Interesting Quotes
We are stronger when we listen, and smarter when we share.
Rania Al-Abdullah
[Rania Al-Abdullah, the wife of King Abdullah II, has served as the queen of Jordan for more than 20 years, and in that time she has been a champion for her people as well as several humanitarian causes around the world.]
The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.
G. K. Chesterton
''The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.'' [Not too bad for an atheist]
THOMAS PAINE
“That’s the reason they put rubbers on the ends of pencils…because people make mistakes.”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
“You can’t shake hands with a clenched fist.”
Indira Gandhi
''The poor man is not he who is without a cent, but he who is without a dream.''
HARRY KEMP
V.R. ‘Reminiscence Therapy’ Lets Seniors Relive the Past
This article is in the New York Times, so you may not be able to read it unless you have a subscription. Here is a summary: Reminiscence therapy is a treatment that helps some with milder dementia to remember and talk about past experiences, but some seniors do not respond very much to it. Using Virtual Reality headsets is helpful to some seniors. Loved ones can provide pictures of joyful events or can record videos of walking through neighborhoods from the patient’s past. While this is not for everyone (some seniors who are not used to virtual reality headsets can be overwhelmed), this type of reminiscence therapy can be helpful to some people. The virtual reality encounters are usually limited to 45 minutes once a week. Click here to read full article.
Abused Woman Survives 4 Abortions, Turns to God After Dad’s Premonition, Tells the Truth of Abortion Clinics
If you have the time, this is a fascinating story of a woman who was sexually abused at 3, raped at 12, left the church because she thought she was unworthy of God’s love, went through a harrowing young adult life filled with drugs, alcohol, and violence, who through a series of miracles came back to God and now lives a fulfilled life as a wife, mother and believer. Click here to read full article.
Bipolar Disorder & Grappling with Obsessive Thinking
Some of those who have Bipolar 1 or 2 have a particular difficulty with obsessive thinking, which often can derail their recovery. The treatments that you have learned as a counselor can be very helpfully applied in their lives. For a good introduction to this particular phenomenon and how you can help, see this article. Click here to read full article.
Novelist Shares Her Real & Imagined Memories
Here is a novelist who also has bipolar disorder, whose mother was a pharmacist and whose father had bipolar, who shares her experiences with bipolar, but in novel form rather than as a biography. People with bipolar who have read her novel have commented on its helpfulness to them.
Association of Antipsychotic Drug Exposure in Pregnancy With Risk of Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A National Birth Cohort Study
As you undoubtedly know, pregnant mothers are often anxious about taking antipsychotic medication while they are pregnant, fearing that it may harm their unborn child. This large study found that taking such medication did not increase the risk of neurodevelopment disorders in their children. Click here to read full article.
Girl Born With Heart Outside Her Chest Defies All Odds
This story, about a girl born with a very unusual birth defect, I think shows us how the attitude we take about our difficulties and our differences can make all the difference in the world. If you take four minutes to watch this video I think you’ll find it time well-spent. Click here to read full article.
ADHD Medication Vacation Pros and Cons, According to ADDitude Readers
Three-quarters of families with a child with ADHD take “medication vacations” sometimes. Here is a balanced discussion of what those families reported. Click here to read full article.
Good to Go (to College)
Sometimes parents (both of children with ADHD and those without) don’t put much attention into preparing their teens for the life skills they will need when living independently. Teens without ADHD can often look at those around them and learn what they need to do. Those with ADHD may sometimes have more difficulty doing so. This article refers to some of the humorous examples that can happen when parents fail to teach their ADHD children basic life skills before sending them off to college. Click here to read full article.
Interesting Facts (source: InterestingFacts.com
One might think that because Antarctica is a very cold place, there would be no need for a fire department there. Actually there are 55 full-time firefighters at the Antarctic Fire Department, specially trained for some of the unique challenges of that region.
Although most species are patriarchal, a few are matriarchal. Matriarchal species include elephants, lemurs, meerkats, spotted hyenas, orcas, and many other animal species. One species— killer whales, stay with their mothers their entire lives.
The Market Value of a Proverbs 31 Mother: Quoted from Christianity Today, May 7, 2022: “In 2021, for example, Salary.com estimated the median annual salary of a stay-at-home mom to be $184,820, tracking ‘real-time market prices of all the jobs that moms perform.’ Among these jobs, analysts identified roles like chief financial officer, logistics analyst, facilities manager, nutrition director, server, and event planner.”
Teen Bagger Pays for Struggling Grandma’s $137 Grocery Bill, Says, ‘Something Told Me To’
If you need a story to remind you that there are some really good teens in the world, read this. Click here to read full article.
