The holiday season is one of the most joyous and cheerful times of year. Along with all the reveling, parties, caroling, and shopping, there are also many who suffer from loneliness and sadness. Faced with the overwhelming magnitude and pressure to be “merry” or happy, many sink deeper into depression and spiral further out of control. It’s a widely spread misconception that depression and suicide rates spike during the holiday season but the reality is depression exists throughout the year and many are afflicted daily by its ailments. What is different is that during the holidays, it is harder to mask, the ability to cope is lessened, and the pressures become magnified.