For all the Clutchfans having trouble with the Holidays

I've had to say good bye to two friends this year who took their own lives. Clutchfans has also lost members who took their own lives and I would hope we as a community never have to lose more. As many of us are getting ready to celebrate a feast with family and friends there are also many of us who are feeling very alone and isolated too. Many who feel they are deeply estranged from family, who can't reconcile all of the happy images that pervade us with what their lives feel like. I know for many 2017 has been a hard year. Many of my friends are struggling with disease, economic uncertainty, or both. Many who have lost homes, businesses and even people to several devestating natural disasters. This is a holiday that we're told to be thankful for what we have but for many that is hard to do especially when we are flooded with images of happy prosperity that seems out of reach. It's no coincidence that suicides spike during holiday times. For everyone out there that is wrestling with feelings of despair this season remember you are never truly alone and your life matters in more ways than may be obvious.

If you're feeling in pain please take advantages of the resources out there.
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
For Texas:
http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/texas-suicide-hotlines.html

Clutchfans is community and on several occasions we've been here to help, listen or just provide an opportunity to vent. I'm sure most of us here wouldn't mind anyone feeling they need to blow some steam off about family or other stuff coming here and venting.

 

I hope everyone got through the holidays well and it might be a good sign this thread didn't get a lot of attention.