The White House Office of Drug Control Policy blog, “Pushing Back” features a guest post from Odyssey House President & CEO Peter Provet about the challenges and opportunities the Holiday Season brings people in recovery and their families.

Here’s an excerpt:

For individuals with substance abuse disorders, the Holiday Season brings ambivalent feelings, at best. Memories of past disappointment, pain, and emptiness- and the self-destructive attempts at self-medicating them – are close at hand. Anger towards others and guilt for one’s own failures drive the addict to try to forget through momentary intoxication.