My advice to you is to ask for specific help especially from people you had helped in the past. If they don't help at least you'll know how things really are. If you used to play the strong one role and you seem to be doing fine on the surface people may not even know how you really feel.

I hope things we'll work out for you.

Happy, prosperous year to you as well.

I sincerely hope your family member is in a better place today. It is a scary world when you need help and it seems hard to find.

Our Christmas appeared festive and joyous on the surface. Our tree was up, the wreath on the door, and the christmas flag was flying.

It was a joyous time celebrating our faith, the human aspect was somewhat dissappointing. This year we needed more mainly emotional support. My husband has been out of work since August and we went through this before and it was a long stretch. Anyway my family (with the exception of one sister), being the loving bunch they are couldn't even bring themselves to ask how we were doing, how the search is or feel the need to tell us to skip the gift (we draw names) as we know it is a difficult time. Instead we got the orders for the 2 gifts we were responsible for purchasing and heard about the money spent, remodeling projects and vacations planned. All of this is fine and I certainly want them to be happy and prosperous, but it would have gone along way if they would have put their arms around my husband or myself and say we are praying for you, we love you, is there anything we can do to help you.

We were raised that you only have each other as siblings and if one was in trouble you circle the wagons. I have circled the wagons my entire life for my parents and siblings in anyway I could and it was heartbreaking to realize there really isn't any wagons coming.

On the flip side God has blessed us with a wonderful group of dear friends who have become like family to us. Their concern, support, love and generous spirit has really lifted us up during a very difficult time and we are extremely grateful.

As hard as it was, we grew for the better this Christmas by truly realizing beside our faith what is important and that is the wonderful people we have in our lives and the realization it might not be who you thought it would be but it is every bit as beautiful.

Wishing you, Mark, your family and extended family a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year and a sense of humor to handle any curve balls!

trying to avoid people who upset you can be a holiday sport for sure.

And for people who don't have insurance, sheesh, no wonder there are so many crazy homeless people, what are they suppose to do? I'm a cradle to grave advocate.

Gave Christmas as much of a pass as I could while still showing up for family dinners, and celebrated a NY New Year (watched the ball drop in Times Square at nine pm and went to bed), The dead week seems more like a month. Year. Whatever.

I totally agree on the scarcity of good meltal health care - no chance in hell I'm going to look around for something new, because, well, a) no insurance; b) just had meds changed so am awake all the time thinking about what's wrong instead of sleeping all the time, not sure that was a fair trade, and c) three kids and a mortgage say I don't really have the luxury of time or energy for it.

Ist there some sort of home electroshock therapy? DIY Insulin Popper? Just sayin.' You don't have to reply in public. *Wink

When I heard of Madoff getting roughed up in jail I smiled, and immediately thought of YOU

I'm not usually profuse with the words… but here goes nothing. This whole holiday season, we kinda ignored it… not on purpose just kinda happened. First of all, on one of the first nights of Chanukah, my daughter (almost 22 months old) woke up from her nap barking like a seal - immediately turned the shower and called the pediatrician who was already out of the office. She then proceeded to lay on my husband's chest for 2 more hours like a lox, so we took her to the PM pediatric clinic where she just laid on the doctor's table until they started to poke her, then screamed/coughed until she puked - had 103 fever by then and croup…. later in the week paired with a virus and ear infection… No school for her for that week… Child didn't eat for 5 days, didn't get off the couch for 3-4.

We ordered Chinese food in for Christmas Eve - my mother's family invited themselves over (to our relatively small apartment) and shared fortune cookies with us… My aunt then felt it necessary to broadcast to relatives (my mother had 9 brothers and sisters you do the math) within a 50 mile radius that there was something WRONG with my daughter. SIDEBAR: my daughter is developmentally delayed, nothing is wrong with her health, she's a wonderful child with more than a few quirks… nothing that's not being worked on - and NOTHING that was my aunt's to share. Needless to say, I've now had it out a few times over with my aunt, and will not be going over to her house to be gawked tomorrow for New Year's. All in all, I'd say I'll be happy when the old year's out and the New Year's in…. Just sayin'

As far as mental illness goes, I just wanted to say, it's a REALLY tough time of year… I hope that everything works out. The story sounds familliar. Good luck.

Lately though I've been dealing with my daughter not wanting to eat…she's 17 months old..I know..LOL. She eats breakfast and lunch ok, but dinner is the challenging one. One day i kept offering her food and she wouldn't eat at all. I was starting to get frustrated but then I thought, "F*** it" and took my daughter out of the high chair and she went on to play. Bedtime came and I offered again, she didn't want it, so she went to bed, FOR THE 1ST TIME EVER, not eating dinner. I was a bit concerned (heck who am I kidding, a LOT concerned!) but she slept fine and the next day she gave me her usual big morning smile and ate breakfast just fine..TODDLERS! LOL