How To Cope With The Lingering Sense Of Bereavement That Follows A ‘Son Of Satan Christmas Shit’

The first step is to recognise the importance of what just happened, therapist Siobhan Hurley advises, to take stock of the moment and try to make sense of it, before attempting to move on.

Recognise that you’re no longer the same person – you’re anywhere between two and four kilos lighter, for starters.

You may find yourself overwhelmed by apparently conflicting emotions. On the one hand, it does feel like a death has occurred in the family but on the other, there’s an undeniable sense of relief?

Sometimes shame, pride and wonder too, can sneak in – all have a part to play in the miracle of Christmas! In extreme cases, you may notice the family dog avoids you immediately afterwards but even this is perfectly normal. Everyone needs time to process what’s just happened, in their own way.

We call all these feelings ’emotional baggage’ because they’re part of what makes us who we are and once we get this out of the way, who we no longer are.

So whether it was the drinks cabinet or the very last of the curried turkey that brought you to this point, you can only move forward by both ‘owning’ and ‘letting go’.

But whatever else you do, don’t even think about farting for the next 24 hours.