Surviving Christmas with ADHD and Autism: Useful Tips to Manage Relationships, Parties, Gifts and Festive Expectations.

Mind Vox

Christmas can be a confusing, overwhelming and stressful time for those with ADHD and Autism.

These neurological conditions are largely ‘invisible’ and misunderstood by many, so the challenges we face are often overlooked by society during times like Christmas.

It can be mentally and even physically painful, with the festive traditions and expectations causing more stress and anxiety than we usually have.

This episode focuses on giving advice and tips on how to navigate the stressors and triggers that Christmas can bring for those with ADHD, Autism, OCD, Depression and Anxiety Disorders in particular.

*(Please note, using a new mic which picked up the heating turning on for the end half of the episode, so apologies for the background humming noise!)*

This episode explores:

-Challenges at Christmas when you have ADHD, Autism, OCD, Anxiety and Depression.

-Ideas for managing Christmas when Neurodivergent.

-The complexities of managing relationships with family, friends and partners at Christmas.

-Setting boundaries for yourself and others to reduce overstimulation.

-Social expectations and pressures, and ways to manage these.

-Christmas Parties with family, friends and also office parties and secret Santa overwhelm.

-Routine disruption that festivities bring and ways to reduce this.

-Budgeting over Christmas and ways to reduce impulse spending.

-Giving and Receiving Gifts, including ideas for reducing the risk of offending others when disliking their gifts.

- Exploring Christmas traditions to identify which can be avoided to reduce overload.

-Ways to prioritise and implement self-care during this hectic season.

*Trigger warning*

Contains conversation about ADHD, Autism, OCD, Addiction, Stimming, RSD, Depression, Medications, Addiction, Anxiety Disorders and Masking.

Links

The written version of this episode, in more detail, can be found on my Single Parent Pessimist website:

https://singleparentpessimist.co.uk/christmas-with-adhd-and-autism/

Another useful post about managing relationships at Christmas can be found here.

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Music by Lesfm from Pixabay

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