Most of us eagerly await the holidays. But as Ed Poole, Ed.D., will tell your audience, the holidays can be a time of increased sadness, pressure, and stress for the 25 million Americans battling depression — and their loved ones.

For families, it can mean another occasion in which Dad or Aunt Sarah chooses to be absent. Family members may feel frustration, anger, and resentment and even wonder if they did something to drive their loved one away. They may also wonder why their relative doesn’t just “snap out of it.”  Dr. Poole knows this problem well. Having lived with depression for 13 years, he has missed some Thanksgiving and other holiday celebrations.

He can make the season a little brighter by revealing:

• The 3 most important things families need to know about depression.

• Why he stayed home to let his family experience a Norman Rockwell moment without him.

• Ways family members, friends, and partners can play a crucial role in the depressed person’s recovery process.

CREDENTIALS: Dr. Ed Poole is the author of Lessons from the Porch: A Gathering Place for Telling Our Stories, and Lessons from the Crossroads: Finding My Authentic Path. Dr. Poole is a public speaker, business owner, consultant and storyteller, and success coach.  He spent numerous years in school administration and teaching leadership programs at the university level. Dr. Poole hosts his own Internet show on healthylife.net.

SAMPLE QUESTIONS: Isn’t it natural for most people to beg off of family functions now and then? Is there anything family members can do to make their loved one more at ease? Do you think people have unrealistic expectations about the holidays? Does this add to the problem?

AVAILABILITY: North Carolina and nationwide via telephone

CONTACT: Ed Poole, (828) 263-5477 (NC); edpoole@thelessonguy.com; www.thelessonguy.com