Navigating the Holidays with PTSD: Tips for Veterans

The holiday season is a time that often brings feelings of joy, community, and warmth. However, it can also bring challenges, especially for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sensory overload, complex family dynamics, and the emotional impact of personal memories can lead to heightened anxiety, amplifying symptoms. 

Below, we unpack the difficulties you may face during the holidays if you’re a veteran with PTSD and share strategies to help you navigate the season with a better headspace.

Identify Personal Triggers During the Holidays

First, it’s important to identify your personal triggers and how they might affect you during the holidays. Common triggers include:

• Crowds and noise: Packed shopping malls, festive gatherings, and loud celebrations can overwhelm your senses.
• Sensory overload: Flashing lights, loud music, and the chaos of holiday festivities may contribute to feelings of unease.
• High expectations: Pressure to meet family, societal, or personal expectations can add to your emotional strain.
• Travel: Crowded airports or long drives may cause or exacerbate stress.
• Memories: The holidays can stir up powerful emotions tied to lost comrades, past trauma, or time spent away from loved ones.
• Loneliness: For some veterans, the absence of close relationships or connections can make the season especially difficult.

These triggers are often accompanied by symptoms such as hypervigilance, irritability, intrusive thoughts, and dissociation. Recognizing these patterns allows you to prepare for them in advance and ensure your needs are taken care of.

Create a Holiday Coping Toolkit

Creating a “coping toolkit” designed to manage your PTSD symptoms can help ease their impact. Consider including the following:

Breathing exercises and calming apps

Using basic breathing techniques can help calm your nervous system. One example is the box breathing technique: inhale for four seconds, hold for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and pause for four seconds. Calming apps like Calm offer guided exercises to manage stress levels so you don’t have to think. 

Mindfulness practices

Mindfulness exercises, such as grounding techniques, can help you focus on the present moment. The “5-4-3-2-1” method is one effective technique: identify five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste to stay grounded.

Designated safe spaces

Set up a safe space where you can retreat if you start to feel overwhelmed. Include calming items like soothing music, a weighted blanket, or personal mementos to create a comforting refuge.

Prioritizing rest

The holiday season can be busy, but quality sleep is essential. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule can significantly reduce PTSD symptoms. If you’re having trouble sleeping, consider building a bedtime routine that includes activities like reading, stretching, or enjoying herbal tea.

Build a Supportive Community

A reliable support network during the holidays can be a lifeline. Reach out to a trusted friend or family member who can provide support when needed, whether through a phone call, a side conversation, or a casual coffee meetup.

Spending time with fellow veterans who understand your experiences can also offer relief. Look for local or online veteran groups where you can connect, share your story, and encourage one another. Our veterans program at Jackson House can help you find opportunities to build these connections.

Communicate Boundaries and Expectations With Family and Friends

Helping your family understand your challenges can encourage them to provide a more supportive environment. Before holiday gatherings or events, reach out to trusted family members and friends. Let them know how you’re feeling and what support you might need, such as access to quieter spaces or alternatives to certain traditions.

Set limits and communicate your boundaries in a gentle but firm way. For example, you might say, “I may need to step out for a bit if I’m feeling overwhelmed, but it’s not because I don’t want to be here.”

Your friends and family likely want to understand what you’re going through. Sharing PTSD resources or explaining your triggers can help them adopt supportive behaviors, ensuring you feel included in a safe, comforting way.

Set Realistic Expectations and Practice Self-Compassion

Try to avoid the pressure of making your holidays look or feel a certain way. If you’re struggling more than usual, contact your therapist or counselor, who can provide specific strategies and support to help you through the season.

Give yourself permission to celebrate (or not celebrate) in a way that feels safe and authentic to you, whether that’s a quiet night in or a small gathering with close friends. Don’t feel guilty for protecting your peace.

Most importantly, be kind to yourself. PTSD is just a challenge to overcome; it doesn’t define you. Difficult moments may arise, and that’s okay. Small acts of self-kindness, like taking a relaxing bath or enjoying a favorite meal, can make a significant difference.

PTSD Treatment for Veterans Near You

For veterans living with PTSD, the holidays can feel isolating and overwhelming, but support is available. At Jackson House, we specialize in providing care tailored to the unique needs of veterans.

If you’re ready to take the next step, contact Jackson House to learn more about how our veterans program can help you navigate the holidays this holiday season and afterward.