The holidays are here, no matter what your faith tradition or country, there's a holiday in here for everyone. For some the holidays are a joyful time where they look forward to seeing family and friends. For others, the holidays can be a difficult time. For people who struggle with substances, it tends to be a difficult time to navigate. There's an expectation that we will "indulge" ourselves with food and alcohol. If someone chooses NOT to drink, they would get questioned on a normal day. During a holiday though, it feels almost anti-holiday to not partake.

Today we're talking about managing the holidays without using substances. Our clients have all sorts of opinions about the holidays, family and the expectation of spending money. They often talk with us about these challenges. It's a great time to review skills that they can use to manage stress. Your client won't think its odd if you bring up stress, drinking and skills. So, listen in on the discussion today about using skills over the holidays.