Articles from the Week of January 20, 2023

Interesting Quotes

"A person should set his goals as early as he can and devote all his energy and talent to getting there."

Walt Disney 

I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, “This is impossible — oh, this is impossible.” Then you just keep going and keep going and you sort of do the impossible.

Tina Fey

If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.

Benjamin Franklin

That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

Martin Luther King Jr.

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."

Martin Luther King Jr.

You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down.

Mary Pickford

"Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

Mary Oliver

The course of true love never did run smooth (perhaps something to encourage those you see in marriage counseling).

Shakespeare in “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”

I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than walk alone in the light.

Helen Keller

Fascinating Facts and Trivia (many from InterestingFacts.com)

What is Mageirocophobia?

From “NeedtoKnowFacts.com: ”Mageirocophobia is the fear of cooking, but it can take on many different forms and stem from a variety of types of cooking. Some people with the phobia are only scared of cooking for large groups, with the pressure of being judged by that many people being paralyzing. Others have a more severe form of Mageirocophobia, being unable to even cook for themselves in fear of screwing up what they are cooking.”

The eye muscles are the most active in the body, moving more than 100,000 times a day!

Counseling Articles

If you make one resolution in 2023, it should be this: experts

This is not directly related to counseling but it has some implications, both for us and our clients. I hope you take a moment to read this research study done on two continents. Click here to read the full article.

The friendship checkup

This discussion, by Tara Parker-Pope reminds us that nurturing friendships benefits both our physical and mental health. For example, one six-year study of 736 middle aged males in Sweden found that those with many friends had a 20% less chance of dying during the study period than those with few friends. Having a large support network was more important than exercise or dieting alone. And platonic relationships were more important than romantic relationships. So if you have introverted clients, encourage them to put some effort into increasing their social support network. Click here to read the full article. 

Even a Little Alcohol Can Harm Your Health

This is from the New York Times, so you probably can’t read it without a subscription. For many years there has been the belief that small amounts of alcohol (e.g., one glass of red wine in the evening) could be cardioprotective. Recent research has now said that even small amounts of alcohol can harm your health (or the health of your clients). The mechanism is believed to be that alcohol harms your DNA, and it prevents your body from repairing that damaged DNA. Important information for all of us to know. Click here to read the full article. 

Redefining Bipolar Recovery & Winning at Life

What does the word “recovery” mean when applied to a chronic disease such as bipolar disorder? This author, who has lived with bipolar disorder for three decades, has some thoughtful insights and shares insights from three other people who have lived with bipolar disorder for significant periods of their lives. Click here to read the full article. 

Why Is My [ADHD] Child So Angry and Defiant? An Overview of Oppositional Defiant Disorder

Almost half of children (40%) with ADHD also develop Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and if untreated this can lead to Conduct Disorder and lifelong problems during teenage years and adulthood. The most effective treatment is Parent Management Training. This article could be a good introduction for therapists and parents, and includes a good book recommendation for parents and another for therapists attempting to assist the family through Parent Management Training. Click here to read the full article. 

The Undeniable Failure of Permissive Approaches to Prostitution

This is not a counseling-related article, but a topic that counselors may wish to be informed about. Several countries (and California and some U.S. cities) have argued that legalizing prostitution has several advantages, including promoting the health and safety of all involved, reducing abuses against those in the trade by destigmatizing it and removing barriers to reporting assaults to police, and frees up scarce police resources to focus on the more serious problem of sex trafficking. Although these ideas might seem persuasive, this article documents that in every country and city that has tried it, these predicted benefits have not occurred, and situations have deteriorated. The article documents what has happened. It is also significant that this article appeared in Newsweek, which is not known as a conservative periodical. Click here to read the full article. 

America’s biggest school districts explicitly hiding kids’ gender transitions from parents

Although this seems totally wrong, some of our nation’s largest school districts (e.g., in California, Chicago and New York) have guidelines that prevent teachers from telling parents that their children are going through gender transitions at school. Click here to read the full article. 

Is Bipolar Disorder in Your Family Tree?

When you have a client who discovers they have Bipolar 1 or Bipolar 2 Disorder, I think it’s often wise to have them review their family tree. I think you’ll often find that they have family members with the symptoms of bipolar disorder, sometimes never having been recognized. Click here to read the full article. 

Bipolar Disorder & Anger: Understanding and Getting Control of Irritability

We all can be irritable, but people with bipolar disorder may have an increased risk of irritability because of their disorder, and their irritability can damage family and other relationships. This is a good article about that. Click here to read it. 

Child Sexual Abuse–5 Things Parents Must Do to Avoid Causing More Trauma

This really informative article is written by a sexual assault nurse examiner and includes myths about sexual assault and good information about what to do or not do when a child shares that they have been sexually assaulted. Most of us as counselors or parents are unprepared when a client or child confides this information to us. A good article to print out and have in your files when the need arises. Click here to read the full article.  

Why detransitioners are crucial to the science of gender care

Those who transition to a different sexual identity than what they were born with and then later detransition to their original gender often experience abuse and criticism from the LGBTQ and transgender communities, but this extensive research study, published by Reuters, is one of the few that has examined this issue. A very thoughtful and extended discussion. Click here to read the full article. 

Help for Hypersexuality—When Impulsive Behavior Becomes a Problem

It is estimated that ½ of the people with Bipolar 1 or 2 experience difficulties controlling their sexual impulses during manic or hypomanic episodes. One example is a client who scrolls through the contact list on her telephone looking for friends to proposition. To understand more about this phenomenon and for some guidance on helping clients during these times, see this article. Click here to read the full article.  

Genetic Data Suggest How Immune Abnormalities May Help Cause Psychiatric Illness Across Multiple Disorders

You may have read that scientists are discovering some links between various of the mental disorders, and this research on genetic data supports that finding. While it is still too early to have clinical applications, this does suggest that in the future some biological treatments may have utility in treating more than one mental disorder. Click here to read the full article.  

NYT Attacks ‘Heightism,’ Calls to Mate with Short People to Save Earth

Should you need a little humor in your life, you might want to read this article by a mother who explains that short people benefit the earth (because they eat less), are healthier (because they have fewer cells that could develop problems), and are more likely to survive an attack (since they present a smaller target). She recommends looking for a short mate (so you have smaller children). Click here to read the full article.  

I hope you have a wonderful week or weekend!

Henry Virkler