WORDS OF WISDOM

"Work for something because it is good, not just because it stands a chance to succeed."

VÁCLAV HAVEL

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–Based Intervention in Preventing Gaming Disorder and Unspecified Internet Use Disorder in Adolescents

The ICD-11 recognizes that behavioral patterns as well as substances can become additive. This research study among German teens (both boys and girls) found that a manualized CBT program was more effective than assessment only in reducing gaming and unspecified internet use disorder. While the level of effectiveness in the treatment group was not high (39%) this does suggest that improvements in the manualized program might still be worthwhile. Click here to read full article.

“’I Can’t Sleep!’ Bedtime Basics for Buzzing ADHD Brains”

Children with ADHD are legendary in their difficulties about going to sleep. This pediatrician offers quite a list of helpful strategies. Click here to read full article.

Fifty Years of Wisdom: Lessons from a Retired Therapist

Here are some reflections from a therapist who worked nearly 50 years before retiring. Read them to see which ones you agree and disagree with. Click here to read full article.

The Secret to Making Love Last

Someone I like to read and get ideas from is Tara Parker-Pope. Here are some of her ideas on making love last. Click here to read full article.

Why Does Ukraine Matter?

While this is not a counseling article, I think it helps us all see why praying for and supporting Ukraine is an important endeavor. Click here to read full article.

Famous Females Who Are Crushing the Stigma of Bipolar Disorder

This article briefly discusses nine respected females who have shared with the world that they have bipolar disorder. Click here to read full article.

Why We Shouldn’t Multitask

You may need a subscription to the Epoch Times to read this article. It repeats some things that previous research has shown—people who multitask tend to make more mistakes, are more likely to be irritable with others, and show indicators of heightened anxiety if they multitask frequently. They are also likely to overestimate how well they can multitask and are able to maintain good quality control over their work. There is growing evidence that the brain can only pay attention to one thing at a time, so multitasking requires switching from one task to another, a process that actually decreases our efficiency. So if you have clients who think they can efficiently multitask, it may be good to encourage them to check out what the research studies have shown. Click here to read full article.

Art and music therapy seem to help with brain disorders

This article describes some of the ways that art and music therapy are being used to treat some brain disorders such as anxiety, PTSD, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinsonism. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a lot of solid empirical research at this time but looking at one of these issues could be a good doctoral dissertation study for someone. Click here to read full article.

Most Americans Unaware Alcohol Can Cause Cancer

This article discusses the fact that most Americans are unaware that wine and other forms of alcohol can cause a variety of cancers, including breast and colon cancers. The article discusses whether Americans believe that alcoholic beverages should include warnings about health risks so that users can make informed decisions about whether they wish to drink. Click here to read full article.

Overstimulated by Life? 20 Ways to Give Your ADHD Senses a Break

People with ADHD (and autism) frequently complain of feeling overstimulated by things in their environment, things that most of us tune out. Here are 20 strategies those folks might use to try to reduce their feelings of sensory overload. Click here to read full article.

Yale’s Happiness Professor Says Anxiety Is Destroying Her Students

This is a New York Times Magazine article, so you may not be able to get it if you don’t have a subscription to the New York Times. Laurie Santos is a Yale University professor, a cognitive psychology teacher, who has become somewhat famous for an on-line class on happiness that she teaches, and her podcast that has been downloaded 64 million times. There are some interesting points in the article including one where she says we often have beliefs about what will make us happy (e.g., money, popularity, etc.) and often those beliefs are not true. 

She says some things you may possibly disagree with, such as the behaviors that go along with religious beliefs, and not the religious beliefs themselves that make us happier. So I think Jesus is a more trustworthy source to get your beliefs about happiness from than her but if you are able to read her interview you can see what you think. Click here to read full article.

Nature-Based Therapies to Improve Health

I’m not sure of the solidness of the research behind these suggested therapies, but if you’re interested in this topic, this article includes a wide selection of therapies based on having more contact with nature. Click here to read full article.

No Fault Divorce Denies Science, Data and Stories from Children

Great Britain just passed a no-fault divorce law like the ones we have had in the U.S. for some years, and one government official hailed it as a major step forward. This Breakpoint article reminds people that divorce, while helpful in some domestic violence situations where the aggressor is unwilling to seek treatment, often leaves spouses and children with great pain. Click here to read full article.

Menopause, Hormones & ADHD: What We Know, What Research is Needed

Very little research has been done on how menopause affects women with ADHD, but this article tells us what we know. Interestingly, some women who don’t have ADHD may start to have ADHD-like symptoms during menopause, and this psychologist says that sometimes these women can benefit from ADHD medications. Interesting. Click here to read full article.

Exercise Can Build Up Your Brain. Air Pollution May Negate Those Benefits.

This is an article from the New York Times, so let me give you a summary of its major conclusions in case you can’t access it. Exercise builds up both white and gray matter in the brain, but if you exercise in moderately polluted air, it seems to negate those benefits. Bottom line: exercise but try to do it in a place that doesn’t have polluted air. Click here to read full article.

7 MENTAL HEALTH AND BRAIN BENEFITS OF PICKLEBALL

Pickleball is rapidly becoming a fast-growing sport. This article from Amen Clinic suggests seven ways in which playing it can benefit your brain. Click here to read full article.

Texas Governor Orders Agency to Investigate Sex-Change Procedures in Trans Kids

Not everyone will agree with Governor Abbot’s order, but since research shows that 85% of children who claim to be gender dysphoric during childhood will remit to their natal gender during further development, it certainly seems wise to engage in “watchful waiting” rather than immediately proceed to sex change operations that are not reversible. Click here to read full article.

Please pray for the people of Ukraine and for wisdom for all our world leaders!

Henry Virkler