I'm going to present to you a very short play.

Character one, it's a musical play, by the way.

Character one, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

Character two.

Shut up.

It's DePresh Mode. I'm John Moe.

I'm glad you're here.

Look, I'm sure for a lot of people, the holidays are uncomplicatedly wonderful. You see people you love, you give and receive perfect presents, there's no stress,

there's only the delightful carrying out of joyous tasks.

For those people, well, I'm tempted to say you can go find a different podcast, but no, I welcome them instead.

I invite them to stay and learn about what it's like for the other group of people, the ones who have complex minds, interesting minds, fascinatingly complicated

minds, kinds of folks who often listen to this show, my people, my brothers and sisters and siblings.

For us, the holidays are a very merry green and red minefield with holly and landmines if you have a depressive disorder you

might be stuck with the idea that you're doing something wrong if you're not jolly all the time

like you're screwing up like you're bad which you're not got an anxiety disorder while those

shopping lists and decorating responsibilities

and social obligations might be enough to really make you miserable. Even the perfectly adjusted

folks know there's stress this time of year, but if you've got a disorder around that, it can

be paralyzing. OCD? Well, there are so many details to keep track of.

Traumatic stress.

Christmas can be a bag of triggers.

And the idea of visiting with family that you rarely see can be, oh, let's say, fraught.

...