Category: Holidays

Happy Veteran's Day!

Today is Veteran’s Day and I want to pause to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed to help preserve our freedoms. Both my parents served in WWII. Although I never served, I provided post-trauma services to Vietnam vets during my years in Ohio. These kinds of services are vital.
Michelle Malkin links to a number of opportunities (e.g., free meals) for Vets today. If you are Vet, go check it out. If you know of other businesses offering tributes to those who have served in the armed forces, feel free to post a comment.

Post-Christmas Stress Disorder – Signs and symptoms

Now that Christmas is past, I suspect symptoms of Post-Christmas Stress Disorder will be observed frequently (no, don’t ask what frequently means, just go with me here). Be sure to seek treatment at the first signs of trouble.

Diagnostic Criteria for 311.5x Post-Christmas Stress Disorder

A. Four (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same two-week period and represent a change from previous functioning. The individual:

(1) refuses to take down Christmas decorations within one week after Christmas. (In chronic cases, leaves decorations up year round.) Note: In children, makes Christmas related requests year round;

(2) seeks out shopping opportunities on the day immediately following Christmas;

(3) describes depressed mood, more days than not (e.g., sings “Blue Christmas” repeatedly);

(4) manifests vocal tics (e.g., “Ho, ho, ho”);

(5) displays compulsive Christmas related behavior (e.g., Wraps and unwraps presents even though no gift is inside);

(6) displays at least once, catatonic, expectant behavior (e.g., Stands for long periods of time, immobile, under mistletoe);

(7) describes gift returns which outnumber presents received;

(8) is avoidant of references to Christmas (e.g., refers to “holiday trees,” “holiday ornaments,” “happy holidays” and/or “the Sparkle season;”

(9) displays irrational interpersonal behavior (e.g., Calls the time and temperature recording to wish him a Merry Christmas); and

(10) mainfests inappropriate startle response (e.g., jumps or easily startled by video game or other novel noises).

B. Symptoms do not meet criteria for Post-Christmas Adjustment Disorder

C. Symptoms cause clinically significant distress

D. Symptoms aren’t due to effects of a substance (e.g., eggnog, fruitcake, punch, etc.)

Specify (for current or most recent episode)

.x1 Mild – minimum number of symptoms are net

.x2 Moderate – six or more symptoms

.x3 Severe – nearly all symptoms but without delusions/hallucinations

.x4 Severe with hallucinations (e.g., Converses with “ghost of Christmas past, present or future”)

.x5 Severe with delusions (e.g., Arms self to protect against Grinch)

.x6 With trauma associated (e.g., Witnesses mother kissing Santa Claus)

.x0 Unspecified

May we be spared this fate.