http://www.ptsdspirituality.com/2009/12/27/ptsd-spirituality-why-is-christmas-hard-for-ptsd-survivors/ Healing Souls Wounded by PTSD Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:50:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://www.ptsdspirituality.com/2009/12/27/ptsd-spirituality-why-is-christmas-hard-for-ptsd-survivors/comment-page-1/#comment-149 Dr. Z Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:15:09 +0000 http://www.ptsdspirituality.com/?p=268#comment-149 Hi Quieta, Yes, society sets us up to think that everyone else is having the Norman Rockwell/Hallmark Card Love Child Christmas! That particular Love Child would be pretty ugly, too...probably looking like even more credit card debt while the banks go Ho Ho Ho! I am glad you had someone realistic to talk to. We get set up to have unrealistic expectations for holidays and then we get zapped and out PTSD gets even worse. Talking and writing always help. Semper Pax, Dr. Z Hi Quieta, Yes, society sets us up to think that everyone else is having the Norman Rockwell/Hallmark Card Love Child Christmas! That particular Love Child would be pretty ugly, too…probably looking like even more credit card debt while the banks go Ho Ho Ho! I am glad you had someone realistic to talk to. We get set up to have unrealistic expectations for holidays and then we get zapped and out PTSD gets even worse. Talking and writing always help. Semper Pax, Dr. Z

]]> http://www.ptsdspirituality.com/2009/12/27/ptsd-spirituality-why-is-christmas-hard-for-ptsd-survivors/comment-page-1/#comment-147 Queta Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:49 +0000 http://www.ptsdspirituality.com/?p=268#comment-147 My problem with the holidays is that I always feel like everyone else is having a Hallmark card Christmas and I'm having a hard time just getting through the season without falling into despair. One of my friends said to me the other day, "We're all miserable, ya know" and we laughed and laughed. It was nice to hear someone else say it outloud instead of pretending to be perfectly contented all the time. It seems like at some level I've bought into the idea that if I buy the perfect gifts or have the perfectly decorated house all will be joyful. Pretty dumb. My problem with the holidays is that I always feel like everyone else is having a Hallmark card Christmas and I’m having a hard time just getting through the season without falling into despair. One of my friends said to me the other day, “We’re all miserable, ya know” and we laughed and laughed. It was nice to hear someone else say it outloud instead of pretending to be perfectly contented all the time. It seems like at some level I’ve bought into the idea that if I buy the perfect gifts or have the perfectly decorated house all will be joyful. Pretty dumb.

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