Fight against holiday depression, Part 1: The Chaplain Published Nov. 18, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Stacy Fowler 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq -- (Editor's note: This is part one of a three-part series on support available for those deployed to Joint Base Balad, Iraq, during the 2010 holiday season) The holiday season is viewed by many celebrants as a time of "peace on earth" and a sudden influx of packages through the post office. But for some deployed during the holidays, peace and packages might be hard to find, or replaced entirely by depression or even thoughts of suicide. Depression symptoms can include: - Feelings of sadness or unhappiness - Irritability or frustration, even over small matters - Loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities - Insomnia or excessive sleeping - Changes in appetite: decreased appetite and weight loss or increased cravings for food and weight gain - Agitation or restlessness: pacing, hand-wringing or an inability to sit still - Slowed thinking, speaking or body movements - Indecisiveness, distractibility and decreased concentration - Fatigue, tiredness and loss of energy; even small tasks may seem to require a lot of effort - Feelings of worthlessness or guilt, fixating on past failures or blaming yourself when things aren't going right - Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions and remembering things - Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide - Crying spells for no apparent reason - Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches Left untreated, these symptoms can lead to thoughts of suicide. Fortunately for those who are having problems during this time of the year at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, there is a support system readily available: the Balad Chaplaincy Corps; the 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group Mental Health Clinic; and friends, coworkers and base organizations who can help keep deployed members in touch with family and friends at home. Chaplains around the world are a frequently-used "weapon" in the fight against depression and suicide, said Chaplain (Maj.) Glenn Gresham, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing senior Protestant chaplain. Don't let the term "chaplain" fool you - the Balad chaplains do more than just lead religious services. They are a fully-confidential, won't-tell-another-soul shoulder to cry on; an ear to listen to your troubles - even those bad enough to make a person consider hurting themselves or someone else. "During the holidays, it is possible that feelings of loneliness and loss can be more acute - especially if these are holidays that are significant to you, your spouse and your family: the first Christmas after being married, having a child born, an anniversary, birthday, etc. ," said Chaplain Glenn. "If you do experience these feelings, many times it helps to speak with someone who can provide a listening ear and support. Your chaplains are trained and available to you 24 hours a day." Chaplains provide complete confidentiality. This means that what you discuss with your chaplain cannot be revealed under any circumstances, said Chaplain Gresham, a native of Wing, Ala., deployed from Schriever Air Force Base, Colo. This is unique to the chaplain corps; right now, no other agency can offer this degree of confidentiality. Still nervous about speaking to a chaplain? Don't be - they just want to help. "Many times people come in to the chaplain's office feeling these huge burdens, and by the end of the session they feel remarkably better," said Chaplain Gresham. "Just the act of talking about what is bothering someone enables a person to cope with the separation, stresses and strains much better. If needed, chaplains can refer or arrange for other available resources, to include facilitating help for dependants back home." So before feelings of depression, loneliness or thoughts of suicide get to the "point of no return," take a breath and go talk to a chaplain. "As has often been said, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem," said Chaplain Gresham. "Talking with a chaplain can help people gain a different, broader perspective. Many interviews, six months after, with people who either contemplated or attempted suicide reveal that they have a much better perspective on life and the problems they were facing." To contact a chaplain during duty hours, you can call the Gilbert Chapel at 433-7703 or the Provider Chapel at 433-2426 or 483-4107. To contact a chaplain after duty hours, call the Command Post at 433-3320 and ask to for the on-call chaplain.