We are now in the midst of the holiday season. There are lights up all over, and people are making plans to be together with those they love. For many, memories of past experiences during this season fuel the anticipation, and people feel excited and hopeful.

They may have traditions that are already underway and which add to the size and scope of their celebrations. These holidays can be a big time loaded with tremendous meaning.

Unfortunately, that meaning can also turn into something that brings sadness and emptiness. For some it is a reminder of what used to be but is no longer. Instead of feeling connected with others, many people are reminded of the estrangement that exists among family members. Others feel isolated, and they may, in fact be isolated, separated by physical distance from those for whom they care the most.

As the festivities of the season unfold around them, they begin to feel more dead inside than alive. The celebratory lights may not warm them.

That is a kind of situational depression, and it's the kind of thing to which many people become vulnerable from time to time. It does not have to occur exclusively during winter holidays such as Christmas and New Years. These kinds of experiences can take place on significant anniversaries or milestones that signal the passing of important phases in life.

There are two ways in which to measure the strength of such a situational depression. The first is to take stock of how it interferes with a person's ability to function. Is one's work or school performance suffering because of a lack of focus? Is one not able to sleep, or has a person lost appetite so that physical health might be in question; is there weight loss?

For that matter, is one compensating by overeating or over drinking? Has the house gone to ruin so that dishes and laundry are piling up and routine tasks are being neglected? Is the depressed person avoiding people or otherwise ruining important relationships? Functioning is the first measure of decline.

The second measure of decline is personal distress. How upset, concerned, miserable, desperate, despairing, sad, or lonely does one feel? How unbearable is it? Has it driven the person to wish they were just dead, or even to contemplate suicide? Personal distress is the second measure of decline.

A person can actually measure him or herself on these two scales.

If One is the least amount and Ten is the most amount, with reference to functioning, where would the person put him or herself in the current moment? On a scale of one to ten, how focused, effective, and competent is one functioning? On a scale of one to ten, how terrible does one feel? How empty and futile does life seem, and what is one thinking of doing about that, if anything?

Situational depression usually passes with the change in the situation. However, those who are caught up in the moment, in the midst of such a state of affairs, sense the place to which they have come as a dead end, and they may act as if there is no way out. Those who find themselves on the fringes of the scales of functionality and distress may need help.

There are many things people can give one another during a holiday season. For some people the currency of caring is the things they give to one another. However, no THING can give a helping hand to a person in need of encouragement. That takes something like looking right into the eyes, smiling, and saying, "I am here for you; I care. I like you." If that's not enough, then maybe walking beside someone as they seek professional help will be the kind of support they need to begin crawling out of the ditch.