Don't let holiday stress get you down.

When the holidays get to be too much and all you want to do is crawl under a rock until the new year is well under way, Suzanne Bartle-Haring, supervisor of the Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic at Ohio State University, Columbus, wants you to know you are not alone. "I believe holidays are the most stressful time of the year."

Typically, she explains, mental health professionals see a drastic drop-off of people coming into therapy around the holidays, and then there is an even greater decrease in January. Suicide rates typically increase during the holiday season, especially for people who are alone.

Bartle-Haring points out that there are a lot of reasons for such a high amount of stress. "For whatever reason, holidays bring back childhood memories, which may be disappointing ones. People tend to have high expectations that the holidays can be better than they actually are."

Other issues that might create more stress at this time of year include substance abuse and financial concerns. "If there's any sort of substance abuse--well, the holidays and drinking seem to go together and that makes it worse. If money is an issue, it can become an even bigger issue during the holidays. Arguing about money has been reported as one of the top reasons for divorce."

She offers these recommendations for lessening the stress of the season:

* Have realistic expectations. "That's really important. Don't set yourself up for...