My friend posted the following on his social media and it really got me thinking.

"Some of us are spending the holiday alone, stuck in our heads doing things that aren’t good for us." - Damian E.

The rest of his comment was very hopeful, offering any of his friends that are feeling that way, an opportunity to come hang out with him. If only we all had someone in our lives that would be so open about offering help.

In a recent survey by Online-Solitaire.com, around 337,048 people in Washington will be spending the holidays alone. That's about 1 out of every 5 people.

There was a couple years where I found myself in that group. It was sad and depressing. This will sound cliché, coming from a broadcaster and writer from a Radio Station website, but I turned on the radio to help ease the loneliness.

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Music can soothe the soul and talk radio can give you a topic to focus on. I know, it'd be easy if that was a solution for everyone's loneliness problems. It's not, and especially this time of year, it is especially tough.

"Loneliness is more than a silent battle for millions of Americans; it's a public health concern with serious mental and physical side effects."
- Holger Sindbaek

Nationwide, the survey found that a staggering 19 million people will be alone for the holidays. Out of all the states, Oregon was the highest percentage for loneliness with nearly half of the survey takers responding that they'll be alone on Christmas and New Years. That breaks down to roughly 533,786 people.

The site did pose a hopeful question in the survey. "Would they extend an invitation to a neighbor known to be spending the holiday alone?" Much like my friend above, 88% of the respondents replied with a yes, they would welcome them into their home for the holidays.

I know it's tough, but please try to remember, you're not alone. The loneliness will pass, and people do care. If you are having thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help. 9-8-8 is the Nationwide Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day. The website is 988LifeLine.org. People do care about you, it may be hard to see that, but it is true. You're not alone.

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, JUST DIAL: 9-8-8

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