Is it "Holiday Blues" or severe depression?

SAN DIEGO – Some people may feel that everyone else in the world seems happy and in a celebratory mood, but they themselves feel sad, anxious, lonely and depressed. These are symptoms of what is typically called the holiday blues or holiday depression. While they could occur during any holiday or vacation time, they are more common during the November and December holidays.

The blues, said Alfredo Aguirre, director of the Behavioral Health Services division of the County’s Health and Human Services Agency, are usually the result of high expectations.

“For some people, it’s quite stressfu...