Welcome to Blue Monday! That’s us trying to put a smile on the most depressing day of the year, as it’s referred to by some mental health experts. The holiday bills need to be paid, New Year’s resolutions are in the toilet and winter has us by the throat…Bouts of SAD generally range from mild to moderate in severity. Patients rarely need hospitalization, says psychiatrist Robert Auger, a sleep specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.But, if those blues start affecting your work or social relationships, you feel hopeless, you’re drinking to feel better or you think of hurting yourself, you should see a doctor, quickly, Auger says.

Kansas City Star, by Lisa Gutierrez, 1/15/2012

Tags: Mayo Clinic Rochester, Psychology and Psychiatry