A Story that Might Bring Comfort to Someone Who Has Had a Miscarriage

I read a true story this week that, if the Lord prompts you, might bring comfort to a mother who is grieving a miscarriage. A family was going through an intersection when a truck didn’t observe the traffic light and t-boned their car. The father was killed instantly and a six-year-old son experienced traumatic brain injury.

The boy “died” three times that day but was resuscitated by medical personnel each time. He then was in a coma for several days, during which the mother was told that if he ever came out of it, he would probably be severely impaired. He eventually did come out of the coma and the mother realized that she would have to tell him that his father had died.

Miraculously, he had no mental impairment, and his mother realized the time had come to tell him about his father’s passing. When she did, he replied that he already knew. During the times he had died, he said he went to heaven, and he met his father there. He also said he had met his two sisters (the family had never told him of the mother’s previous miscarriages).

So if this story is true, and I think believing it makes more sense than the alternative, it suggests that when there is a miscarriage, God takes that child to immediately be with Him, and we shall meet them and know them when we get to Heaven ourselves.

The Downside of Winning

Hall of Fame pro football coach Vince Lombardi famously said, “Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.” Millions of our children, especially those involved in sports, have been taught this as truth. However, this article points up some very valid arguments against the truth of Lombardi’s statement, points that I think every therapist and parent should consider. If you only read one article this week, I encourage you to read this one. I think it has some very important ideas that may change the way we view winning and losing. Click here to read full article.

10 Red Flags of Passive-Aggressive Behavior

This article probably won’t teach you anything new, but if you are working with a client who has to work with or live with a boss or spouse or parent who is passive aggressive, this might be helpful to them. Click here to read full article.

How Do Autism Symptoms Typically Change Over Time?

Probably most of us know the typical symptoms of autism. We are less likely to know how autism symptoms may change over time. Autism symptoms can ameliorate or can get worse. This brief article from the Amen Clinic is a good introduction to changes. Click here to read full article.

Whatever Happened to Good Old Singletasking?

If you took Treatment Planning with me, you may remember we covered what the research says about multitasking: for very simple, overlearned tasks it may be helpful, but for tasks that have moderate or high cognitive complexity, it leads to more errors, that it sometimes causes people to be irritable with others, it leads to chronic anxiety when done regularly, and it actually reduces rather than increases our efficiency (the brain cannot focus on more than one complex task at a time, so time is lost each time it toggles between one task and another. 

But some people with ADHD become quite angry when they’re told that multitasking is not wise unless the tasks are very simple and have been overlearned. Here is an article addressed specifically to them. Click here to read full article.

“What Is Wrong with Me?” ADHD Truths I Wish I Knew as a Kid

If you are working with a child who has low self-esteem because of some of the criticism he or she has received related to his or her ADHD symptoms, here is an article that may help. Click here to read full article.

I Used to Run with Drug Addicts and Prostitutes. Now I Share the Gospel with Them

In case you need a gentle reminder of the difference Christ can make in a life, here’s a story from December’s Christianity Today. By the age of 29 the author had been arrested 13 times. She was saved in prison while reading Al Capone’s Devil Driver, a story about Al Capone’s chauffeur. It reminds us that God is willing and able to save and love every one of us. Click here to read full article.

Snoozefest: Tricks for An Easier Bedtime (for children with ADHD)

Children with ADHD have three times the likelihood of having difficulties getting to sleep as children without ADHD. And their parents have problems getting enough sleep as a result. Here’s a probable medical explanation why children with ADHD have more difficulty getting to sleep and some suggestions for handling this problem. Click here to read full article.

“Free Steam games” videos promise much, deliver malware

If you see an offer of free games to download, be cautious. And if you have children, teach them the same thing. Often such games come with malware. See article for further information. Click here to read full article.

Another trend on TikTok that Christian parents should be wary of

Witchtok is now available on TikTok. According to sources who have reviewed it, programs attached on #witchtok are instructional videos for viewers on how to perform spells of protection, revenge, healing, and love, how to recharge crystals and read tea leaves, among other topics. Apparently many young people and adults experience their worlds’ as out of control, and witchcraft provides the illusion of having a way they can have control.

What I’ve Learned Rescuing My Daughter from Her Transgender Fantasy

This is one mother’s story of how she responded when she realized her daughter was being pulled into the transgender world. You may or may not agree with all the things she did, but I think her story is thought=provoking. I know of a number of parents of young teens whom I respect who have given teens cell phones for safety and communication purposes who have intentionally disabled internet services from those phones. Click here to read full article.

The Means to Do Ill Deeds

Another article about what needs to be done to stem the rise of mass shootings in our schools. I think the writer makes a valid point, but one that will require lots of discussion for our culture to be ready to implement it. Click here to read full article.

Canada has declared war on freedom of religion and conscience

Probably all Christian therapists agree that therapists should never force any client to make changes against their will: we should respect client autonomy and help them accomplish their therapy goals if their goals are not illegal or unethical. But Canada has approved a bill that would make it illegal for a therapist to help a client who has unwanted same-sex attractions or who has gender dysphoria to work toward reducing those same sex attractions or become more at peace with their natal gender. Although this bill is in Canada, I think we must stay alert to a similar bill being promoted in the U.S. or in our state. This is not just an issue of religious freedom, but an issue of allowing clients to choose their own therapy goals and helping them work toward achieving those goals. Click here to read full article.

