Hi, I’m Roslyn Saunders, a codependency recovery coach with a mission to lead a global movement to raise awareness around the root cause of all addiction, codependency.
In this video, I’m going to talk to you about how Christmas and holidays can be a very scary time. They can paralyse us and put us into deep depression.
You might be wondering how will I manage? It’s a good question, especially when we’re feeling anxious and low. So let me call out the elephant in the room about Christmas and holidays.
Although we’re conditioned to think they should be happy and they’re marketed as wonderful family get-togethers, sharing and celebration, in fact, the very opposite can be true. Christmas and any holidays, in fact, including long weekends, can be very sad, lonely, and scary times for many people. How do I know? Well, I know because I’ve had this very experience with celebrations like these looming large on the horizon.
For example, at Christmas time, there are decorations in the shops, Christmas carols playing everywhere, and people planning get-togethers. For a long time, I found myself starting to dread the end of the year long before it arrived. For me, it was usually in September. I used to wish I could just hide underground until it was all over. When we’re in this state, we experience all kinds of emotions. Yes, we feel fear, sadness, grief, abandonment, betrayal. We even feel guilty and beat up on ourselves for not feeling joyful.
If you’re feeling this way, I want to reassure you that you are definitely not alone. One of the reasons holiday times can be hard is that it’s a first for many people. Our first anniversary of splitting the children for Christmas Day and holidays, the first holiday or birthday after a marriage breakup or relationship breakup, it could be the first Christmas or celebration after losing a loved one, the first Christmas since the loss of the business or employment, or maybe you don’t even have a job.
If you’re wondering how the hell am I going to get through this and wishing you could wake up and it would all be over, I want you to know there are things we can do to reduce and manage the stress and suffering. Some practical things you can do to manage your emotions around these times are:
Connect with me on Facebook, my Facebook page Roslyn Saunders Addiction Recovery Coach. I post valuable information there most days.
You can also reach me through my website RoslynSaunders.com.au. And you can watch the videos I share on my YouTube channel Roslyn Saunders or join me as I discuss skills and strategies to manage. All these resources are free and designed to provide support and scaffolding for people who struggle around these times.
Keep in mind I also provide a one-off paid emotional hotline where I take calls if you need someone to speak to and stop you from spiraling lower. Thank you for watching and valuing your emotional sobriety.
