
There are times in life that one suffers. 2020 has been a year of
collective suffering. In the US, hundreds of thousands have died directly
from COVID. The economic livelihoods of countless thousands have been
disrupted, with employees furloughed, and the doors of small businesses
shuttered, many permanently. According to the CDC, overdose deaths have
increased by 20 percent this year. Calls to domestic violence hotlines have
increased 30 percent. A CDC survey in June found that one in three
individuals were experiencing anxiety or depressive symptoms, with 10
percent of individuals reporting suicidal thinking.