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Christmas is usually marketed as a time for lighthearted fun and a well-deserved break, which for many, it is. For some, however, holidays are not a time for celebration for several reasons, which we would like to validate and acknowledge.
Spending time with family and friends may not be joyful for you, or there may be grief and trauma associated with your holiday time, making it harder to participate in celebratory activities.
You may also not celebrate the Catholic/Christian representation of Christmas that is widely dominant in our society, or you may feel lonely and isolated from your loved ones.
Some people have no deeper reason for not celebrating Christmas, but just don't feel the need to do anything different.
Here, our in-house social worker, Nicole Blazinovic, offers some shares thoughtful advice to help you stay safe and grounded around the holidays.
Consuming Alcohol and Drugs Across the Christmas Season
There can be a tendency to over-consume alcohol or recreational drugs for fun, as a coping mechanism, to self-soothe, or to get through your holiday period. Everyone will have different tolerances and reasons for consuming.
If, however, they are routinely used to cope or drown out your feelings, they can have negative impacts on your broader functioning, physical, and mental health.
If your consumption gets to a point where you feel sick, are using out of social pressure, to numb pain, or are using daily, this is where it might be helpful to speak to someone about your consumption.
A great resource to access is a range of self-assessment activities developed by TurningPoint. This isn't to judge you or your lifestyle, but it can be helpful to understand what motivates your regular drinking or drug use.
It can be a great place to start if you don't know where to start.
https://www.turningpoint.org.au/treatment/self-assessments
If you are planning to drink or use drugs over the holiday period, please ensure you are not driving while under the influence, and that you are making safe and informed choices about what you are consuming.
Family Violence and Holidays
The statistics are clear: the Christmas period escalates family violence and other violence-related presentations. It can also exacerbate existing tensions within family dynamics that can leave people feeling confused, isolated, unsafe, or restricted in what they do over the holiday period.
Family violence is a choice that perpetrators make to perpetrate abusive and coercive control over another person, taking away their right to safety and autonomy.
Often, victim-survivors use places or locations away from the family home, such as work or school, as a safe space and reprieve from abuse. These safety mechanisms are often inaccessible during the public holidays and Christmas period, forcing victim-survivors to stay in unsafe environments.
As stated earlier in this blog, there is no judgment around reaching out for help to stop or minimise your use of drugs and alcohol; however, they should never be used as an excuse or reason to commit family violence or violence of any kind.
If you or someone you care about needs crisis family violence support, SafeSteps is open 24/7, even on public holidays.
In an emergency, please call 000.
However you choose to spend your holidays, try to seek out activities and engage with people who make you feel happy, fulfilled, and rested.
Stay safe, and see you in 2026!
Support Helplines for over the Christmas period:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
13YARN: 13 92 76
SafeSteps: 1800 015 188
Suicide Callback Service: 1300 659 467
QLife: 1800 184 527
DirectLine: 1800 888 236
Kids HelpLine: 1800 55 1800
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.