Q: My mother is going to move into the upper level of our four-level split house, and we would like to help her meet some people and get more involved in our community. How do we do that? A: You cannot tell your mom what to do or dictate what is right or wrong for […] Read more
Tag Archives Speaking of Life column — page 2
Learning to appreciate yourself helps solve anger issues
Q: I have an anger problem, even though I grew up in a loving home. What can I do? A: I think to understand your own experience with anger you might begin by exploring what anger is about. Anger is pervasive. It goes everywhere. If one person in the house is angry, the whole household […] Read more
Stigma of mental health is irrational
Q: I am sure my husband has some kind of mental health disorder. Sometimes, he is hyper vigilant, up early in the morning and flying around all day. Other times, he is the epitome of lethargy. He wouldn’t get up if honeybees were nesting in the bedpost. The problem is that my husband will do […] Read more
Nagging: The Third Ear
Q: My wife’s constant nagging is hurting our marriage. What can I do? A: I hope, for starters, that you and your wife will consider a few sessions with a marriage counsellor. She or he might help lift the two of you into a more positive track when you are talking to each other. It […] Read more
Competitive spirit needs to be reined in
Q: Our 10-year-old son is such a poor sport that we’ve put the board games away. He also acts like this in minor hockey, but his coach says his competitive nature will do wonders for his self-esteem. I am not so sure. A: I think your son’s coach is making a common but awful mistake […] Read more
Family mediation a successful way to negotiate a divorce
Q: My wife and I are getting divorced and it has become complicated. We are considering mediation, but one of my neighbours thought he got taken to the cleaners when using the process. A: I do not know what experiences your neighbour had with mediation but his comments do not reflect the general tone of […] Read more
Making a safety checklist important in seniors’ bathrooms
Q: My mother lives alone in a senior’s high-rise. I have heard that people older than 65 who have fallen account for more than 60 percent of all injury-related admissions to hospitalized emergency services and more than 50 percent of those who die from falls are older than 65. How can I be sure my […] Read more
Obsession with taking selfies comes with a dark side
Q: I worry about how caught up young people are these days with taking selfies. They can’t seem to do hardly anything without jumping in front of their cellphones to grab pictures of it. Is it just me or is this preoccupation with taking selfies removing us from the respect we expect from personal exchanges? […] Read more
Make the most of extra time created by unemployment
Q: I just lot my job and received a generous payout. However, the problem is that I now have a lot of free time and do not know what to do with it. Do you have ideas for dealing with being unemployed? A: For starters, let me caution you about the payout you received from […] Read more
Grandparents worry about grandson’s bipolar disorder
Q: Our grandson is going to move in with us this fall when he starts university. He has been diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and is under psychiatric care to monitor his medication and has regular counseling and life skills programing with a mental health nurse. What else can we do while he is with […] Read more
