Tis the season....to be depressed

Well, it's here again. That lovely time of the year when seasonal depression strikes for no apparent reason.

Suicide is on the rise, as well as people giving up their lives in the most macabre ways. Two people jumped to their deaths from the I-95 overpass last week. Both were in Palm Beach County.

The job market doesn't help. Christmas is quickly approaching and when you don't have the money to buy your kids gifts....welcome depression.

Maybe I see it for what it is because I've been there. I have never attempted suicide, but many moons ago the thoughts were there. Maybe my psychiatrist of thirty years brought me back from the ledge. I don't know. Or maybe my religious beliefs, which shun suicide helped save my life. I truly believe it was the latter.

If you feel that familiar despair that comes every year, you need help. The holidays are a very dangerous time of the year. If Hallmark commercials make you cry, take heed, you are not alone.

As a child, Christmas was not even considered until after Thanksgiving. Now we have Christmas trees and store displays up in July! It's hard to get into the spirit when it's 100 degrees outside! (You know what I mean South Florida!)

Family is very important. Confide in someone you are close to that your not feeling well. Intervention may save your life. This is not just for depression, but alcohol as well.

Alcohol is a depressant. The day your drinking life is a blast, but when you wake-up with a slamming headache the next morning, life doesn't seem so fine. 

There is plenty of help for addictions in South Florida. We are number one in the country for rehabs. So if you have a problem, we have the answer. You simply must want the help.

For anyone in the Palm Beaches who is struggling with an addiction, the following links may be helpful. CARP is a detox center which also takes in people who are not working and cannot pay for their treatment. It's an excellent facility with a terrific staff. Here is their link:  http://www.carpinc.org/   The second rehab center is also in West Palm Beach, Hazelden Treatment Center. An excellent treatment center that also takes in teens and adults alike. Here is their link:  http://www.hazelden.org/web/landing.view