“Tis the season to be jolly fa la la la la la ” or so the song goes. There are lots of songs and sayings about Festive Cheer and Season of Goodwill to all men around this time of year but for many it is far from that.
It is widely known that in January the divorce rate peaks. Couples delay proceedings and put on a brave face for the sake of the family over the festive period, but the pressures of spending long periods with the in-laws and working hard to juggle the high expectations of Christmas can is the often final straw.
One of the saddest film scenes for me is in Love Actually when Emma Thompson realises that the beautiful necklace she found in her husband’s pocket is not for her. Instead she receives a CD and the mistress receives the necklace immediately before going off to the school play where she puts on a brave face and pretends all is well.
And what of people who are single but surrounded by seemingly happily married couples? The elderly surrounded by young families who are busy doing their own thing? The person living with domestic violence walking on egg shells.
Christmas can actually be a terrible time for a large number of people. And those people are often reluctant to talk for fear of being dismissed with an “oh but cheer up, it’s Christmas”.
Can I please ask if you are one of those people that you do talk to somebody. There are plenty of organisations around to help over the festive period, if you feel you cannot talk to a friend or family member. All these organisations have people on call ready to listen and help. I am on call for Victim Support should any new cases need emotional support.
Or do you know somebody that you think is vulnerable and might like to talk to somebody?
Organisations to consider include:
Victim Support
0845 30 30 900
08457 90 90 90
0300 123 3393
0808 2000 247
0845 767 8000
It sounds like a cliche but it really is good to talk. Pick up the phone and make that call if you or someone you care about is feeling less than chipper.
So very true, been there myself and to some extent still am, there are a lot of people who actually dread the holiday season, Its good to know people are there for you sometimes that all you need.