What's the hardest thing about the holidays?

I recently lost my baby in September so that’s been the hardest part of the holidays is coping with the loss

Being allergic to almost everything with less then understanding family so often I'll get gifts I'm allergic to and it sucks to pretend to be happy about those things

I would just prefer to skip the holidays. Nothing special to me. Maybe that's my depression talking

Getting overwhelmed with seeing a lot of people

Feeling lonely 😩

My dad drinks a lot

My gran died before Christmas so Christmas isn’t much to me anymore just a day of remembrance of all the family I lost and pets

Weight gain

Seasonal affective disorder gets me bad this time of year. Also PDA and gift giving / receiving is a whole thing (not fun!)

All of the tr@uma and past emotions that gets brought back. Feeling like I am “forced” to see family members who have either caused some of my tr@uma or who have denied it. And having to mask or act like everything is fine when it’s not. I am here for anyone who need to talk this time of year, just drop me a message 💕

My grandpa died 7 years ago today, so Christmas even 7 years after is hard.

The hardest part is being around people who i know but don’t feel a connection to and finally living through a period of the year i look forward to the most despite feeling depressed, lonely, and disappointed every single time.

Missing my parents and family who’ve passed on. We used to either gather together all at one house or visit house to house. I really miss cooking with my mom. Singing 🎶 and cooking all morning.

It had never been hard for me, until this year that my mom passed. Its been really hard. Even for my birthday she was the only one that called me, all my other family members texted me to say happy birthday and this year I was waiting for her to call me and it never happened. I was jealous of my other siblings that had the opportunity to get a happy birthday call this year from my mom before she had passed.

Having to be around family that I really don’t want to be involved with. Holidays now are just my immediate family, but my mom and sister end up criticizing and complaining about me and how I’m living that I hate going to visit. My dad has been in a nursing home for 2 years now because of his Parkinson’s and the only joy I get going to visit any time of year is I can tell how happy he is to see that I’ve come. So I feel mixed emotions 🥲

I get overwhelmed with all the lights, noise, smells, & people, ESPECIALLY physical contact. I'm so tempted to just use my full break from the school I work at to rest instead of working my 2nd job. Both are part-time so not much working. But I live with my grandparents & help with my disabled grandma who's got dementia, sun downers, diabetes, & due to said diabetes she had blood clots in her left leg so bad that it had to be amputated to the knee. So my grandpa needs help with her. Some days I feel like I'm working 24/7, & that I'd rather enjoy 3 weeks off instead of going back to working. Still got some time to decide. Sorry for the rant 😅

I get major depression around the holidays now that I've been removed from my family...

Anxiety depression and no one around

This year I’m really struggling with gifts. I love giving gifts and have lists for everyone I add to all year. I’m low on money so I’m very stressed. I want everyone to know how much I appreciate them but my budget is low. I’m not great at communication so gift giving is especially important to me. I’m hoping making cards will add to it.

Trying to deal with sensory overload and not eating the same things as others. I also have trouble with understanding what the holidays are about and engaging in activities with family and friends.

family asking what i’m doing with my life. i don’t know bc im disabled and it just makes me feel worthless

My food sensitivities make it hard, you don’t realize how social food is until you lose it. Also having chronic fatigue while my whole extended family is very active makes me feel a little worthless

I don’t feel like I belong. I can tell my family is trying hard to relate to me and include me in things. It’s like a constant reminder I’m not one of them.

I know how you feel I think when one of your loved ones passes away before their time Christmases are never the same afterwards. I lost my cousin who was like a brother to me when he was 18 and I was 19. I always think of him a lot around the holidays.

Being disowned by my family due to my chronic illness, and not having a place I can call home. Christmas doesn't really feel like Christmas anymore. My partner tries to make Christmas nice for me(which I appreciate)but our miserable living condition makes it impossible for me to properly enjoy it . I miss having big family dinners, around a proper family sized kitchen table, in a nice cosy home. Ive lost all that forever,and it breaks my heart more every year.

