It's That Time of Year Again

Our annual look at Christmas 
Decoration Addiction. 

By John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

"Five years ago, I covered something called Christmas lighting addiction in our then-fledgling newsletter. It was a bit tongue-in-cheek, because I’m not a big believer in most addictive behaviors. Christmas lights? I mean, c’mon…

But as I guess with anything in life, you can go overboard with decorating your house in Christmas lights...."

Holiday Decorating Abuse

America’s tragic seasonal illness.

These victims spend the holiday season awash in replacement bulbs and outdoor extension cords, the sturdy cords in orange or blue, as they monitor their surroundings with pathological hypervigilance.

A forlorn, out-of-control lightscape where a festival of moderate holiday dazzle used to reign. Oh, the humanity.

Oh, sure, the perpetrators can be cited for various misdemeanors, but rarely are the over-displays removed by the appropriate authorities. And rarely can the disordered decoraters stay sober for, say, more than a year at a time….

In the end, sometimes extreme and difficult measures are required to enable the perpetrator to stop and consider the consequences....

Happy Holidays, and here's to responsible outdoor lighting!

The Seasonal Addiction: Christmas Lights

Do you or a loved one suffer from CLA?

In 2004, psychologist John M. Grohol wrote a satirical piece for The Psych Central Report. It seems appropriate to excerpt it here:

"It is an age-old question that has haunted people since the first string of lights was strung in the 20th century," Grohol wrote. "Why do some people seem to go a little crazy with the amount of lights and displays they put on their homes and lawns? What makes some people think that this is a good idea? This growing phenomenon has turned into a full-blown behavioral addiction for some."

Indeed it has; one with its very own WebRing. It’s the time of year when afflicted people manifest CLA—Christmas Lights Addiction.
"It is an extreme behavior of an otherwise normal expression of a celebration of the holidays,” Grohol continues. “If you're one of these folks who can't live without their million-light holiday display, seek help. Imagine how much better your gift to the world would be if you donated your electricity costs to a local charity or homeless shelter.

"Leave the holiday lighting spectaculars to Radio City Music Hall or professional displays found in most communities done in formal gardens or the like. Let's try and get back to celebrating Christmas in a way that honors the heart of the tradition without turning it into some sort of glitzy and tacky sideshow of lighting horror.

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy New Years to you All!"

Photo Credit: Gizmodo