"[Her patients] often say, 'I thought I was enjoying the holidays, but I was covering up that I really wasn't having a good time,'" Taylor said.
"It never felt real -- they felt like they were putting on an act," Taylor said of her patients. "A couple of weeks into it, they realized the role they put on started to crumble."
According to Taylor, by January people who felt pushed around or disillusioned during the holidays start going through a great deal of self-destructive distractions such as shopping, eating, drinking or starting romantic relationships.
"It's getting into a relationship to cover up their feelings," she said.
By January's end, Taylor said the self-destruction can escalate.
"Things get out of balance -- suddenly things are bad again, and things sort of crash and burn," she said. "Many times the drinking gets worse or they'll start to isolate, and families get worried."
Pat, who helps run the group Al-Anon, said he noticed January is a very busy time of year to help new and old members. One of his associates, Val, has been going through a particularly rough January.
"My sister and I had been really close growing up," Val said. "She's an alcoholic, and she had seven years clean and sober, and now she's back drinking."
Val said her sister's drinking problem interfered with family time over the holidays, since she chose to go out partying instead of visiting.
"Now I have to accept the fact that that's what she's choosing to do. I guess that's a loss for me, because she's one of my best friends," she said.
Although her sister's new drinking problem has been in the making for months, Val said something about reflecting in January made it more poignant.
"In the beginning of the year, you take stock of your life and what's going on in it, and things that are bothering you come to the forefront," Val said.
Aside from holiday disillusionment, self-reflection at New Year's is a major contributor to January blues, Taylor said.
"When you look back over the year, and people are asking how you are doing, it brings up a lot of what you lost," she said.
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