Past trauma and violence. Try to make them special and different every year for me and my family as best I can

Not having my kids

My fibromyalgia is getting bad cause of the season and so is my anxiety and depression

I get depressed around the holidays because I miss my family who live 1200 miles away

I get depressed around all the holidays I haven't celebrated my bday in 7 years because I get so down

The centering around food

That they start coming in the summer and multiple holidays at one time. For the love of sanity; one at a time!

The hypocrisy of people. They are not nice 364 days a year and suddenly 1 day, they are nice to everyone. When they need to keep the niceties all year long.

Just being around people and knowing that death anniversaries for my grandparents on my dad's side are around the holidays. It can be rough sometimes.

People keep telling me to eat more when I can’t eat cause (gastro disorders) sometimes they don’t stop. Anyone else relate?

Worrying how my bpd will act up because the emotions can stir the pot fast if one tiny thing or feeling bad comes along

Knowing I can't do what others will be doing because I need to put my body first

feeling obligated to spend a larger amount of time with people who just see me as the black sheep/disappointment of the family

Too many ppl around me and going out alot I suffer from social anxiety

The hardest thing about the holidays is that I'm stuck in a house with 6 other people

Everything. All of my immediate family has passed and most of my extended family as well. The few left live 30 minutes away but I only get invited for the big holidays, and that has only happened the last year. Holidays are so hard for me.

Feeling not part of the family. Everyone loves each other and gets along then I come in and everyone insults me and says they wished I never came then they have the nerve to wonder why I hide away and don't wanna be around.

My kids and not always having the money to go somewhere or 2 go 2 the movies even

The food 🤦🏻‍♀️

My emotionally immature mother trying to guilt trip me into visiting her -_-

Everyone gets so antsy and anxiety ridden to the point that they are downright rude. I love holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, but people are just so mean!

I would have to say losing my parents... They passed 3 yrs apart & not having them here physically sucks..

Seeing everyone look perfect in bikinis and trying to remind myself I don't have to relapse cuz I'm not skinny like them

Pretending that I'm fine.

Not having any family or friends

My dad died 5 days after Christmas. So it's hard especially my mom. Sometimes l just feel blah

the division in my family. sensory overload. not having some people that passed, around anymore.

My mom not being around anymore and the depression that comes from that

Having no one to spend it with

Being without my grandma now. She has been gone for 2 years now so holidays are really hard for me

Being expected to act like a normal person while experiencing excruciating pain.

not being able to express my needs to my family. whether that's rest and not standing/walking for long periods or alone time to decompress.

Feeling like I'm missing out when I have to rest

The social pressure to eat desserts when I know the sugar will make me feel awful.

Lmao honestly EVERYTHING. Grieving my mother, and the relationship I've never had with my father, feeling anxious to see my partner's family, feeling like the holidays were so much more special in my childhood, having problems eating due to advanced tooth decay. The list unfortunately goes on. 😥

The family I cant see or that have passed on, I have depression and the holidays are even more difficult because I feel ashamed of not really staying in contact with my family.

Sometimes people have unrealistic expectations of what you’re able to do. Just because it’s the holidays I still need time to rest and recharge ya know.

💕

i want to celebrate and share with everyone but i don't have money to do anything

Not having my sister's, and parents here..

I've given up on spending them with my family. They don't accept me for who I am and they think I'm faking all my health problems so I'm done.

My grandparents are no longer with me, except for one. Last month I lost my second grandma and the 18th was 7-8 years since my grandpa passed away. My first grandma passed away 4 years ago and now my grandpa's not doing well at all. He can't taste anything and he's so skinny. I'm afraid of losing my last grandparent this year. It's been almost 4 weeks now since my grandma passed away and I couldn't be with her when she did. She was living in North Carolina and I live up here in Rhode Island. My relatives were with her when she died. I could only say my goodbyes to her on the phone. The holidays were always spent at their houses and now, it's different since most of my grandparents are no longer with us.

