Public Service Announcement: Post-Christmas Stress Disorder (PCSD)

Going back to 2005, I have been warning blog readers about the scourge of Post-Christmas Stress Disorder. Sadly, this malady did not make it into the latest edition of the psychiatric manual, DSM-V. I am convinced that the omission of PCSD is one of the significant weaknesses of the new edition. PCSD resembles Pre-Christmas Stress Disorder and some people just have Christmas Stress Disorder. In most cases, PCSD spontaneously remits but in severe cases, intervention is warranted. Through research and experience, I have tweaked the criteria a bit over the years.
As a public service, I am again listing the signs and symptoms:
Diagnostic Criteria for 311.5x Post-Christmas Stress Disorder
A. Four (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same two-week post-Christmas period and represent a change from previous functioning. The individual:
(1) refuses to take down Christmas decorations within two weeks after Christmas. (In chronic cases, leaves decorations up year round.)
(2) seeks out shopping opportunities on the day immediately following Christmas (Note: In children, new Christmas related requests occur within two weeks of Christmas and may occur intermittently through the year);
(3) describes depressed mood, more days than not (e.g., sings “Blue Christmas” repeatedly);
(4) manifests vocal tics (e.g., “Ho, ho, ho”);
(5) displays compulsive Christmas related behavior (e.g., repeatedly wraps and unwraps presents even though no gift is inside);
(6) displays at least one incident of catatonic behavior (e.g., Stands for long periods of time, immobile, under mistletoe);
(7) describes gift returns which outnumber number of presents received (sometimes buys items just to return them);
(8) displays irrational interpersonal behavior (e.g., Calls recorded lines to say Merry Christmas);
(9) mainfests inappropriate startle response (e.g., jumps or easily startled by video game or other novel noises); and/or
(10) alternatively, avoids references to Christmas (e.g., refers to “holiday trees,” “holiday ornaments,” “happy holidays” and/or “the Sparkle season;”
B. Symptoms do not meet criteria for Post-Christmas Adjustment Disorder
C. Symptoms cause clinically significant distress
D. Symptoms are not due to effects of a substance (e.g., eggnog, fruitcake, punch, etc.)
Specify (for current or most recent episode)
.x1 Mild – minimum number of symptoms are net
.x2 Moderate – six or more symptoms
.x3 Severe – nearly all symptoms but without delusions/hallucinations
.x4 Severe with hallucinations (e.g., Converses with “ghost of Christmas past, present or future”)
.x5 Severe with delusions (e.g., Arms self to protect against Grinch; on constant guard against “war on Christmas”)
.x6 With trauma associated (e.g., Witnesses mother kissing Santa Claus)
.x0 Unspecified
May we all be spared this fate and to all a good night.

Government to ministers: Preach or pay

Spoof alert – Taketh not this first part seriouslyeth.

Washington, DC (HUH) – Today, Barack Obama pledged to introduce legislation which would allow the President to set days of public prayer and thanksgiving. Obama said he had come to recognize the importance of prayer to the nation and he believes the President should set the tone.

However, a clause in the proposal has some religious leaders nervous. According to the Bill for Appointing Days of Public Fasting and Thanksgiving, ministers who decline to preach a sermon , “suited to the occasion,” on government appointed feast days will be fined if they cannot produce “a reasonable excuse” for the lack of sermonizing.

This has conservatives up in arms with complaints about the heavy hand of the government in religious matters. David Barton of Wallbuilders spoke out against the proposal. “I have concluded that Obama is the most Biblically hostile President ever, and this is just one more example,” Barton claimed.

Continue reading “Government to ministers: Preach or pay”