I write for a blog for the website breakthesilence.org This just went online:

Keeping Your Head Down During the Holidays

Most likely, if you’re already in a difficult relationship, and you may even acknowledge it as abusive, you’ll “just be trying to stay small” throughout the holidays. Are you aware that all-cause abuse increases during the major fall and winter holidays? And, just to be clear, I’m including Super Bowl Sunday that “concludes” the “dangerous holiday season” – November through late January/early February. All-cause abuses increase in all relationships such as parent to child, adult child to older parent, abuse of cashiers and store clerks, etc. All of these relationships become more stressed and strained than at any other time during the year. Holiday situations such as meals with extended family, travel away from home, unexpected weather stressors, sickness, children out of school who still need care – all contribute to the added stress even when we plan for these expectations well in advance...