I personally hate Valentine’s Day because I have to watch my partner slowly digress into ptsd and panic attacks. They have trauma associated with the day so I hate it

A broken family and loss of traditions

Just being around my family. I dont live with them and havent done since i was 18. But when i visit them i get overwhelmed and im unable to have normal conversations and they dont fully understand why thats difficult for me.

Being alone..and irrelevant

Being alone. Or, thinking of past holidays with people who are no longer with me.

AND KIDS LOL

Stress

Being surrounded by cookies and cakes ☺️

Missing my grandad.

The constant socialising with family, especially the side of the family who don't agree with who I am (lesbian who will never have children). It's exhausting anyway let alone when they make snide remarks and bring up topics they know we'll disagree on just to start a debate

The fireworks. And having to mask and play "grateful" the way they expect me to.

Got diagnosed with DVT and chronic pain on Christmas day and have been in hospital on Christmas eve a year after for a suicide attempt and then a year after for self harm. Christmas amd new years is really tough. Although 2023 I didnt end up in hospital which was great but I felt really low

My grandma died around the holidays when I was around 5.5 years old and I still have trouble with being happy including faking being happy. I have a 13 month old and another baby on the way. I'm struggling to find a way to at least fake being happy, but so far no luck.

That I'll never know what to expect before or after the holiday event. Either it'll be hell, fun, and hell, or it'll be straight hell.

No family, and I'm estranged from my daughter. 😥

The judgement. I literally brought my own alcohol and weed last time because they constantly judge me, dead name me and treat me like a girl. I'm nonbinary. It all causes anxiety and they end up talking about topics I dislike. This year it was about politics, one year it was about my perfectly healthy dad signing up for disability he doesn't need nor quality for. He doesn't have anxiety or depression. He tells me it's basically in my head.

Having to eat around people. I struggle to even eat around my own mother, who I'm very close to. it's very uncomfortable.

The food and family anxiety sometimes because I go through a lot of changes and idk how to deal with myself sometimes. It depends on how I'm feeling that day.

For examples Xmas 2022 I saw my young friends get lots and lots of presents and I sit here and think why can’t I get that or why didn’t I get that at there age like what’s the difference

Being type 2 diabetic and not being able to handle all the food...as well as anxiety and being lonely. Holidays come around and I just want to hide because something ALWAYS goes awry. Somebody is either sick, something gets undercooked or burnt, something isn't available in stores, something gets dropped, timing of food getting done is off, something. Just never seems worth the hassle...then I look like a bad parent because I'm "depriving my kids of memories" 😒

Despite being professionally diagnosed, my family insists I’m lying about being disabled.

For me its the problematic/cut-off family members that i have to sit and listen to and then feel my own panic attacks and sensory overloads go haywire. On top of that also hearing parents arguing over things that couls be resolved...its bleh.😥

Driving to see my family because they all moved out of the area. Also my family being split between to cities that are 2 hours apart. If my niece and nephew don't make it to my brother's, I don't get to see them 😭

The fact that my family has so many communication issues and refuses to have much needed, but hard, conversations....

Everything. I actually hate the holidays every since my mental health has been out of control. I’ve let my daughter down two years in a row now because I’m too broke to buy her what she wants. Covid and holidays ruined my mental health. I hate both of them now

It's actually really stupid but during Christmas I like have an anxiety attack or somethin because opening presents and having everyone watch me do it is just absolutely horrible and I never feel like I deserve any of the awesome things I get

The last few years it’s been the isolation. I can’t stand it. I feel rejected and neglected. It’s been PAINFUL FOR ME.