Penn female swimmers speak out against trans-identified teammate breaking women's records

This female athlete makes some, I believe, valid complaints about a trans-athlete who went through his entire developmental years as a male, then transitioned to female and is now breaking the records set by many female swimmers. See what you think about her points. Click here to read full article.

The HPV Vaccine Prevents Cancer, but Most Kids Don’t Receive It

Christian parents may not want to have their children receive the HPV vaccine, thinking they will be explicitly or implicitly accepting that their children will have premarital sex. However, receiving the HPV vaccine reduces six kinds of potentially lethal cancer (cancer of the cervix, vagina and vulva in women; cancers of the anus and back-of-the-throat in both women and men; and penile cancer in men.  (Oropharyngeal cancer is becoming more common as couples engage in oral sex.)

Studies show that 64% of all parents (not just Christian parents) are resistant to having their children vaccinated for HPV, so even if a son or daughter falls in love with someone not raised as a Christian but who becomes a Christian as a young adult, it is very likely that they were not vaccinated.

For the HPV vaccine to be effective it must be given before a person is exposed to the HPV virus, which includes exposure through intercourse or even skin to skin contact. Christian parents can have a careful discussion in which they encourage their own child not to become involved in sex before marriage, but there is no way they can guarantee that their child will not fall in love with someone who has not been so careful. Therefore I think Christian parents can encourage both their sons and daughters to have the HPV vaccine and at the same time encourage them to save sex for marriage.

I have given more detail about this article since it is from the New York Times, so unless you have a subscription you probably will not be able to access it. Click here to read full article.

Singer Billie Eilish Reveals She’s Struggled with Porn Addiction Since Childhood: ‘It Really Destroyed My Brain’

Singer Billie Eilish has been in the news lots lately. She recently did an interview in which she described how she got hooked on porn at age 11 and the effect its had on her life. Sorry about some of the profane words in the article, but from the research I’ve done, it seems like what she experienced is becoming a very typical experience for young girls, including Christian girls. Click here to read full article.

Jana Duggar Speaks Out on Facing Child Endangerment Charge: ‘Upset At Myself That It Happened’

Many of us have read about Jana Duggar facing child endangerment charges and have wondered what she did that resulted in those charges. Here is her recounting of what happened: its something that could happen to any of us who have had children or engaged in babysitting. I encourage everyone to read her explanation so we can take precautions that it doesn’t happen to us. Click here to read full article.

How Exercise Affects Metabolism and Weight Loss

Since this is an article from the New York Times, I’ll try to summarize a few more points from it. For a decade NBC ran an enormously popular show called “The Biggest Loser” where contestants ate highly reduced calorie intake and usually exercised at very high levels. Contestants often lost large amounts of weight during their time on the show.

However, followup studies found that their metabolism lowered significantly, so they burned an average of 500 calories less per day than before their weight loss. If they returned to normal levels of eating they often gained back many of the pounds they had lost. Those who continued to exercise still had low metabolism rates but tended to gain back 12% less weight.

Thus severe calorie restriction and huge amounts of exercise does not seem to result in long-term weight loss, if that is your goal. Click here to read full article.

Effect of 3 Forms of Early Intervention for Young People with Borderline Personality Disorder

Interesting research study on three forms of early intervention for young persons with Borderline Personality Disorder. Click here to read full article.

Eggs, Dairy, Nuts, and Soy: Testing for Food Sensitivities with an ADHD Elimination Diet

Some children with ADHD also have one or more food sensitivities. When these are identified and eliminated from the diet there may be significant improvement in behavior. Eliminating these foods is not a complete treatment in itself but should be done in combination with medication and behavioral treatment. This article discusses some examples and how to do a food study. Click here to read full article.

Diagnosing Difficult Cases [of ADHD]

A brief article about additional tests that sometimes are used to answer questions about what is causing a child’s problematic behavior. A good feature is that it also identifies tests that are sometimes promoted to parents that are expensive but rarely give any helpful information. Click here to read full article.

The Antidote to ADHD Fatigue and Exhaustion? Stacking Habits (and Spoons)

Many older teens and adults with ADHD complain that the energy required to cope effectively with their ADHD leaves them exhausted. The suggested solution—habit stacking—sounds like it could be a helpful solution. There is another group where this concept could be useful--folks as they’re getting older. I remember many years ago the late B.F. Skinner talked about the way he kept his life organized as he was in his eighties. People as they get older sometimes forget to do one or more things that they used to do almost automatically when they were younger. Skinner mentioned a method he had developed—he didn’t call it habit-stacking, but that’s essentially what he developed for himself. So if you have ADHD, or work with clients with ADHD, or if you’re getting older or work with clients who are elderly, you might give habit-stacking a try. I know I’m going to give it a try. Click here to read full article.

Why ADHD Is Different for People of Color

We’ve known for a long time that children of color are less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than white children. This means they often don’t get the services available to them if they had been identified. But there are other challenges they face as well. This article helps us become aware of those challenges. Click here to read full article.

Research: Religious Americans Less Likely to Divorce

In previous research, we found that waiting to get married until around 30 decreased the likelihood that couples would eventually get divorced. The theoretical explanation was that personality development was more complete so people would make decisions based on a personality type they were compatible with. People who marry young were more likely to divorce. However, this new research suggests that young marriages do not necessarily lead to higher divorce rates if the couple is religious.

There is a lot of research embedded in this article. If you do marriage counseling or are considering marriage yourself this article may be of interest to you. Click here to read full article.

I hope you’ve enjoyed some of these articles, especially if they apply to your practice. I wish you a good week as you prepare for Christmas!

Henry Virkler