Three Big Bangs

We’re all aware of the Big Bang theory, the well-accepted belief that all the material and energy in the entire universe began at one moment in time.  Since material and energy does not suddenly appear from nothing, this is strong evidence that something or Someone outside of this natural universe created it.  But this author posits that there were two other “big bangs” that are necessary to explain our present existence.  See what you think. Click here to read full article. 

40 ADHD-Friendly Tips for Getting Things Done

Here are 40 tips from several ADHD coaches to help people with ADHD stay more organized.  Even if you don’t have ADHD, one or more of them might be helpful to you. Click here to read full article. 

Postpartum Depression Affects Dads, Too

An interesting study, and one that surprised me.  Apparently men, including men who were very happily looking forward to the coming of their child, sometimes experience postpartum depression, but this is frequently overlooked because of the wife’s depression.  And apparently without treatment, it may last longer than women’s postpartum depression. Click here to read full article. 

Using Alcohol and Marijuana Together Exacerbates Negative Consequences in Young Adults 

With the increasing number of legislatures that are legalizing the recreational use of marijuana some young adults are concluding that marijuana is harmless.  Many of these young adults are using alcohol and marijuana together.  This research diagram shows that negative effects in many areas increase when this is done (more cognitive effects, blackouts, vomiting, academic or occupational effects, social effects, self-care effects, risky behavior, driving under the influence, and physical dependence).  This might be a study you save to share with young adults who are engaging in this practice. Click here to read full article. 

Meth Pollution in Waterways Turns Trout Into Junkies

It turns out that meth and cocaine and probably other opioids, which aren’t completely metabolized in the body, end up in wastewater, and water-purifying plants are not set up to remove these contaminants.  So a study in Eastern Europe put some of these contaminants into a pool of water at about the same level that these contaminants are found in rivers and lakes to see what effect it would have on trout.  They concluded that trout can become addicted and exhibit some of the same behaviors found in addicted humans, as well as could go through what looks like the trout-equivalent of withdrawal.  If you’re interested, here is the full article from the Smithsonian. Click here to read full article. 

Psychotherapy Said to Be Key to Successful Psychosis Treatment

This is an article from a journal for psychiatrists, affirming the value of psychotherapy in treating psychosis.  In reading it, I think there could be some real value in psychiatrists teaming up with mental health counselors, since I believe most mental health counselors have considerably more training in psychotherapy than psychiatrists do, and the relationship could have benefit for psychiatrists, counselors, and clients. Click here to read full article. 

Free Seminar for Parents with a Child with ADHD

• I was told by Dr. Mary Anne Richey about this free seminar for anyone interested in ADHD.  Since she is much more knowledgeable about ADHD and the seminar, I’ll just quote her description of the seminar below.  Many of the speakers are world-renowned in the field of ADHD:

  “I wanted to let you know about this free resource for parents, the ADHD Palooza for Parents. I will be a speaker along with some people who are much more prominent! Below is some more information for the event.  These are not lectures but discussions with some of the latest thinking.

  This year, the 4th annual ADHD Palooza for PARENTS runs July 26, 27 & 28, 2021 — and it has a brand new format. TWO parenting or ADHD experts will have conversations with each other! It’s like a double-dip of parenting experts. And the roster is impressive: 

• ·       Dr. Ned Hallowell discussing ADHD and psychiatry with Dr. Sarah Vinson
• ·        Dr. Temple Grandin exploring Autism & ADHD with Diane Dempster
• ·       Dr. Russell Barkley talking Anxiety & ADHD with Dr. Jerome Schultz
• ·       Dr. Laura Markham delving into ADHD Family Communication with Dr. Mark Bertin;
• ·       Dr. Sarah Cheyette & Dr. Carolyn Parcells explaining Treatment Decisions for ADHD;
• ·       …. and 20+ more!

An extraordinary week of insight and inspiration, with guidance exclusively for parents of kids with ADHD, presented by 30+ parenting legends and luminaries.

Find out more and register here for free:  https://fn101.isrefer.com/go/parents21/Richey/ “

A brochure about Mary Anne’s counseling services is at https://www.maryannerichey.com/

If God, Why Evil?

This week I read a book that might be helpful to some of your clients at some point.  One of the reasons sometimes people turn away from believing in God is because they see the tremendous evil in the world, or some calamity happens in their life, and they have trouble reconciling that with the idea that there is a good God in heaven.  Since He is allegedly both good and all-powerful, they believe He could have prevented that tragedy.  (Ted Turner, who started CNN, apparently turned against God when his sister died at a young age.)

For clients who enjoy a very logical argument, the late Norm Geisler, who wrote the above book, could be a good choice.  For other clients, C.S. Lewis’ The Problem of Pain or Philip Yancey’s Where Is God When It Hurts? Might speak to them more empathically.  The wonderful thing is we have several good books to refer people to when they ask this question.

Struggling Families in Need Find Refuge Thanks to a Group of Teenagers

Here is a beautiful story of how a group of teenagers in Texas are doing something meaningful to help the less fortunate in their neighborhood. Click here to read full article.

 Study Suggests Lasting Immunity After COVID-19, With a Big Boost From Vaccination

We are still learning about COVID-19, but this research study found that people who had COVID and then had one shot of any of the three major vaccines had strong antibody response one year later, and this included a strong response against the new Delta variant. Click here to read full article.

Tapping Into the Brain to Help a Paralyzed Man Speak

This is another story similar to one I shared a few weeks ago.  A man was in a car accident about 18 years ago and following surgery had a brain stem stroke that left him unable to speak.  Doctors have now implanted electrodes connected to the part of the brain that govern speech muscles.  They run the signals through artificial intelligence, and he is now able to communicate in simple sentences.  So this is a little different than the example a few weeks ago, but both approaches enable people who had no way of communicating to now be able to communicate with their loved ones. Click here to read full article.

More Than Picky Eating: ARFID, SPD, and Other Conditions Linked to Feeding Difficulties in Children

Picky eating is not uncommon in children, but children with ADHD or autism are more likely to have something called sensory processing disorder, where their senses respond negatively to some stimuli and some sensations (certain foods or certain clothing material is sometimes very frustrating for these children to eat or to wear).  While sensory processing disorder has not been accepted into the DSM-5, I believe it is a legitimate disorder, and its helpful for parents and therapists to know something about it.  If you are not familiar with the term, this article is a helpful introduction. Click here to read full article.

ADHD Therapy Comparison: CBT vs. ADHD Coaching

A helpful article explaining some of the ways both CBT and ADHD coaching can help individuals with ADHD.  In case some of you are interested in getting certification in one or both of these, it includes some contact information for certifying organizations. Click here to read full article.

How Can I Get Evaluated for Autism as an Adult?

Some people with one of the autism spectrum disorders were never diagnosed as children, but as adults suspect they may be autistic.  This article has some helpful suggestions for them.  My only addition is that many masters-level counselors could also help making this diagnosis.  While years ago many masters-level counseling programs were only 30 or 36 hours long, today most programs are 60 hours long and licensed counselors have the training to help people recognize autism in themselves. Click here to read full article.

It’s been an interesting week with lots of good research.  Don’t forget about the free ADHD conference if you are interested or if you have parents who could be interested. 

Henry Virkler