ACA Counseling Corner Blog

The average lifespan has increased dramatically in the last half century. While that's a great thing, it also has meant changes in many families. More of us are facing the responsibilities of helping elderly parents at the same time we may be facing the demands of our own life. It's important to find a healthy balance between the two.

It's fairly common for someone who isn't in a close relationship to feel lonely and sad for him or herself. We live in a society that promotes being paired with someone else, and especially around Valentine's Day we are usually buried with ads depicting happy, romantic couples. But the reality is that not being in a romantic relationship doesn't mean that someone is really alone.

Most of us are hesitant to confront even a close friend or relative when we feel we're seeing that something isn't quite right. Or, if we do decide to tell them we seeing things that should be changed, there's a good chance we'll be confrontational or positioning ourselves as an expert who knows how to fix it all. But there is a better way.

Most of us tend to think that being happy or sad are just part of the way life does. The reality, however, is that our emotions are often tied to the lives we're living. Those feelings reflect our mental health and there are numerous things we can do to reduce worry and anxiety and to help ourselves to better mental health.

Electronic cigarettes, or "vaping" as it is commonly known, has found a growing market in young people today. But many of these teens and young adults, as well as their parents, are unaware of how potentially dangerous a habit this can be. It's another form of nicotine addiction and a behavior that carries with it the possibility of serious health risks.

It's not an unusual problem to find oneself feeling somewhat blue this time of the year. Combine winter weather, shorter days, less sunshine, and fewer opportunities to get outdoors, and for a large number of us that adds up to feeling a bit less than happy. While Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real problem that calls for professional help, for mild cases there are easy things to do to help lessen the effects of the winter "blahs."

Getting a good night's sleep seems like it should be a simple goal to achieve, yet millions of Americans are suffering from sleep problems that can be directly affecting their overall health. While severe sleep disorders call for medical help, for those of us who sometimes just find it difficult to get the rest needed we offer some simple tips that should help to improve those nighttime hours.

Many people like to see the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to make needed changes in their lives. Sometimes that can be a difficult task to accomplish. We offer some advice here on how to identify, address and overcome the barriers that may be keeping you from making successful changes in your life.

When there are multiple children in a family there are going to times when squabbling among the kids is going to take place. While competition and arguing between siblings is usually fairly benign, there are times when it can grow into a serious problem. We offer here some ideas on how to minimize sibling rivalry.

The stress that worrying brings can affect us all at various times, but most people don't realize how hazardous excessive worry can be to their health. While worry can serve a positive purpose, worrying about things over which we have no control can be a very real problem. Here are some tips on how to avoid needless worry.