Everyone saying 'happy christmas' 'happy new year' and saying it back with gritted teeth knowing it's been the worse of all

This Christmas was the first one that my great great grandma couldn't come to because she has dementia and was put in a nursing home..

the hardest thing is that i have to pretend to be happy and love the holidays.

i don’t spend enough time with family. i always end up feeling left out cause nobody comes to visit or i’m not allowed out or plans get cancelled. at this point i’ve just gotten used to it but the sad part is now when someone plans to come i take what they say with a grain of salt. not even just go the holidays that goes with friends and partners too

Feeling like i have to be bright and happy all the time. Being alone with only my family for 2-3 weeks especially hurts, seeing that all your friends spend the holidays hanging out and dont think about you. And my terrible sensory problems mame me feel like i need to act all normal when really all the bright lights, people, noises (such as bells, those have always been terrible a terrible sound ive never liked) make me want to cry half the time

My sensory issues, and not too supportive family

Lost one of my 14 yr old cats I've had since birth the day before Christmas eve his brother is lost without him and still trying to get use to my dad passing away soon to be 4 years this month

My Nana died in December and my step dad on Christmas Eve it’s not the same anymore x

my brother died by suicide on new year’s day, it’s always kinda rough around now

I'm not a "fan" of the holidays. My Mom passed away during Christmas time many, many years ago, so the holidays always bring those sad memories back.

Traditions, family, good will are the main theme of the season! Try to give some effort in regard to needy families in your area! I believe everyone can give their time to help others! So many families get caught up in gifts. It’s important to remember the reason for the season! Volunteer in your local hospital: reading to sick patients, at a soup kitchen serving food, ring the bell for the Salvation Army!

Not be with them

It's the first Christmas without my grandpa :(

I’ve had a lot of unpleasant Christmases in the past, so sometimes those experiences stick with me when there’s no reason. Also, once the holidays are done and all the lights/deco are taken down, the rest of January and February are brutal, mostly due to the Chicago weather but also the bleak environment.

Not being with family and not being able to eat a lot of the things .

FAMILY AND MY EATING DISORDER!

Being around family and the chaotic home environment. My mom has BPD and my dad had another personality disorder and the rest of my family face other mental illnesses, so there’s conflict and we trigger each other, etc. We do love each other and have good times, but the rough times can be hard.

Im trans and will hear my deadname over and over again even though ive told everyone to call me Nexus. And im a male getting girly pink nail polish... im 23 I dont want nail polish. And i want to be respected. Also i have agarophobia and going to others houses is a struggle especially when theres food bc of my arfid.

The tree

Getting in trouble and yelled at for talking and then also getting yelled at for not talking.

Having to put on a happy face for everyone cuz they don't understand my mental health and tell me to "just don't be depressed or anxious"

Food

Everything

My cousin's death

The food and the expectations

Going to spend time with family and wanting to be out but worrying that i'm overdoing it. Knowing I should probably really just use the break to properly recharge 👍

Oddly enough, the gifts. Either buying them or receiving them, I always end up with anxiety because I do too much overthinking when it comes to Christmas presents 😓

The food. The stress. The mess.

I don't actually know. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays (tho I celebrate Secular Christmas lol) and I love the experience, but a lot of my issues start acting up around this time of year, and I'm not entirely sure why.

All of it. Seeing my family that hates me, eating food that makes me insecure, and all the crowded spaces no matter where you go.

For me, it’s thinking about those we have lost over the years, especially those I spent many a Christmas with. I get very stressed out around Xmas as I get so excited about it too ( I wake up around 4 am most Xmas days ) I guess my mental health goes to s**t sometimes around Xmas too.

This year particularly (2022); My father is dead, his kitty is dead, my service dog is dead, and I started chemo is November which means I’m in quarantine. it’s been a bad year and I wish holidays just went away.

The massive change of routine.

Celebrating them

Meeting with family. i just know they’re gonna say something embarrassing i did years ago and they’ll tease me for it.

Money stresses

I find it all very overwhelming..

Being around over people it's hard for me to be around other new people

Cooking

Guilt, lots of guilt.

Holidays are supposed to be about family and spending time together. I am so jealous of people that can do that with family, even their parents. My family doesn't really get along and alot of my family is dead, and one set of Grandparents,that are divorced, is the only thing I have to enjoy on holidays, if my family doesn't fight.

