When the Holidays aren’t Merry: Holding Space for Fear and Anxiety in a Time of Political Harm

I will start with this:

Therapy is political. Full stop.

It is written in our code of ethics to take a stand against human rights injustices.

We are trained to address the way systems traumatize people, and that is deeply political work. I will not hear and hold people’s stories and then turn a blind eye to the systems that harm them.

I understand others may disagree and believe that therapists should stay silent regarding political matters. If that is you, I respect your right to discontinue reading this post. And for potential clients, I supportively respect your right to find an alternative therapist who better fits what you are looking for, so that be your choice.

For many people, this holiday season isn’t a time of happiness and celebration—it’s a time when the weight of political injustice feels especially heavy.

In sessions, I hear from people who are scared, angry, and devastated. They’re experiencing a political landscape where marginalized communities are increasingly targeted, public safety nets are unstable, and national conversations are deeply triggering.

Many people are experiencing this moment as harmful, dehumanizing, and deeply personal.

Naming that is not only therapeutic—it’s necessary.

Your Anger and Anxiety Are Not Overreactions

When you see political decisions or rhetoric that threaten your community’s dignity, safety, or access to basic needs, your nervous system responds. Of course it does.

People share fears about:

• Losing essential resources

• Anti-immigrant sentiment and aggressive enforcement

• Threats to bodily autonomy

• Public discussions that trigger sexual assault survivors

• The erosion of safety nets that help families eat, stay healthy, or stay housed

• The broader rise in authoritarian language and policies

  
  

Your anger and anxiety are not “political sensitivity”—they are innately human responses to perceived harm.

The Holidays Make the Disorientation Worse

It’s hard to reconcile glittering holiday imagery with the reality of communities struggling under oppressive systems. Many people feel:

• Torn between celebrating and staying vigilant

• Unable to sink into rest while others are at risk

• Triggered by family members who minimize or dismiss harm

• Ashamed for not feeling “festive enough”

• Lonely in their grief or rage

  
  

If this is you, nothing is wrong with you. You’re responding to injustice that affects real lives, and you may be disillusioned by family or friends not responding to the same injustices.

It’s Not Just Personal—It’s Collective

Your distress is not simply an individual mental health issue; it’s also a political and systemic one. You are not alone. Anxiety and fear can be a form of wisdom, signaling that something in the environment is not safe or not just.

Ways to Stay Grounded and Engaged

You don’t have to choose between your well-being and your values. Both matter.

1. Build community care networks

Oppression isolates. Activism thrives in connection. Whether it's a group chat, a local mutual aid network, or a trusted friend, community is medicine.

2. Practice news discipline

Stay informed but not consumed. Let your engagement be intentional, not corrosive.

3. Channel your anxiety into agency

Even small actions—supporting grassroots orgs, attending local meetings, calling representatives, uplifting marginalized voices—can help transform helplessness into momentum.

4. Name the harm openly

Silence breeds shame. Speaking your truth validates your experience and supports others who feel alone in their fear or grief.

5. Protect your nervous system

Activism requires stamina. Grounding practices, rest, boundaries, and joy breaks are not indulgent—they are strategies of resistance.

You Are Not Imagining It. You Are Not Alone.

If the holidays feel heavy because the world feels heavy, that’s not a personal failing. It’s a reflection of your empathy, your clarity, and your refusal to normalize harm.

There is strength in staying emotionally connected in times that demand moral courage.

There is power in refusing to look away.

And there is immense resilience in continuing to care—about yourself, your community, and the world you want to build.

With the utmost care,

Camille

Dr. Camille Sauder, DMFT, LMFT #133242