Maureen Fitzsimmons sits on the Traumatic Loss Coalition of Monmouth County which affords her unenviable but remarkable insight on the havoc depression can wreak on ordinary lives.

Fitzsimmons, program director for Catholic Charities, is all too familiar with the fact that if left unrecognized and untreated, depression can lead its sufferers down dangerous pathways, even those that lead to suicide.

On Nov. 6, Fitzsimmons used her insight on suicide and depression to organize a well attended conference on those issues as part of a continuing diocesan education program for priests and deacons.

The event, held at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, was attended by 50 priests and deacons and Bishop John M. Smith, Fitzsimmons said. Presenters included Peg Farrell, NJ representative from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Father Kevin Keelan, pastor of St. Barnabas Parish, Bayville.

Each focused on the impact that suicide has on families from a personal standpoint as both experienced death by suicide within their families.

“The aim of the conference was to help the priests and deacons have a clearer understanding of depression and the mental health issues that lead a person to suicide,” she said. “A lot of myths still surround suicide and our goal was to dispel those myths so that people understand that those who are severely depressed aren’t thinking the same way we do…The pain is so intense that they can be led to suicide.”

Like all experts in this field, Fitzsimmons recognizes that this is the time of year such “intense pain” may become unbearable for many who suffer from depression. So, she’s reaching out to the Catholic community at large this time, urging us all not to ignore the signs of depression if we recognize them in others or suffer from them ourselves.

This time of year, she says, can lead to particular distress in many people for many reasons. “One is the Hallmark representation of the holidays that everyone is happy and all families are together, without discord,” said Fitzsimmons.

“In fact, we know that is simply not the case for countless people.

“People who are depressed might be more vulnerable because of this.” she said. “They may feel more hopeless because their life doesn’t reflect this representation. They may not be able to see any light at the end of the tunnel.

“Their depression will isolate them from the caroling, from the scenes in the mall, from the made for television movies.”

The fact that the “Season” grows longer every year only makes things worse for those with Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, she said. “You get Christmas at the mall even before Thanksgiving is over,” she said.

The early hoopla and hype, fueled by consumerism, can make for a deadly combination, especially in light of this year’s economic downturn, she said.

“This is affecting a whole segment of society that would normally not be hurting,” she said. Those dealing with severe economic problems for the first time may be at particular risk.

The bottom line, she said, is that friends and family members need to be aware of and on the look out for signs of serious depression. “Reach out if a family member or friend is affected. Make sure that if he or she is not talking to a professional or being medicated, both happen quickly.

“Make sure that if a person has expressed suicidal intentions, you take them seriously. This is a time when confidentiality goes out the window and you take swift, immediate action by getting them to the nearest hospital where they can receive help.”

Read more about SAD on the Internet.

Informative sites include those at: www.mayoclinic.com, www.familydoctor.organd www.yahoohealth.com; .