Article December 24, 2001 Issue

Do away with depression at the holidays

By Brian Clendenen

I've Had Some Great holidays filled with family and friends, good food and laughter. But at one time in my life, holidays were as dark as the inside of a well.

The worst I can recall was a Thanksgiving during the 1980s when my wife and I were trying to get back together after a trial separation. I was living in the back of a video and electronics store I owned, four hours away from our home in upstate New York. We decided that my wife would drive down and meet me at the store, and that we'd go out from there to share the holiday.

Before our rendezvous, I had to go into New York City on business. I was filled with anticipation and good news. I was so looking forward to seeing my wife. But when I returned from the business trip, all I found at the store was a note from her, saying that she didn't feel we could ever reconcile. She then disappeared for three days. I was devastated! That Thanksgiving I was so depressed I wound up eating a stale turkey sandwich from a convenience store and watching sad movie videos in the back of the store.