10. All by Myself?

Two news bulletins on the same day (29 Sep 2022):

Loneliness and suicide: the hard truth.

CBS: more people feel lonely More than four in ten people over the age of 15 in The Netherlands felt somewhat or very lonely in 2021. That is more than in 2019, when about a third of the Dutch were struggling with loneliness. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this based on research. Young people most often felt “emotionally lonely” last year. For example, they lacked a close bond with other people. 14 percent of young people aged 15 to 25 suffered from this in 2021, compared to 8 percent in 2019, i.e., before the outbreak of the corona crisis. The Dutch government will allocate a total of 40 million euros over the next four years to combat loneliness. Source: NOS Teletekst (The Netherlands)
Many young people think about suicide Relatively many young people in the Netherlands struggle with suicidal thoughts, even after most corona measures have been ceased. This is the conclusion based on research by the Dutch Network GOR (Health Research in Disasters), including the Dutch institutions RIVM and the GGD. About one in six young people between the ages of 12 and 25 is seriously considering taking their own life. That has hardly changed in recent months, which surprised the researchers. The number of GP visits due to suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts is a third higher than before the corona crisis. Young people experience a lot of pressure, partly because of school. Source: NOS Teletekst (The Netherlands)

Know: you are not alone.

With your negative feelings,
and depressive thoughts.
The outside world may seem
perfectly positive,

know: you are not alone.

With your loneliness,
and missing something to share.
The outside world may seem
perfectly sociable,

know: you are not alone.

With your suicidal ideas,
and the longing for silence.
The outside world may seem
to have a perfect lust for life,

know: you are not alone.

We often think,
that we are alone in our suffering.
And the outside world meanwhile
lives the perfect life.

Then know: you are not alone.

Share your thoughts and your feelings,
talk about it with anyone.
Sharing eases the burden,
nothing is strange and all may be there.

Then feel: you are no longer alone.

 


Julian – Vita Florentis

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Know now that you are not, nor need to be, alone in what you think and feel.