The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What to do about holiday blues

Are you feeling sad or lonely as the holidays approach rather than experiencing joy? It’s not unusual for the holidays to bring on sadness or loneliness because you aren’t able to be with loved ones, you’ve lost someone important due to divorce or death, you’ve overspent, you’re tired and worn out, or you’ve lost your job.

Some tips for reducing stress and depression are exercise, eat healthy food, watch alcohol consumption, write in a journal, meditate, focus on the positive, find company, host a party, try something new, or volunteer.

Here are resources to help you cope with holiday sadness or depression if you’re having trouble this year:

“Holiday Depression and Stress” -- MedicineNet.com

“Battling Depression: Hope for the Holidays” -- WedMD

“How to Avoid Holiday Depression” -- eHow

“Holiday Blues and Depression” -- Depression-helper.com

"Holiday Blues" -- About.com

"Does a White Christmas Make You Blue" -- About.com

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Who’s driving you crazy?

Are boomers busy, busy, busy because they’re filled with anxiety and don’t know how to enjoy down time?

That’s what Jennifer Nicholson Graham contends in her article “American Idle: Never Before Has an Entire Generation Had So Much Time in Which to Do So Little,” which appeared in The Boston Globe

When I read the article, it didn’t ring true for me. There’s so much to do these days: run the household, work, cook, clean, help with the grandchildren, take care of the yard, blog, visit friends, buy clothes, exercise, file articles, pay bills, wash the car, take care of my health, do the laundry, help relatives, help friends, participate in community activities, go to church, be an informed voter, and many other tasks.

Life is busy, busy, busy because we have so many things that need to be done.

To me, it doesn’t seem that boomers run from one task to the other because they feel uneasy with nothing to do.

I decided not to blog about Graham’s article, because, although it was cleverly written, I didn’t think she didn’t come to a conclusion that offered a big truth.

But her article came to mind when I listened to a National Public Radio program in which Stephen Bezruchka, M.D., discussed his book “Is America Driving You Crazy?”  Bezruchka teaches at the University of Washington and works as an emergency room physician in Seattle, Wash.

Mental illness rate high in U.S.

America has the highest rate of mental illness in the world, he said in his talk. The number of Americans suffering from mental illness has nearly doubled since 1987. That's when Prozac, the first of the "wonder drugs," was introduced.

Mental disorders are reported in more than 25 percent of returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan. More than one in four college students are now on anti-depressants. The number of children taking drugs for behavior disorders and depression increased six fold between 1993 and 2002.

Depression and anxiety increasing despite new drugs for treatment

Even with all the new drugs available for treatment, depression and anxiety disorders continue to rise.

Bezruchka believes our drug-based system of care is fueling this epidemic. The drugs used to treat depression and mental illness cause problems when used long term.

Public policy changes needed

He would like to see public policies changed on how mental illness is treated and how children are cared for.

In the first two years of life, children form attachments to the two main figures in their lives. In Sweden, both parents are given a year of mandatory maternity leave with full pay. They have an option for a second year at 80 percent pay. Then government-sponsored day care is available operated by teachers who must have a master’s degree.

In America, neo-economic theory, where money trickles down from the rich to the working people, makes it difficult for people to make ends meet, causing stress in their lives.

Before America’s total reliance on drugs to treat mental illness, the people with mental illnesses received treatment in therapeutic communities.

Bezruchka would like to see America develop a therapeutic society where people have real, stable, face-to-face encounters. People need community, respect, friendship, and support. This is less likely to happen when a big gap between occurs the rich and poor.

He urges people to work together to being about changes that will improve America’s support systems and mental health.

I think Bezruchka has done some good thinking about why Americans live stressful lives.

Click on the link above to hear his talk.

Copyright 2008, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Midlife suicide rates rising

The suicide rate among 45 to 54 year olds went up almost 20 percent from 1999 to 2004, according to a recently released study by the Centers for Disease Control and reported by The New York Times.

Researchers were puzzled by the trend, but some health care providers foresaw it due to their work with depressed clients, according to The Times.

A National Public Radio program discussed depression at midlife, and what help and treatments are available. Dr. Eda Goldstein, author of “When the Bubble Bursts: Clinical Perspectives on Midlife Issues,” and Dr. Myrna Weissman, chief of the Division of Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology at New York State Psychiatric Institute, participated in the discussion.

If you’re depressed or someone you know is, it’s important to seek help. Call your local health department for resources available in your community.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. If you need help, dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You’ll be routed to the closest crisis center in your area. Calls are free and confidential.

Combat winter blahs with light, exercise

During the winter, I get depressed. I long for spring, my favorite time of the year, and sunshine

Winter darkness can "get people down" and contribute to reduced productivity and creativity, Dr. Norman Rosenthal, author of "Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder," told me in an interview.

Exercise helps me ease the winter blues. Walking outdoors on sunny or cloudy winter days and making one or more rooms in the home brighter also can help.

However, for some people winter brings depression, the need for more sleep, lack of energy, and a craving for starches and sweets that causes weight gain.

Rosenthal began studying individuals with these symptoms 26 years ago. He discovered a syndrome, which he called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.

If your functioning is significantly impaired or you're experiencing significant feelings of depression at the onset of winter, you should seek medical advice, says Rosenthal.

Once you've been diagnosed with SAD, you can think through some of the things you can do to feel better.

Rosenthal suggests buying a premade light box. For suggestions see his book, his Web site, or the Web site of society for Light Therapy and Biological Rhythms.

Light boxes cost between $250 and $350. Look for a return policy of 30 days. Get the light box out, and start trying it when it arrives. Results are usually seen within two to four days.

Some people need 15 to 20 minutes a day of light therapy. Others may need considerably more. Once a regime is established, it must be undertaken daily.

Recent research shows that cognitive behavioral therapy -- problem-solving therapy or counseling -- is helping for treating SAD, as are certain antidepressants, Rosenthal says.

About 6 percent of Americans, 14 million, have SAD, while another 14 percent of adults suffer from winter blues.

Tomorrow's post will cover how the lack of sunshine, which helps the body make vitamin D, affects health.