Do you like Christmas?

Christmas is weird for me because I hate it except for Christmas Day, but I think that's just because my daughter loves it so much and it gets me excited seeing her very excited and happy on the day. The build up to it though is stressful and exhausting for me. Everywhere becomes busy. Things becoming more expensive. And then family want to meet up and do meals which I then have to try and find an excuse to get out off it without hurting people's feelings.

Not my favourite time no.

I enjoy watching Christmas movies and I like the magic surrounding the Christmas season.

I should say I don't like the commercialisation of Christmas, and Christmas shopping is a big no-no. However, Christmas Cinnamon flavour and smells are amazing, and I know that these can happen at other times of year, but my excitement levels for them just increase in Winter

I love Christmas, but I think that is because I love it as long as it is how I have planned for it to be I don't like it when there are too many plans that other people are trying to organise that are overlapping on what I want to do that are making things overly busy and complicated. (re-reading that sentence feels like how fast my brain goes at Christmas time). Also it is a relief for it to be a winter holiday that doesn't require fireworks (love the lights, the noise I am not a fan of)

I've been misdiagnosed with social anxiety and depression for 18 years so they know its not a good time of year for me.

So I do tend to get more me time than everyone else but it still dosent stop the thoughts and the tv ads rammed down your throat of people and families having a fantastic time like someone else further up said from October I begin to dread it, this year will be different though as I now know who and what I am either way Im glad when its all over come Jan 1st

I dont like it. The crowds, the expectations. This year I am going away so i can enjoy my time off as a holiday rather than prescribed fun.

I can understand what you are describing- I have a dream of going off hiking on my own over Christmas- I am sure I will do that as soon as my injuries are healed and I am able to do so again (Mallorca is the planned destination as the weather is mild enough and the mountain huts are open even over Christmas!!). 

I luckily have not had to cope with large family gatherings since I was a child (probably not anymore after I was 8 or 9 years old)- I know that I would not be able to cope with it- eating socially, all those people, complete overstimulation. When I was growing up there were lots of arguments in my family so my mum, stepfather and I started going to Switzerland to ski over Christmas (always the same place so that was great as it felt like a second home so no huge change)- I loved that- on Christmas Eve and Chrismas day we would just eat as usual in the quiet and cozy family run restaurant of the simple hotel we were staying in (they had traditional things but also pizzas etc). and everyone just had exactly what they liked - we did give each other presents which was nice but there was no pressure or change. 

After I went to university and my parents split, it was more difficult.  I spent one Christmas with my stepfather which was stressful as I ended up having to last minute organise the cooking for the 3 days... And I spent the past Christmases alone- which was ok but a little sad as no friends at all are available to talk to/phone or do something together with and I kept feeling like I should be doing something special but didn't know what...- This is why I dream of the Christmas hiking trip- I think it would be amazing! I love hiking and I can't imagine anything better than to get away and into nature over the Chrismas break. 

Do you have big gatherings with your family over Christmas? Does your family know you find it overwhelming? Could you have some of the days to yourself and do something you love? 

I hate it, the forced socialising, the forced ohhh arent we having a fab Xmas, the crowds, the expectations I feel like a weight has been lifted off me come 1st Jan

dissolving themselves starting from their teeth

horrible time of year watching humanity destroy itself while singing and drinking coca cola. 

You know we've skirted around Santa on this thread, but I was serious in wanting to sack santa. It's a morality thing for me.

When I was a child, I loved the Santa thing. But it was also the one and only lie my parents ever told me. They let me believe long after other children knew. 

One day, the school bullies were teasing me about my belief in Santa. I squared up to them and bravely defended Santa. Of course he was real. How could any of our parents possibly afford all those presents. I had no idea my Dad's carpentry and my mum's sewing machine produced most of them.

A nicer kid had a word in my ear about the truth. I went home and challenged my parents. They had to confess. I was furious. FURIOUS! They had lied! And in defence of their lie I had taken on the bullies, who made my life Hell. I would rather they had given me nothing, than lie.

Ok, getting it now. Aspie kid response to Santa and failing to recognise my toys were made with love despite the deception. However, that ethos is still with me a half century on. We have taken a spiritual festival and converted it to an orgy of commercialism such that poor parents go into debt to buy useless stuff for their kids because they are made to believe they have to or else they are letting them down, even if that means they will struggle to feed their kid come January.

Really? Is this the Christmas message?. Buy rubbish for your kid now and starve them in the New Year while you tell them lies. Really? What happened to peace and good will toward humanity.

Noo!

Christmas is a nightmare from start to finish. 

I wish we could skip December and go straight to January. Christmas is too busy, too loud, family gatherings which cause me so much anxiety and normally burnout after.

It also means more illness which with my immune system now is really bad for me.

I'm not looking forward to it x

Snookums said:

skip the whole season lol

I've thought about how to live with bipolar and avoid downside, it can be applied to this scenario too

1. Be born after hibernation is invented

2. Enter hibernation for the chosen period

3. Live happily ever after

I feel the same way. Try to keep away before it can overwhelm me which it often does. Just wish I could skip the whole season lol.

I think the same about presents. Why would i want to get something useless and why would I want to show I'm happy about it?

My mom used to buy me socks everyyear for christmas, I can live with that. I suspect she's autistic as well

I'll second that. I thought I'd never meet another living soul who had similar views on Christmas, and here you all are! Lol

I was diagnosed last November. Among other things, my diagnosis has made sence of my half century of Christmas experience.

I do and you have my sympathy. I'd love to sack Santa.

My thoughts exactly. Big business have turned a spiritual event into a reason to force people to spend money on things they don't really want, or doing things they don't really want, and stress everyone out in the process.

Bring back Oliver. Or at least his ideas on Christmas. A day of fasting and reflection. I'll go with that.

Oh God, the shopping the crowds!. I remember the days before online shopping, agony with guaranteed burn out.