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Mike Malmon-Berg counsels students and others in a variety of areas, including depression, stress management, test anxiety, relationships, eating disorders, sexual assault, and drugs and alcohol. He also provides group therapy, conducts workshops in residence halls, and guest lectures for classes and other groups on campus. A psychologist and counselor at The College of Wooster since 1995, Malmon-Berg is a graduate of Pomona College, where he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology. He did his graduate work at the California School of Professional Psychology, where he earned his master's and Ph.D. |
Most people look forward to the holidays as a time to celebrate with family and friends, but for some the holidays can be a dark and lonely time. Mike Malmon-Berg, a clinical psychologist and counselor at The College of Wooster, has studied this phenomenon known as the Holiday Blues, and he offers some suggestions for ways to overcome them. If the holidays are supposed to be a festive time of year, why do so many people experience the blues? For almost exactly that reason. Because the holidays are supposed to be happy and joyful, when someone's reality doesn't fit the mold, it becomes especially noticeable and painful. For some people, the holidays are about family connectedness, spiritual fulfillment and celebration. For many others, the holidays become associated with family discord and a sense of loneliness and isolation. Are those who suffer from depression particularly vulnerable to the holiday blues? Yes, because they are the ones who are most likely to notice that everyone around them seems happy while they themselves are not. What preventative measures can people take to avoid feeling down this time of year? Since a big part of the holiday blues is about interpersonal relationships and feeling disconnected, a good way to head off this feeling is to emphasize those relationships that are strong and nurturing. Make plans to spend time with people who have a positive, beneficial impact on your life. Often, such people are close family members, but perhaps just as often, family is part of the problem. If that is the case, make sure you spend time with close friends as well. What can people do if the blues have already set in? Talking about it is usually the most helpful. Whether you discuss how you are feeling with a family member, friend, clergy member, therapist, or someone else, this act of emotive expression will help you feel a sense of connection that may be missing. It may also help you to realize that you are not the only one who struggles with this. How long can one expect the holiday blues to last? For many, the feelings are specific to circumstances surrounding the holidays, and should dissipate by mid-January. Some people suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that usually hits in the winter because of the shorter days, less sunlight, and confinement indoors. For these people, a depressed mood may last weeks or months. In general, if your "blues" last more than a few weeks past New Year's Day, you may well be dealing with a more serious and prolonged form of depression and should be evaluated by a mental health professional or physician. How do drugs and alcohol affect the holiday blues? Many people turn to alcohol or other drugs as a way to medicate their feelings of sadness. In fact, though, these substances only tend to exacerbate and amplify the feelings already present. This is especially true of alcohol, both because it is a depressant and because it is commonly a part of many people's holiday festivities. |
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| Last updated: January 10, 2006 · For more information, contact John Finn | ||
