Good Morning Lowcountry

The merriment blues

Merriment blues ... like jumbo shrimp, virtual reality or working vacation ... is an oxymoron (our favorite figure of speech).

But it's a very real phenomenon during the Silly Season, when partygoers can feel alone in a crowd; big expectations can be dashed; the pressure to cook, clean, decorate, visit, shop and wrap can be overwhelming; and you realize at some point that Santa Claus will not fit in the chimney this year.

Holiday season, in other words, can turn out to be a fine mess ... so to speak.

In a recent ranking of states and the District of Columbia by rates of depression, South Carolina falls smack dab in the middle (we also like colloquialisms).

Our state is 28th in the list of least-depressed states (South Dakota and Hawaii) to most-depressed states (West Virginia and Utah).

The study that produced the list found that higher rates of depression in a state are linked to access to health care, spending on mental health care and numbers of people there who say they can't afford health care at all.

We have a feeling that ranking didn't take into account the month of December, which can bring on holiday blues (as opposed to seasonal affective disorder, a clinically diagnosed mood disorder).

Beliefnet.com suggests some holiday depression busters.

Expect the worst, for one. As in traffic, crowds, shopping lines, gifts you receive and so forth.

Also, avoid toxic people, Beliefnet says. Toxic people can range from complainers to grinches to addicts.

The University of Maryland Medical Center adds some do's and don'ts during the holidays.

Eat right, get enough sleep, don't drink too much, blah, blah, blah. But also, create new or different ways to celebrate, do something for someone else, spend time with people who care about you, treat yourself as a holiday guest and, mostly, give yourself a break. Don't eat too much, spend money you don't have or dwell on the past.

To get into the Christmas spirit, GMLc's niece went to Target. She didn't spend much money, but she left in full merriment mode. It was probably all that red that did it.

World AIDS Day

Saturday is World AIDS Day.

Friday, Lowcountry AIDS Services, Carolina Empowerment Group, College of Charleston, Medical University of South Carolina, Abandoned Infants Destined to Succeed, It's Up to Me—The Citadel and Roper St. Francis Hospitals will present a number of events to honor those affected by AIDS and to promote education and prevention of the disease.

All events are free. Here's the schedule:

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Victims of AIDS demonstration at the Cistern at College of Charleston, 66 George St.

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Names Project Quilts display. Lobbies of Roper Hospital at 316 Calhoun St. and Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital at 2095 Henry Tecklenburg Drive.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. HIV Awareness table. Mark Clark Hall Student Lounge, The Citadel, 171 Moultrie St.

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. HIV/AIDS Information Fair. MUSC Horseshoe, 171 Ashley Ave.

Noon. Mass and moment of prayer. St. Francis Hospital Chapel, 2095 Henry Tecklenburg Drive.

4 p.m. Quilts display. The Cistern, College of Charleston.

5 p.m. Assembly. Marion Square. Corner of King and Calhoun streets.

5:30 p.m. March. Marion Square to the Cistern at the College of Charleston.

6 p.m. Rally at the Cistern at College. Luminaries will be on display to honor those touched by AIDS.

GMLc
Call 937-5564. Write gmlc@postandcourier.com. Find the blog at gmlc.typepad.com.