Coventry Samaritans will be open as usual over Christmas

We all hope that Christmas will be a happy time of the year, but we know it can be particularly difficult for many of the people who call us. That's why we will be open as usual, ready to talk to anyone who is upset or troubled or even wondering whether life is worth living.

Sophie, who is pictured below, rang Samaritans last year. After going through a marital breakup in the months leading up to Christmas she was also struggling with severe depression. She has given us permission to tell her story.

Sophie said: “Last year was a real struggle for me with my mental health, which led to the cracks in my marriage, usually I’m like a big kid at Christmas, but I couldn't think of anything worse than playing the fake ‘happy’ charade.

“It made me feel even more depressed when all my family and friends were excited in the run up to the big day. The pressure of enjoying yourself and everything being perfect can make mental health issues a thousand times worse as you’re supposed to be bubbly and joyful. I didn’t want to ruin it for anyone else.

“The only people I could show my true feelings to, even the deep dark ones, was Samaritans. It was a relief to speak to someone that wasn’t expecting you to be jolly."

If you are struggling to cope, at Christmas or at any other time, our volunteers are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year to talk to you. You can ring us free on 116 123.

You can hear more from Sophie, and from Bob, a Samaritans volunteer, in the video below. After watching click here to return to our home page