Thanks for both Links Alffe. Think financial pressures created by global and local circumstances have very much to do with how despairing people become as they get older. Modern life does seem to have far more stress and anxiety about it. I wonder whether our grandparent's would have viewed the modern crises in the same way? When I think of my Dad's mum dealing with WW2, rationing, moving out of London to avoid the bombing and make it safe for my Dad and his brother to grow up? Do we have more things to think about? More worries? than say fifty years ago?
People seem to talk more these days, but the taboos around mental health and depression still persist even in the so called caring professions.

Many people still find it difficult to be open about how down they feel and how dire things seem. Suicide........................luckily my two best friends have been so supportive over the last few months. I have two lovely compadre's who I can share the darkest of my moods with and this is reciprocated when they have had dark days in the past. Colleagues at work have been equally supportive but there are still many people who do not even have the slightest inclination of how to approach this.