I'm with you! I've already started the traditional "Oh my god the holidays are coming" panic in therapy. The holidays are terrible for me. Seeing my family brings up a lot of bad feelings and memories. It's a trauma snakepit. It's weird seeing them now that I've got some really good therapeutic help, because it feels like the me that goes to therapy is a separate person from the fake me that sees the family. Nobody likes wearing a mask.

It helps me to avoid being alone before and after the holiday visit. When I'm alone I get overwhelmed by memories and it gets really bad. For Thanksgiving I've made plans for the day before, that night, and the next day. It helps for me to be active so that I can remember that there's a me away from all that trauma stuff, you know?