I am not coping.

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I am not ready for Christmas. I have been ill for the last few days and now it is SHEER HELL in the shops and on the roads. I will not be able to visit relatives as planned because i cannot risk infecting them with what I've had. so everything has to change and I just do not feel up to even going to the shops for basic supplies. I haven't got a present for my husband. I havent' sent ANY christmas cards. i am melting down all over the place right now. I can't vouch for my own safety of that of anyone I come into contact with because I feel on the verge of hysterics and possibly violence. I might just have to go into the garage and have a screaming fit and break some unimportant stuff when the neighbours are out. i wish I could be magically transported to a sparsely populated place where Christmas is not celebrated!

Excuse me. Needed to vent. I bet I'm not the only one here feeling a tad overloaded right now am I?

Christmas became so hellish for me that I gave it up officially and told the whole family. If you've got kids, that's tough to do. Mine were all adult. No cards, no presents.

That didn't take the pressure off. Until this year - you're going to think this is insane or offensive - but it worked - I celebrated Hanukkah.

See, *not* celebrating Christmas doesn't work because you might as well do it, as sit around concentrating on not doing it. So when I adopted something to do, the pressure lifted right away. And there's no emotional baggage around Hanukkah for me.

There's a children's book - Alexandra's Scroll - wonderful book.

I didn't have 8 candles, so I lit one. That candle worked wonders. Every time Christmas snuck up on me, I looked at the candle and got calm.

I hope that somehow this might translate to some way that you can escape Christmas too?

Hmmm... I'm thinking about that! Thanks Claradoon! I may get a bit pagan actually, as I'm that way inclined.....

My sister is getting stressed out about Christmas to. I think women tend to worry about it more(making sure their loves ones have gifts). I'm giving my 3 &4 year old
nephews a small amount of cash and I'm building them a cheesy chemistry set to
play with(I need to start building it today) and thats it screw everybody else! Christmas is for kids.

Overload - that's the trouble with Christmas isn't it, too much to do and all for just one day really.
I find Christmas day itself the big pressure, by Boxing day I relax a bit. If only we could have Christmas when we feel like it rather than what feels like being a mouse running around a wheel leading up to THAT DAY.

I was very wound up yesterday, I felt like I was going bonkers, so I just though 'oh s*d it, I've had enough of this' and had a couple of hours crafting, forgetting about anything else, it worked. Today is better. Still got stuff to do but there's a couple of days left.

Hope you feel better soon. Can you do something you enjoy, listen to music maybe or go for a walk? I don't usually like noise but if I'm stressed music helps a lot.

The "gift obligation" is the hardest part for me.There was one point that I was buying gifts for over 20 family members....I have my adopted family of 12 and bio family of 10,then who ever I was dating and their family.And it's never enough to get one gift,I was afraid they wouldnt like it,so I would get multiple gifts.I was usually making under $10.00 an hour,so I would be hunting in thrift stores,all year long looking for ideas or make crafts....the whole thing is a nightmare I created for myself.I know it's crazy but cant seem to stop.Now,my neices and nephews are all having babies and I work with disabled people who get very few gifts,so I feel pressure to buy things for them(even though,I am not supposed to),I cant stand the idea of them being so excited for Christmas and then getting a pair of slippers.

The thing is....I love to buy things for other people and shop around the thrift stores and garage sales...one of my obsessions.What I cant stand ,is packing it all up and mailing it on time.No matter when I start,I am always late.I also hate the idea that I will have put so much time and energy into it and that the people wont like what I got them.My bio family is all on disability and I ant imagine not sending them things but my adopted family are all upper middle class and dont need much but my "mom" seems to resent if I dont send her and dad and my nieces something...it all adds up,so quick.

I cant give any advice because I cant seem to get off the treadmill myself.