I feel the same, it's a really hard time of year, just remember aslong as you see your kids and they know your there for them that's all they need

For me I get more depressed and feel majorly down after Christmas. After the build up is all done. After all the excitement when life goes back to normal

probably knowing that everyone is issuing a facade, none of us are truly happy

Work obligations smothering any chance of relaxing

Being around my bigot family and feeling obligated to be the person to educate and correct them. It’s exhausting and emotionally painful

Missing my kids who my x has n I haven't physically seen in 9 years now. We in different states

Seasonal depression. It gets super bad around the holidays and at night.

I have lost 3 family members in the last year and a half. The fact that their not going to be at Christmas this year physically hurts me.

Not getting gifts

Being around people, the extra stimulus in stores, christmas music literally everywhere, and my family "planning" things.

Missing my grown children

Not wanting to celebrate holidays due to my depression or personality but feeling obligated to. I want to just treat them as normal days and when I tell someone I have no plans they immediately feel bad and pity me. I just don't feel like celebrating holidays that celebrate things when I have so much trauma to feel I deserve to celebrate

the pressure of giving gifts when I can barely afford to feed myself

My family. It sucks that just because there's a tree up my mom expects me to pretend that everything is okay and I forgive her...

Affording the gifts I want to get for people. I feel sad I can't get what I want to get for people because I don't want to completely drain my bank account. I also feel guilt for it.

Getting gifts. I struggle with the thought of being good enough or doing enough to receive even the slightest attention..

Financial pressure, social expectations, masking, and being away from my friends.

Being back to acting ciss

Financial pressure and expectations

I get anxiety about seeing my family

remembering gifts

I have not enjoyed Christmas since I was young and have a lot of trauma linked to the festive period. Usually I would hide away and avoid family/celebrating beyond the bare minimum I was expected to do. But I recently gave birth to a baby boy in May of this year and I now acknowledge that avoiding the holiday will no longer be an option— as I do not by any means want to push my issues on him and I will do everything within my ability to make sure he never feels the same way about such an intimate family holiday like I have in the past. Yet whilst saying all of this, I cannot yet decide if I’m ‘excited’ for my son’s first Christmas, or as per usual dreading the entire ordeal. I have a lot of anxiety building, much like I always do this time of year. I just wish it wasn’t like this and that I could enjoy the special moments like these. 😥

Having to eat.

Having family that doesn't understand anything that I need thim to

My family are exhausting. We're pretty much all neurodivergent so we struggle to not talk over each other while also feeling overwhelmed by each other. I'm the only one with chronic illness though and they still never bothered understanding it and my symptoms. I'm expected to spend the whole day chatting and helping with the kids with no rest! 😥

I think my family is a bit overwhelming and so much stuff to do really gets me overloaded super fast and then I get kinda bitchy. It’s a terminal illness at this point.

That my cousin is not here to celebrate with me 🕊️❤️

Being broke af so not being able to decorate or get anyone gifts 😞

Being so far away from my family. I'm halfway across the USA from them and it gets lonely.

Missing all my friends. Being home from university means that my friends are no longer just down the corridor or a short walk away but instead miles if not countries away. It’s like my main support system (as I find it much easier to be open and myself around my university friends) has gone for 4 weeks which is hard.

Feeling like I’m the scape goat for everyone’s blame in my family because I put up the biggest fight against the toxicity.

I lost my grandad before Christmas years ago and it's my first Christmas without my auntie and best friend who both died to suicide

I lost my dad it has been a year he passed away September the 6 of last year

My mom. I love the holidays, but the pressure of my mom stresses me out

The fear of not being listened to. That and the bill

Knowing that again, I am the ONLY one left of my own (mom,dad,sibling) family. I can't celebrate with them anymore.

The fact I'm single now. Was really looking forward to trying to make this Christmas better/happier than the last...

