Experts See More January Blues

Jan. 6, 2009— -- Forget the cliche holiday blues. Social workers, therapists and counselors say more people seek help for depression in January than in December.

Going back to work, burst family illusions, self-reflection triggered by the new year and December's credit card statements can all be bummers, but experts say it's often the constellation of circumstances that can push people over the edge.

For Pat, a member of the group Al-Anon for families of alcoholics, one particularly bad January seemed to compound all his problems of the previous year.

"The holidays were an opportunity for us to compensate for the shortcomings of the preceding year," said Pat, who was referring to the problems he had with his wife's alcoholism.

In an attempt to make it up to his four children, Pat said he ran himself ragged December, buying everything on the children's wish lists.

"We probably spent 25 percent more than what we should have," Pat said.

Then on Christmas morning, "my middle son Dave approached me, and said, 'It's really nice to have all these gifts from Santa Claus, but how come you didn't get me anything?'"

That blow resonated with Pat. He made a mental note to let his kids know he cared the next year. By mid-January, the Christmas spending spree had begun to take a different toll on the family.

"It was always a tough time anticipating the bills and dealing with it," he said. "All the scrambling I did was just met with more drinking on [his wife's] part because she didn't want to face the debt."

With or without alcoholism in the family, counselors say the post-holiday time has a way of magnifying family or personal issues.

In January, "We get one-third to one-half more people, at least," said Jennifer Falotico Taylor, a clinical psychologist at McLean Hospital for psychiatric services in Belmont, Mass.

"Mid-January, is usually about when the bills come, and things in general around people look pretty bleak," said Taylor.

However, Taylor said a lot of the January blues come from a residual personal disillusionment during the holidays.