Sadly, not all holiday get-togethers are happy ones. (Cam Lee/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Holiday heartache

Stressors can lead to unpleasant holiday memories: NEOSS

Dec 2, 2019 | 1:00 PM

For many people, the holidays mean getting together with family and friends to enjoy the season.

But for others, there are many reasons to dread Christmas.

“Not all holidays are happy memories for individuals,” Northeast Outreach and Support Services (NEOSS) Executive Director Louise Schweitzer said. “A lot of time it brings together families that may have faced some trauma, had some [incidents] in the past that were not happy.”

Festive drinks are also on the table for many during the holidays; however, the addition of alcohol can be a catalyst for arguments and violence for some.

“Alcohol is often freely shared in many homes in a way of fellowship. In other homes it can be used as a tool of violence toward others,” Schweitzer said. “If there [are] addictions challenges, it often heightens the situation and the risk for violence to occur in that relationship and in that home.”

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Schweitzer said many adults and children have unhappy memories when it comes to the holidays, especially when factoring in alcohol use and abuse.

Even just having friends and family so close together can spark disagreements that turn violent.

“Sometimes we’re all in a smaller facility or we’re in someone’s home and if it’s cold and there [are] a lot of people there, that again could increase the possibility and the risk factors for violence to happen,” she said.

The kids will also be home from school for an extended amount of time during the holidays, which Schweitzer said could also raise anxiety and risk levels.

Should you find yourself in a stressful situation during the holidays, she said there are programs or organizations on which you can lean.

“Especially if it’s financial stress that you’re facing, please reach out to the Salvation Army,” Schweitzer said. “They do food vouchers and Christmas hampers and those kinds of things.”

The NEOSS Crisis Line at 1 (800) 611-6349 is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“The biggest thing is, people need to feel safe,” she said. “Feeling safe not only physically, but emotionally and mentally, psychologically, sexually, all of things as well is so vital to making the Christmas season a better place for everyone.”

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974