One recent evening I was watching my neighbors put up a dazzling display of lights on their home. Judging by the wattage being consumed they had more Christmas spirit than anyone around. Suddenly I heard a barrage of angry shouts from the mother. The lights were malfunctioning and she was upset. I said to myself "something is definitely wrong with this picture". Although the Christmas holidays are supposed to be a time of peace, joy, and love, all too often we spend it angry, stressed, and blue. Why does this happen and how can we avoid it? I have a few tips to share that I think can help you have a much happier holiday.

Teenagers who smoke marijuana daily may be damaging their brains and making themselves more prone to depression and anxiety as adults, according to a new study out of McGill University.

The researchers at the University found that when adolescent and adult lab rats were exposed to the active ingredient in marijuana for 20 days, only the adolescent rats were adversely affected.

Changes observed in the rats included a decrease in a substance in the brain called serotonin, which is believed to play a role in depression. Increases in another substance called norepinephrine, which has been associated with anxiety, were also noted.

Although the study was carried out on rats, study author Gabriella Gobbi said the results could be extrapolated to humans.

The results suggest, according to Gobbi, that because the adolescent brain is still developing, it may be particularly vulnerable to chronic drug use.

Earlier research done by Gobbi found that marijuana can act as an antidepressant, but only in the short-term. If used long-term, the opposite effect occurs.

The new study appears in the latest issue of Neurobiology of Disease.

Older women who take antidepressants have a small, but statistically significant, increased risk of having a stroke or dying, compared to women who do not take antidepressants, says a new study.

The study compared six-year data on 5,500 postmenopausal women who began taking antidepressants after enrolling in the Women's Health Initiative trial to data on over 130,000 women who did not take an antidepressant.

The researchers found that women taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - a class of drugs including the popular antidepressants Celexa, Paxil, Prozac and Zoloft - had a 45% increase in risk for stroke and a 32% increase in risk for dying from any cause. Similar results were found for another class of antidepressants called tricyclics.

Overall risk for any given women, however, was small. The annual risk of stroke was 0.3% for women who had not taken an antidepressant, compared to 0.4-0.5% for women who had.

So what do these results mean in real terms? According to the lead author of the study, Dr. Jordan W. Smoller of Harvard Medical School, "statistical significance can be different from clinical significance." In other words, while the effect is measurable, it may not be a large enough effect to really be a problem for most women. Ultimately, while this study provides more information for you and your doctor to use in determining whether an antidepressant is appropriate for you, it is still going to be a matter of weighing any potential risks against the benefits to be gained. "For most women with serious depression," said Smoller, "the benefits of medication outweigh the risks."

The study appears in the December issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Ever notice how a gray, rainy day makes you feel gloomy and tired, but a sunny day can leave you feeling cheerful and energized? Well, there's a scientific reason for this. Insufficient exposure to sunlight has been associated with low levels of melatonin and serotonin, abnormalities of cortisol, carbohydrate craving, weight gain, and sleep disturbance. Some of you out there may have also noticed that you find a seasonal fluctuation in your moods, feeling depressed in the winter months. Take a look at your calendar and you'll soon see why. Each year on June 21 we experience the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. With our longest hours of sunlight smack dab in the middle of summer it's no wonder we're happier this time of year! After this date, however, the days progressively get shorter until the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21, the shortest day. Is it any accident then that so many of us run for the hills when the holidays roll around? Read more