Can PTSD Cause Memory Loss or Dementia?
Article from the Amen Clinic: Several meta-analyses found that untreated PTSD doubles the likelihood of people developing dementia later in life. That fact can be helpful in motivating clients to receive effective treatment for their PTSD. The article identifies five treatments that effectively treat PTSD, many of which you as a licensed counselor can provide. Click here to read full article.
Beyond the Cover—Children’s Books as Tools for Positive Social Identity Formation
Some of you have a knack for writing. I encourage you to read this article and consider whether God would have you be part of the solution proposed in this article. Click here to read full article.
Children Should Not Choose Their Gender: Unapologetic with Amala
A five-minute video sponsored by Praeger University on the gender dysphoria-gender transitioning controversy. Amala packs an incredible amount of information into five minutes. There are now several European countries which initially affirmed helping children “transition” that now have prohibited children and teens from gender transition therapies before the age of 18. She also mentions Ken Zucker, who was once the most respected therapist on treating children with gender dysphoria. She mentions his comments on how he approached the issue of gender dysphoria with boys and girls, and his comments are ones I think every counselor should know. I encourage you to take the time to listen to the information she shares. Click here to read full article.
6 Challenges of Bipolar That No One Talks About
Written by Stephen Probst, a writer and speaker who has bipolar disorder himself, he gives brief suggestions on methods he uses to combat some of the problems that occur with bipolar. Click here to read full article.
Interesting Facts: “All clownfish are born male.
“There’s a good reason why both main characters in Finding Nemo are male, at least initially. All clownfish are born that way, and it’s only when a group’s dominant female dies or disappears that a male will develop into a female and become the new matriarch. All clownfish have the ability to turn female, and the change is permanent once it occurs. The transformation begins almost immediately after the dominant female leaves, and starts in the brain before manifesting itself in the sex organs. Had the beloved Pixar film been devoted to scientific accuracy, Nemo’s father, Marlin, might not have been just his sole caregiver after tragedy befalls the boy’s mother — he might literally have become his mother.
Reprinted from InterestingFacts.com , May 10, 2022
Mindfulness Meditation to Soothe Squirming Souls
You might think mindfulness meditation (or any type of meditation) wouldn’t work with those with hyperactive ADHD. This author says they can, and they can improve the lives of those with ADHD. Click here to read full article.
Canada’s ‘Medical Assistance in Dying’ Expands and Expands
This Breakpoint article talks about how Canada’s euthanasia law is gradually being expanded to include more and more situations. If we look at what has happened in the EU, we can see the dangers that seem to inevitably happen when countries embrace euthanasia. Click here to read full article.
Virtual Reality Porn Is The Next Greatest Threat To The Church
According to a Barna poll, 68% of Christian men and 50% of pastors watch porn regularly. Quote from the above article: “A reporter invited to experience virtual reality pornography with a Samsung Gear VR headset chronicled the lifelike details of the sexual encounter. He noted ‘after trying out VR porn, I don’t think anyone who experiences it will be able to go back to 2D porn. It’s that realistic.’” Some of you may be counseling with people who are struggling with porn. You may want to warn them that trying this new type of porn will make their struggle that much harder. Click here to read full article.
First graders save Alabama teacher from medical emergency
Here’s a story of how first grade students responded when their teacher experienced a seizure. Click here to read full article.
10 Secrets to Studying Smarter with ADHD
This article suggests that people with ADHD need to learn different ways of studying than those of us who don’t have ADHD. This article suggests 10 ways, most of which I would never have thought of before reading the article. Click here to read full article.
FDA Clears TMS for OCD
The FDA has just cleared TMS for treatment of OCD. TMS had been previously approved for treatment of Major Depression. Click here to read full article.
Large Share of Alzheimer's, Dementia Cases Tied to 8 Modifiable Risk Factors
Since at this time there is no effective treatment for dementia and Alzheimer’s, prevention is the best option. Since these 8 risk factors are all modifiable, it would be good if everyone knew what these factors are. Click here to read full article.
How a COVID Misdiagnosis Revealed Deadly Aromatherapy Outbreak
Some of you may use aromatherapy in your practices. You should be aware that a spray produced in India and sold at Walmart has been implicated in several deaths. The name of the Aromatherapy compound is “Better Homes & Gardens Lavender & Chamomile Essential Oil Infused Aromatherapy Room Spray with Gemstones.” As soon as Walmart became aware of the problem it pulled all of the compound off its shelves. For more information about how it was discovered see the story here. Click here to read full article.
Have a wonderful week!
Henry Virkler