Beyond the Turkey: That third thursday in November …
If you find yourself dreading the late-November holiday more than a Zoom meeting that could have been an email, you’re not alone. Sure, Aunt Titi’s political rants and the travel chaos don't help. But what if we told you that the real reason Thanksgiving feels so heavy is that the holiday itself is a structural trauma vortex, powered by the toxic combination of settler-colonialism and hyper-capitalism? That anxious gut feeling? It's structural analysis masquerading as indigestion.
The Recipe for Distress: A Side of Erasure
Think about the story we're told: Pilgrims and "Indians" shared a harmonious meal. Cute, right? Except that narrative is about as accurate as a politician's campaign promise.
The Colonial Guilt Trip: Thanksgiving is a holiday built on the active, aggressive erasure of genocide, displacement, and ongoing violence against Indigenous peoples. Trying to celebrate "peace" while ignoring centuries of truth creates a nasty case of societal cognitive dissonance. If you’re a person who actually cares about justice (which we suspect you are, given where you're reading this), participating in that forced narrative can feel like a profound moral injury. You're sitting there, trying to feel grateful, while your nervous system is screaming, "This whole setup is historically and morally bankrupt!"
The Trauma Echo: For many, especially Indigenous folks and people of color, the holiday can trigger historical or intergenerational trauma. The pressure to perform a white-washed version of history doesn't just feel uncomfortable; it re-activates deep-seated wounds. Your depression might be less about a personal flaw and more about carrying the weight of cultural grief and historical injustice.
The Capitalist Cranberry Sauce: Forced Consumption
No sooner have you pushed back from the table than the entire U.S. economy shoves you toward the nearest mall parking lot for Black Friday. Thanksgiving is essentially the starting gun for the annual Capitalist Hunger Games.
The Scarcity Panic: The holiday demands an excessive, expensive feast, complicated travel, and immediately pivots to the pressure of buying gifts. Capitalism runs on the narrative that your worth is tied to your consumption and ways you show it off. If you’re not wealthy (and how many actually are, truly, under this system?), this pressure creates palpable financial stress, shame, longing for all things unrealistic, and anxiety. That tightness in your chest may not be indigestion*; it could be your wallet screaming for mercy.
The "Be Grateful or Else" Coercion: We’re told we must be happy and grateful. This serves to keep us quiet and accepting of the status quo. But when you're genuinely anxious or depressed, the pressure to wear the mask of mandated joy can lead to frustration and resentment —along with the urge to scream "I will not comply!"—which just amps up your stress . Genuine connection is replaced by a performance of consumerist family bonding.
Reclaiming Your Holiday: Decolonize Your Dinner
Your feelings of overwhelm, anxiety, and sadness around Thanksgiving are valid data points reflecting a sick system, not a broken brain.
And healing means addressing both the personal and the political, because you can’t really separate one from the other. This season, consider practices that resist the toxic currents:
Acknowledge the Truth: While most definitely taking the day off from labor, also take a moment to publicly (or privately [if you feel deeply emotionally unsafe]) speak to the untruthful and destructive history of Thanksgiving. Acknowledgment is the first step toward reducing moral injury.
Give thanks for real things that matter to you and the people you care about; you can create your own sense of meaning around the day.
Opt-Out of Consumption: Set a radical, firm budget. Or even better, buy nothing at all and tell people why. Make useful, meaningful things for Xmas. Go on a walk of a hike or engage in a hobby instead of buying things. Find a way to skip the shopping frenzies. Your peace is worth more than what the system tells you is a doorbuster deal.
Choose Your People: If a particular family gathering is a known source of stress, reduce your time there or create an alternative, intentional gathering with your chosen community—your mutual aid crew, your anti-capitalist coven, or just a couple of friends who understand the struggle.
This year, treat your mental health like an act of resistance. Prioritize truth and meaning over following the herd.
*DISCLAIMER: Leftist Psychotherapist is not a medical physician; if you feel marked chest/arm/abdominal discomfort, seek out Emergency Medical Services (EMS), immediately.