Happy thanksgiving American PCers...?

today after eating with my H and family, I am dreading visiting my crazy moms. I've worried my mom will come and crash our early gathering. My dad if seen at all will probably be drunk. I had a nightmare about him last night. I woke up crying so I know it's a holiday!

This year I've kept myself busy pretending my T is part of my family and obsessively patronizing this board. I can't just get wasted this year . What's your plan to take the edge off holiday family craziness... If any?

Walk away from drama.

I'm going to a friend's for a while, then coming home to the lonely dinner with my mom. My family is all spread out, and my wife is up north this year, so it's not family drama that gets to me, it's the depression.
Hope you can avoid craziness this year. (Hugs)

Thank you gobble gobble

Don't spend the time with people you don't like.

Thanks for the advice... why is it I sometimes feel so guilty walking away? I know you guys are right. My H is dreading seeing my crazy mom, I am kind of dreading it, I just feel so guilty not seeing her still...

Because she has told you your whole life that you need to put her needs before yours. Time to say "no" and value yourself more than her.

I tend to not associate with anyone. Like is a family member comes up and asks a question I'll answer but I'm not going to go out of my way to talk to them because my family is so fake with one another. Plus that takes too much energy out of me and I need to save my energy to make it through the holiday meal.

I'm sorry you're having a tough time Holidays really suck. My situation isn't as bad as your's but I don't some family members to come over because they are loud and like talking about diarrhea.

My T told me to pretend my family members were just good acquaintances and not to give them more emotional energy than they deserved. That's where I'm going to try to start. I'll let you know if it works.

My family is just as crazy

Happy thanksgiving! I'm so thankful for all the support I've received from all of you! I hope each of you make it through today without drama and can find one thing you are thankful for! I am at my in-laws until Saturday and the drama has lessened over the years.

Happy Thanksgiving all! My T said to think of 1 thing your are grateful for today. She said there is at least 1 thing you can be grateful for each day.

Thank you Happy Thanksgiving!

Holidays suck for me. So much energy, painful memories, hurtful looks/words and feeling misunderstood...all that stuff sucks the life out of me. But I had one of the more enjoyable Thanksgivings today than I've had in quite awhile....I made the decision to do what felt best for me. I did choose to spend time with family. I went to a church service with my son in the morning too, which was really nice. I focused on those things I'm thankful for without denying the bad stuff...just focused on the good.

I think what helped the most was having no expectations. And all the practicing I'm doing staying present. It's really paid off because I noticed so clearly times I started to dissociate today...and I was able to ground myself. I just see how far I've come since last year at this time and I feel more hopeful today. And thankful for my T

Happy Thanksgiving!

I think the Effexor helped me survive this one...

I ate chinese food and kept family stuff limited to phone calls. I'll see them at xmas that will be plenty of drama for a year

I skipped the whole buying tons of food/waking up early to prepare/having chaos with guests/staying up late to clean/falling in bed exhausted this year. Went to my sister's (she hosts every holiday and loves every crazy second of it) ate well and avoided the drunk skeevy uncle, hugged the grandma a bunch, and chased kids out of the kitchen. When I got overwhelmed I stepped outside to breathe the brisk fall air, and had many conversations with myself about how social anxiety can't hurt me enough to draw blood.

Nope, holidays aren't the best time for me, but I made the most of it and gave my kids their dose of tradition while preserving my own sanity.

I'll take it.