Wendy K. Laidlaw

People that were supposed to protect them from the dangers of the outside world and offer a safe haven of security.

A safe base to recharge and reboot with recognition, adoration and love.

So to the commercial companies out there with big budgets for advertising at Christmas, spare a thought to those messages you give out.

I encourage them to be more realistic with their portrayal of what Christmas is about.

The very act of giving presents on Christmas Day only came about 100 years ago by the Victorians.

Before that, they gave gifts at New Year time.

So if you're a woman with endometriosis and with family this year, remember you're not alone.

There are millions of women who will be going through the suffering of family this Christmas too, whether it is suffering emotionally or physically or both.

Remember that you have an innate emotional strength and high degree of sensitivity to people, places and things, but that you are also powerless over them.

So put all your focus, all your power on you.

Journal out your thoughts, feelings, fears and anxieties.

You'll get great internal strength from this process.

Try and notice all the various family roles everyone takes on and plays out.

Notice that you don't have to engage with people you do not like or make you feel uncomfortable.

Notice what it feels like just to become the observer.

And if you're on your own this Christmas, again, you're not alone.

Equally put that ink across the paper and rejoice in the power of your pen, how it will guide you like an internal sat-nav system onto your next stage of your journey.

Whether you're having Christmas on your own by design or by default, try to see it as a liberating time.

I spent many a Christmas on my own and I learned to relish the time to myself.

Free from the trauma of Christmas past where my tension and stress was often so great I could barely even eat the food or digest the food that was laid out on the table.