Being with my family.. I’m trans ftm, and they don’t accept me. I have a few family members who do. But my mother, one of my two sisters, and one aunt in particular always got to be misgendering me.. I’m 5 years on T too… My father passed away in 2019, so that makes it even harder.. and this is most likely my last Christmas with my grandmother:( She accepts me, which makes it even harder

That's a holiday ks supposed to be relaxing but they take effort meaning you feel you nedd a holiday for a holiday

Not living up to the fantasy of magical moments.

Being reminded I feel terrible around my family. And I usually spend the holidays alone, or w my immediate family, and it always has something terrible happen. I wish I could spend it w friends or smt in the future. I like being alone tho for now

My grandad no longer being here

Transphobic family who doesn't give two shits about who I actually am and only loves me for who they want me to be

Being around my entire family... I've never reacted well to it. I have social anxiety and c-ptsd so the entire time I'm just in fight or flight.

My bank account. And obesity.

Not having my mom around

Usually, the hardest thing is getting all the gifts together last-minute, especially since I often make gifts by hand. I have a problem with procrastination because of my anxiety and OCD.

this time of year just reminds me of my grandma that passed….it’s almost been a year in january

That i have to talk to the other side of my family

Seasonal depression and some holiday trauma

Christmas trauma. There's been a lot of familial health crises right around Christmas and I moved away this year so it's rough.

Food and people. I always think they're looking at me like oh you gained weight look at you when in reality, they're probably not. I also have to see my cousin who is a recovered anorexic but naturally on the bonier side and me and her got into fight about it because we both wanted to be better than each other.

being pressured to eat (even more than usual) and needing time alone to be able to use my (unhealthy) coping skill. i struggle with addiction and my substance use kills my appetite so i just can’t eat and it’s very noticeable. it’s also hard to get private time to use. the shame and guilt kills me, honestly.

Dealing with a family who thinks I’m lazy and disappointing. It’s just because I can’t manage when I’m undiagnosed. I’m tired and sad all the time even if I don’t have any reason. I try to keep my head up and do chores and all of that but it’s not easy. I’m just trying my best.

Definitely family…I’m usually the butt of the joke and they don’t understand why I get so upset.

Not having family or really anyone to spend any time with. I just have to watch everyone else have a nice time and making memories with loved ones whilst sitting alone in my flat

Finding time for myself! Everything is so oriented around spending time with family but people make me so burnt out sometimes and there are so many commitments and it's hard to turn people down because they mean well but it is exhausting!

Seeing everybody in my family, with a significant other except me. 😥

I've got a pretty big family on my dad's side and during gatherings there's always people I don't know who want to hug me. I'm not touch adverse... When it comes to people I know and love. At Thanksgiving someone hugged me like 6 times and I didn't have a clue who she was.

When my family and I start fighting. And I always break up with my partner around the holidays so I always end up being alone. This year was my choice but I didn't have much of a choice. Plus I've had to put two cats down on Thanksgiving before so that can be a trigger for me.

Not spending it with my dad

I cant offer a healthy and full environment for someone I love because I can't get over the fear and abuse they've caused me. I'm happy when they go somewhere else for the holiday... they will be happier there, and I can be free from the stress.

The loneliness caused by being around family I can’t connect with.

Being expected to be healthy as its like my family forget I have limitations that don't disappear because of Christmas

The hardest thing about the holidays for me I miss my family that I lost. My mother’s been gone for a year and a half. I miss the old days.

I suffer from severe social anxiety so when I am at an event with more than 5 people I go to the bathroom and have a panic attacks

My mom passed away October 21st of this year and not having her here anymore makes hard

Just being alone in a toxic family. I wish I was around pleasant people to do festive things with, & I wish I could create my own life a little faster!

Christmas is an even harder holiday for me because my grandparents on my dads side died around that time November 2016-2017.

cw : death Along with having difficulty socializing, I always think about my friend who passed away. Her birthday is 2 days before a certain holiday so I am working on feeling better during the holidays. I am a little better now that I can see a therapist sometimes

Being without my grandparents. They really raised me, my grandma passed the day after Christmas 4 years ago. We got the call she wasn't doing well. My parents, husband and myself tried to get one last moment with her, drove 2 States away to see her , but the nursing home said we couldn't go see her. She died an hour later.

