Knoxville — It’s not uncommon to get depressed during the holidays.
And UT psychologist Dr. Michael Nash says one reason is all the memories of Christmases past.
“You can think in terms of Charles Dickens,” Nash said. “The ghost of Christmas present never visits without the ghost of Christmas past, and it’s the same with our own memories.”
Another reason people suffer depression, Nash said, is because they put pressure on themselves to be happy all the time.
Some tips for beating the holiday blues are to try to keep from eating and drinking too much, to plan time-outs from holiday parties, and to put the focus on having fun, not being perfect.