeing people relapse and have depression symptoms that come back because of the combination of seasonal stress and the financial impact. Many people still don’t have a job and are really struggling.”

Some report feeling “blue,” “down in the dumps” or “out of sorts” because they are overwhelmed from gift buying and socializing. They dodge party invitations. Some are grieving loved ones lost, from romantic partners to parents or siblings who have died.

As Virginia Basye Carr’s children grew older and moved away from home, she said she realized holiday celebrations would never be the same. Getting divorced, exchanging her family home for a one-bedroom apartment and replacing a 6-foot Christmas tree cluttered with gifts with a 3-foot mini brought on holiday blues.

Now a Christian counselor, Carr wrote “Change the Way You Think,” released in November by Ambassador International. The Bible-based book offers readers tips on controlling their moods by being mindful of their thoughts.

Carr’s blues progressed into depression when she lost a job she loved. She felt hopeless and helpless. She lost interest in things that used to soothe and no friends could console her. Thoughts of suicide “were my constant companion,” Carr says.

“Any time someone is contemplating harming themselves, that’s not the blues anymore,” says Joan Hummel, a bereavement counselor for Porter and St. Anthony Hospice in Denver. “That kicks them into clinical depression, and they need to seek help immediately.”

How to handle the holidays

Whether someone is coping with a seasonal mood disturbance or clinical depression, both are treatable, and people can get better and recover, says Petter, the family doctor who also hosts a radio show.

Jaime Vinck, clinical director at Journey Healing Centers, drug and alcohol rehab programs in Arizona and Utah, suggests:

• Avoid alcohol, which will exacerbate any situational depression during consumption and the day after intake.

• Watch food intake. Sugar binges can create feelings of lethargy and crashes that mimic depression.

• Stay in the moment. Avoid thinking about the past or worrying about the future. True peace is found in the here and now.

• Pay attention to your feelings of sadness, and use them to make changes in the new year.

Is it depression?

If you are experiencing five or more of these warning signs every day for at least two weeks, see a doctor — it could be clinical depression:

• Suicidal thoughts: Unlike other symptoms that may be indicators of other conditions, this is the No. 1 sign of depression and calls for immediate treatment.

• Overeating or lack of appetite

• Fatigue

• Insomnia or sleeping too much

• Inability to concentrate

• Destructive risk taking

• Lack of interest in activities

• Low self-esteem and insecurity

• Irritability

• Impatience

• Poor judgment

• Obsessive thoughts

If it’s holiday doldrums

“If you try these tips and after a few weeks you aren’t seeing improvement, then go see a doctor,” says Virginia Basye Carr, counselor and author of “Change the Way You Think.” “But these can really make a difference for many people and turn their holiday around.”

Try over-the-counter remedies including St. John’s wort.

Take an omega 3 fatty acid supplmentfrom 2,000 to 4,000 miligrams a day. Or add more walnuts, soybeans, flaxseeds or fish to your diet.

Increase your vitamin D intake to 1,000 to 2,000 IUs daily. Or get a lightbox if exposure to sunshine is limited. The light mimics sunlight and can cause a biochemical change that lifts mood.

Pace yourself. Make a list, and don’t try to get everything done in one day.

Focusing on the basics can help control mood.Adults should get seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep nightly so the brain can relax, function better the next day and better handle daily stressors.

Do not skip meals. The body and brain need fuel to function properly.

Do aerobic exercises at least 30 minutes five to seven days a week. A workout dissipates stress, and it helps you think more clearly and sleep soundly.

Learn how to and when it’s appropriate to say “no,” to limit daily stressors.

Spend 30 minutes doing something you love (other than exercise). Giving back to yourself renews energy.