'Valentine's day gives more blues to people with depression'

Sydney, Feb 12 (UNI) For people with depression, Valentine's day is a public reminder of their feelings of inadequacy, which adds more to the blues, mental health experts warn.

''People with depression regularly experience feelings of unattractiveness, loneliness and failure, and when faced with the relentless romantic sentiments of Valentine's Day, it is easy for these feelings to become unmanageable and can lead to a withdrawal from other people, '' University of Western Sydney social services professor Meg Smith said.

Valentine's Day is supposed to be a celebration of love, but it can be painful for those who have lost a loved spouse or partner in the previous year, or even for people who are currently in a relationship, she said.

''People who are living with depression are often unable to consider another person's needs or perceive how their actions may affect the people that they love,'' the Courier Mail quoted Professor Smith as saying.

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