It's no secret the holidays are stressful. The events intended to bring us joy during the season – parties, family reunions, work get-togethers — instead become minefields as we try to deal with intoxicated loved ones, or the uncertainty of how to act around someone in treatment and recovery, or for those of us in recovery, maintaining our own sobriety.

Treatment admissions for people addicted to both benzodiazepines and narcotic pain relievers jumped 569.7 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to a new government report.