Depression at Christmas is no longer a topic to be avoided or ignored, and the so-called ‘festive’ season is actually the one time of the year during which many people feel at their lowest point.

Survey after survey shows that not everyone is as happy at work and at home as the Christmas TV adverts, with their jolly families sitting around a festive dining table, suggest.

And once the big day itself is over, you may feel particularly deflated and lacking in purpose.

So if you’re feeling particularly low now that the decorations have been put away for another year, gain some small measure of comfort - no matter how much you are struggling to see the positive in anything - in knowing that you’re not alone.

Some people - especially those coping with loneliness, bereavement, Seasonal Affective Disorder, illness, money worries and possible unrealistic expectations about what the season should be like - struggle to get through the season, often putting on a brave face to the outside world.

Depression after Christmas can be triggered by the shift between the excitement of the season to facing the daily grind again come January.

A lot of people also feel that their mental health suffers because they’re worried about their New Year finances and paying off credit card bills and other debts. If this is the case for you, make an appointment with your local Citizens Advice Bureau to talk though the ways in which you can better manage your finances.

Some people find that volunteering with a charity can help them appreciate the good things in their own lives more, even if they still struggle with major personal difficulties such as bereavement, illness or loneliness.

If you can, seek help from friends and relations, or look for support groups and clubs where you’ll find like-minded people who share your tastes and interests. Simply being around other people, or taking up a new challenge, can sometimes be enough to jolt you back into feeling more like your old self again.

But sometimes you might just prefer to talk to a trained consultant, in which case the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year (phone 08457 90 90 90 from the UK or 1850 60 90 90 from the Republic of Ireland, call charges apply).