We worry that Christmas won't feel special... It hasn't felt right since 2020 ... And the fact that we don't talk to our family about our DID ... And the fact that they don't give a shit that we're trans and refuse to call us even neutral pronouns.... It pisses me off... They all act like they know me but I'm not even real to them... They don't know who I actually am and I can't tell them... Idk if I would still be accepted as family or dismissed as just some lesser voice in someone's head... I'm a person... And it just hurts to know I won't be seen or treated like one. (V.)

I don't feel accepted in my own family. I am constantly misgendered and deadnamed by everyone who 'loves' me. I just constantly think about SH during holidays (never acted on anything)

Relapsing in SH

Missing the deceased, my depression, and my aches, pains, and migranes.

the amount of people in one place together makes me feel weird, but its also mainly the food.

Not being able to celebrate the way I want to or participate in [the holidays] how everyone else does.

Sensory overloads as well as inaccessibility, as well as having the type of family that dosent care about my disabilities and oftend discards me when I say I have an issue going somehwere or doing something that people want to do.

The stress, anxiety, and depression. Knowing that the holidays aren’t the same because no one really cares about each other.

Sensory Overload

Last year my marriage falling apart and knowing I needed to leave, this year the first Christmas on my own, which is fine, but feel for the kids as their Dad doesn't want to see them

Remembering my family (I was emancipated).

I remember alot and the loss of someone is still effecting me really badly

Being around my mom, knowing that she sabotaged such an important day in my life & has no remorse or takes any responsibility for it. I don't even want to look at her, but she's still my mom...

TW: SELF HARM i started c!tting during the holidays, and i usually rel@pse around these times

Not being with family. Most dont like me.

Not feeling as happy as others. People always act so happy during the holidays but im usually miserable. And depression feels like it's off limits during the holidays

Seeing family sucks; it's all yeehaw, country music, and homophobia.

Any public events/shows I go to because i feel so out of place

Seeing all the food that my family gets to eat that would make me sick. I really miss being able to eat a normal diet around the holidays

The amount of money I have to spend that I don’t have. I feel so guilty not being able to give gifts to my family

My family is way too toxic so celebrating holidays with family just feel like it’s forced. We pretend one day out of the year to be a big happy family and go back to being super toxic. I just hate acting like nothing is wrong when something is clearly wrong.

Traveling. This year is going to suck because my hip is screwed up and if I have to sit in an airplane without being able to lie down for four hours I'm going to scream

People treating me like I'm both fragile and overreacting at the same time. They know it can get bad but they don't understand at all.

Actually getting in the Christmas spirit.

New one here seasonal depression and getting blamed for the reason people can’t be with their families and feeling more urges to abuse drugs and alcohol

The most common problem with holidays for me is not being around family so my depression acts up this will be my first year having gastroparesis on Thanksgiving so I don't know how it's going to go

I would have to say that the Ice is probably the hardest thing for me during the holidays.

The hardest thing about the holidays for me is that I won't get to see my blood family...

Worst part is leaving the house. Having to be near people and having to stand and walk for long periods of time. It’s exhausting.

the food & the comments that come with it :(

Seeing abusers

Cooking. I love it and love people's reaction to it, but there's so many people to feed/in the kitchen that it's hell on my back and knee

Up until recent medicinal changes, for me. It was detention and anxiety. Things always kept going wrong and I began to anticipate the fights and the issues and greater depression which turned into a feedback loop.

Living 2500 miles away from my family

Missing loved ones like my grandmothers and grandfathers I miss them a lot for real!

The schedule of Christmas day and the days leading up to it is so different than usual (staying in pajamas all day, opening boxes, etc.) that it always makes me dissociate, sometimes quite badly, and it can be very distressing which means I can't enjoy the holiday

😥 yeah it can be

Memories of holidays past with lots family around. Most are dead now... dinner for 2. 😞

I’m never able to eat with my family due to my stomach issues, so it’s always very emotionally hard to sit there and watch everyone eating happily knowing that I’ll never be able to do that with them. They are all used to me sitting out of it and think nothing of it, but it tears me up each and every time.

