'Happy' Holidays May Lead To Depression

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It's the holidays. Time to relax, right? You've got a be kidding!

With shopping, holiday parties and the stress of holiday travel combined with the fact that everything you see on TV looks like everybody's having a great time, this time of year could be an incredible pressure cooker for families.

Holiday relaxation is actually a time of stress. It can also lead to depression. What we need to do is allow people to use this time to relax and take it easy, not become overwhelmed. It can also become painful. We don't always associate depression with pain, but I will tell you this much. For anyone who has suffered from depression, pain is a clear and evident and real symptom.

The holidays can be wonderful but they can be a major psychological stressor as well.