Milwaukee physician addresses handling mental health during the holidays

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Suicide prevention is a year-round effort that never takes a break, but sometimes the holiday season can add extra stress and anxiety into a person's life. 

Mental health during the holiday season gained special attention this week after the Wednesday death of Stephen "tWitch" Boss, the smiling DJ for "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" who died at the mere age of 40. Los Angeles County Examiners confirmed that his death was a result of suicide.

As Boss smiled on television, the public reaction to his suicide has been one of surprise, with DeGeneres taking to social media to note that he was "pure love and light."

One local expert says that mental health goes much deeper than the perception of a person based on a smile or a demeanor, and that loved ones much be checked in on, with the holidays being a perfect opportunity to do so.

Dr. Munther Barakat from Aurora Health Care joined us on Thursday, Dec. 15 to offer advice on discussing the topic of mental health, particularly during the holidays when stress can make preexisting issues all the more burdensome.