What To Do When Your Family Can't Stop Arguing Over The Holidays
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By EMILY HUTCHINSON
If heading home for the holidays often leads to tough conversations and disagreements for you, Dr. Courtney Tracy, a licensed psychotherapist, has some helpful tips you can use.
To keep disagreements from escalating, Dr. Tracy recommends acknowledging the other person’s perspective of the situation and then setting your boundaries.
If you find you’re getting a little resentful or pent-up with anger, try to get support from someone else around you who may be able to diffuse the situation.
You can also end an argument and start speaking to someone else, or step away to calm down. This should be the last step after you've tried controlling your reaction.
“Plan how you’re going to care for yourself if drama arises. We can usually expect it from specific people, so don’t be caught off-guard this year!” says Dr. Tracy.
All too often, family disagreements can form because of the same pattern. “It’s called the ‘drama triangle,’” Kimberly Key, Ph.D. told First For Women.
When old drama patterns arise, make a conscious effort not to engage in it and consider turning the conversation into something less likely to cause a disagreement.