The holidays can be a joyous and fun time of year for many but for others, it brings anxiety and pain.

On the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, Andrea Kocher at Willow Tree Missions indicates it is very common to see increases in cases and instances of domestic violence.

Finances seem to the be top driver of issues related to domestic violence and abuse and Kocher points out, abusers will use finances against their victims.

According to Kocher, abusers' habits will change this time of the year. She points out abusers will isolate their victims and they often see victims covering for their abusers to not create unnecessary drama.

Compounding the issue of increased domestic violence issues around the holidays is also the increased instances of mental health issues as the winter months roll in. Kocher says there are direct links between domestic abuse and mental health. We'll hear more from her on that in the days ahead on Regional Radio.