​S. Jane Gari author of Losing the Dollhouse

This time of year can be hard for those who are in the midst of their battles as they recover from emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or some other trauma or past hurt. The holidays bring an onslaught of cheerful Hallmark families leering at us from the ubiquitous commercial bullhorns and screens. These images highlight the imperfections in our own families which can leave us feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. Here is some tough love for when the holiday blues take hold—happine

The holidays are all about togetherness, family, and celebrating love…in theory. In reality, the obligatory family-time saturating the holiday atmosphere is a source of stress for a lot of people. With family comes the complicated shared histories—and it’s usually a mixed bag of hilarity, glory days, tragedy, and guilt. It can't be a coincidence that National Stress Awareness Day is in November. For me, the holidays of my childhood (and some of my adulthood) were spent ridin