My family booked a holiday but didn’t invite me

DEAR DEIDRE: My family has booked a holiday for Easter next year without me. I feel so alone.

I’m a man of 29 and I live with depression. I have a job in a supermarket and my company is wonderful when I have a spell of feeling low but my family have no sympathy.

I keep in touch with my sister who is 31 but don’t speak to my parents much.

They’ve never understood my illness and they washed their hands of me when I got in with a bad crowd, but I don’t see those friends now.

My sister told me that she’s going away to a holiday park with my parents, my nieces, my cousin, her kids, her husband, and my aunt is going too.

I’ve not even been invited. My sister said she thought I wouldn’t want to go, and perhaps I wouldn’t if I felt ill, but it would have been nice to be invited.

I feel more alone than ever.

DEIDRE SAYS: A little break may be just what you need and time to build bridges.

Talk to your sister about how hurt you felt and ask how she’d think it would go down if you booked a caravan nearby too.

It may give you a chance to make a connection with your parents again and they could see you’re trying your best to sort yourself out.

My support packs on assertiveness and depression will help.