All the sweets

Thinking about how my family was pulled apart this time of year and how I treated my mom because I thought I was doing the right thing then.

All of it and leaving up to 😥

Being alone because I refuse to be around my abusive family.

The replays of my mom attempting suicide on Christmas Eve.... Waking up Christmas morning to my dad saying she's in the hospital.... It's rough

All the family thinking you are required to give them a hug. The fear of them judging you for a personal change. The idea that an argument could break out 👁👄👁

Getting into the spirit of them

Lack of money

food. i have an eating disorder and on thanksgiving it’s hell to get through and when it’s over, i remember that i still have to get through christmas. then there’s the family aspect. as a whole it just reminds me of how much i wish my family could be normal and healthy. christmas is one of my favorite holidays but over the years it has just gotten more and more sad.

the fact that my grandfather died and he was always such a big part of christmas. also knowing that every christmas may be the last with my grandmother

My dads death (10 years ago this year)

My cousin's death

My mom's side and dad's side constantly at each other's throats (mom is Jewish and dad is Christian making me interfaith and my moms side gets me gifts for both Jewish and Christian holidays but my dad's side doesn't they only do gifts on Christian holidays) and my dad's side constantly wants to do Christmas Eve and always changes what we do behind our backs making it so we get stuck doing stuff with certain family members whom are very problematic on Christmas Day (but last year in protest we didn't go over to that person's house and my dad's brother got mad aka my uncle and my aunt but my little cousin could give lesser of a f*ck than I do we just text saying that the fighting is ridiculous and that the adults pulling both of our severely disabled neurodivergent arses into the fighting is unnecessary as f*ck)

Realizing the people that you once shared holiday dinners slowly decreases over the years.

For me, it’s the running around and trying to be this happy go lucky person when I’m actually dying on the inside. My anxiety is high during this time due to having to be somewhere at a certain time and the fact that I have seasonal affective disorder doesn’t make it easier. My SAD gets even worse when I’m around people that I either don’t want to be around and cause me more depression or because they have this ideal of me that is now unrealistic because I have changed a lot since being in high school. This doesn’t even include buying the presents and worrying about money which is a whole different story.

All of the parties that I'm expected to show up to and the length of time I'm expected to be out doing things, going in the car is hard, and I get exhausted easily it's difficult to handle so many different parties and how sick I get from being around so many people who don't understand why I get sick so easily. Then they get mad when I don't go because I'm in too much pain or I'm sick and can't get out of bed and claim I'm the bad guy for not forcing myself to go or say I'm making excuses to not be around them.

Definitely the food. I have an ed so the big focus on food is super hard

Having to sit through the conversation and asked about dating or something i couldn't care less about and don't know how to reply to

The inability for my mother to accept that I really cannot consume gluten.

Not being able to be with my family

Dealing with bad memories that tend to come back up around this time. As well as dealing with family that I don't normally interact with.

Being around family I don't like.

Food - triggers my BED and I feel guilty for eating anything even though everyone else is.

Not being able to physically do activities. Everywhere is icy during the holidays and I can’t travel safely on ice of course so I watch from afar as people Ice skate & go see Christmas trees or walk around trick or treating or finding Easter eggs.

😥

The loneliness even when your around family

Having to be around people that don't understand how hard it is to live with the mental illnesses that I have to live with.

Probably the emotional hangover my mom calls it I do great but after I get so burnt out and kinda sad lol

Family gatherings have always been really stressful. I get overwhelmed and overstimulated when people yell. And, sometimes, I feel emotionally numb (emotionally “stonewalled” from myself?)…like I’m waiting to feel the magic of the holidays. Then I feel disappointed, once I’ve processed my emotions and am greeted with the feeling that feels like disappointment.