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Expert Offers Advice For How To Deal With Relatives That Drive You Nuts

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - This is the part of the year when people spend a lot of time with their families. Most people enjoy the quality time they get catching up with loved ones, but there are always those one or two people that drive you nuts.

So, how do you deal with them without ruining your holidays?

Tony Drane, the Chief Operating Officer of Family Links, an organization that helps with a wide variety of therapy and counseling, joined the "KDKA Morning News" with Larry Richert and John Shumway to give a few tips on how you can deal with the anxiety and stress that can come with seeing that particular relative.

How do you deal with that one person that you don't get along with and don't like to talk to because all they seem to want to do is debate?

"With those kinds of relatives, the best thing you can do is think, take two seconds, wait before you speak and refrain from (what you were going to say)," Drane said.

Every family has that one relative that gets on everyone's nerves, but they don't realize it. Drane said to remember that it is family and to remember everyone deals with someone like that.

Other members of the family think that the one or two days you spend with the rest of the family over the holidays is the time to solve problems.

Drane said it is the exact opposite.

"The holidays are a time to dial down expectations and try not to make too much of (negative family situations)," Drane said.

Another risk of getting into a conflict with a relative over the holidays is not necessarily damaging the relationship you have with that person you can't stand, but damaging the one with someone you see every day.

Drane said he has a family member that gets on his nerves too, but he realizes that it could affect his relationship with his wife.

"If I get too annoyed or too taken aback by how he is then that's going to affect the relationship with (my wife). So, it's very important to be tolerant (with family), especially during the holidays," he said.

Drane added this time of year he sees, "an increase of the number of folks coming in for help and it's not the time to try to bury feelings or hide them. It's a time to reach out."

For more information you can visit www.familylinks.org

Listen to the "KDKA Morning News" with Larry Richert and John Shumway weekdays from 5 to 9 a.m. on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA.

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