Articles from the Week of January 27, 2023
Interesting Quotes
I did not run across many interesting quotes this week. These first four are from Helen Keller, who as you may remember, was blind and deaf from the age of two.
A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships.
Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
Helen Keller
Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us.
Thomas Paine
Fascinating Facts and Trivia (many from InterestingFacts.com
Eight Amazing Facts About Antarctica
Although most of us will never visit Antarctica, these eight facts are quite interesting. Click here to read them.
Which President had the shortest time in office?
“William Henry Harrison was the ninth president of the United States, but his time in office was short-lived. In a mere 31 days, his term came to an end, making him the president that served the shortest tenure in U.S presidential history. Sadly, his legacy as president was cut short before he could make lasting contributions to America’s narrative; having succumbed to pneumonia just weeks into office while delivering the longest inaugural address on record—clocking in at over 8,445 words!” [Quotation from Anytrivia.com]
Chameleons can move both of their eyes in different directions at the same time
“Chameleons have the unique ability to move each of their eyes individually. Like humans, chameleons have two eyes. Unlike humans, who move their eyes in sync with one another, chameleons can look in two completely different directions at once. This allows chameleons to look more places at once, which lets them keep an eye out for predators, prey, and other things of interest in a more efficient manner. Another interesting fact about chameleons is that they can change color to camouflage with their surroundings.” Quoted from NeedtoKnowFacts.com
Which country consumes the most chocolate per capita?
Answer: Switzerland
Alaska’s coastline is longer than all other states’ combined.
“Alaska is big — in more ways than one. Not only is it the largest U.S. state by a wide margin, but it’s also home to the 10 highest mountain peaks in the U.S., hosts far more volcanoes than any other state, and has more coastline than all the other states combined. Of the United States’ estimated 12,479 miles of coastline, Alaska accounts for some 6,640 miles all on its own, at least based on one account by the Congressional Research Service. (Coastlines can be notoriously difficult to measure, and counts do vary.)”
Quoted from InterestingFacts.com
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth
Counseling Articles
US worst country for pushing ‘extreme gender ideology,’ sex change surgeries on youth: report
While several European countries that were quite liberal with regard to transgender issues have restrained those movements until more research is done about the long-term effects, the U.S. continues to have advocates who are pushing puberty blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones and even sexual reassignment surgeries, and those advocates call anyone who does not agree with them as blocks to gender-affirming therapies. Click here to read the full article.
The Best Things You Can Do for a Friend with Bipolar Disorder
Tanya Hvilivitzky is a blogger who has bipolar disorder and is one of my favorite bloggers to read. Here she gives eight practical steps when you are told a friend has bipolar disorder. Click here to read the full article.
AI Passes U.S. Medical Licensing Exam
Artificial intelligence software is causing a nightmare for teachers and college professors and is the reason an increasing number of colleges are banning these software programs. This article reveals that at least two of these programs have been able to pass the medical licensing exam, the exam used by states to determine whether a doctor will be allowed to practice medicine in their state. Click here to read the first article.
Another article says that AI software also passed the top business school exam. Click here to read the second article.
A third article says that AI software has been able to pass the bar exam (lawyers’ entrance exam).
And finally, some high schools are beginning to worry that some of their students may use these programs to do their assignments for them.
How to Help a Child with Tics: Strategies for School and Home
This article gives suggestions for both parents and teachers about how to help a child manage their tics. Click here to read the full article.
From the Crack House to the State House: Woman Overcomes Addiction and Prostitution Through God’s Love
If you are working with someone who is recovering from a drug addiction or a life of prostitution and wondering if there is any hope for them, this feature could be an encouragement to them. Click here to read the full article.
5 Ways To Stop Porch Pirates From Stealing Packages
Not a counseling article, but one that could be useful to almost all of us. Five good suggestions, one or more that might be useful to you or your clients. Click here to read the full article.
Even the New York Post sees the madness of keeping parents in the dark as kids transition
This is an op-ed piece in the New York Post (a competitor to the New York Times) and it contains a little more partisan rhetoric than I prefer in my compilation of counseling articles. I think it makes the point well that even “progressive” parents are unhappy with public schools keeping their children’s gender transitions secret from them. Click here to read the full article.
Free Resource: A Guide to Employment Practices for Christian Employers
Some of you may be considering adding staff to your Christian counseling practice and may wonder about the proper way to do this. The National Association of Evangelicals has provided this free resource for you. Click here to access their website.
“What Is Your Most Reliable, Helpful Daily Routine?”
Most people’s minds work best when there are consistent daily routines, and this is especially true for those with ADHD. But the routines that are most helpful vary from person to person. This article shares routines from a number of people with ADHD. Click here to read the whole feature.
Study to Examine Whether White Paint is Racist
A university in Norway has applied for a $1.2 million dollar grant to examine whether white paint is racist. I’m not going to include the internet address for this news article since I didn’t think it was worthwhile to spend your time reading it.
Bipolar & Strategies for a Scattered Brain
Although many people with bipolar don’t experience cognitive difficulties, particularly during euthymic (healthy) periods, a significant number experience more cognitive difficulties (e.g., attention, working memory, verbal memory, word fluency, problem-solving) than a comparison group who do not have bipolar disorder. If you have a client with Bipolar 1 or 2 who complains about this problem, it may help them to know this problem is not unique to them and to learn the strategies found in this article. Click here to read the whole composition.
The Profound Health Benefits of Being Grateful
Although I don’t usually agree with what Joseph Mercola writes, this summary of research findings about the health benefits of being grateful is really quite good, and could be useful in counseling. Click here to read the full article.
Man Who Transformed Himself Into 'Alien' Hits Problem as He's 'Barred from Restaurants'
I doubt if you will have any clients who decide to do this, but this man decided to turn himself into an alien by cutting off both ears, his nose, splitting his tongue, sharpening and dyeing his teeth purple, etc., complains that he has trouble finding a restaurant that will serve him or a company that will employ him. And he says his transformation is only 50% complete. I wonder what he plans to do for the remaining 50%? Click here to read the full article.
New Test Diagnoses Autism With 95% Accuracy
This headline, like many headlines of articles on the Internet, is a bit of an exaggeration. The 39-question test asks parents about their child’s individual and social behavior. It is reportedly between 55 and 95% accurate depending on where a child is on the spectrum. Parents are then encouraged to follow up by having their child evaluated by a specialist. This follows another recent announcement that said autism can be diagnosed by a single strand of hair, so if these advances are confirmed by the test of time, some advances in the diagnosis of autism seem to be coming. Click here to read the full article.
New Brain Research Supports Free Will
The question of whether human beings’ behavior is free or determined has been debated back and forth for decades and obviously, for those of us who are counselors, has enormous implications. The latest research authors had asserted that their recent research proved that behavior is determined rather than free. This article, published by the Discovery Institute, argues for why that research does not prove what the determinism advocates say it does. Click here to read the full article.
Emotional Blunting Explained; 8% of Adults on Sleep Meds; Long Waits for Psych Care
Here are eight one-sentence summaries of psychiatric findings on a variety of topics. Very worth the one minute that it will take to read them. Click here to read the whole list.
Research reflects Christian parents' failures
Research from the Pew Research Center found that only 35% of parents emphasize passing on their faith to their children. And even among evangelicals, only 70% do, meaning that 30% of evangelical parents don’t see passing on their faith to their children as an important priority. Click here to read the whole article.
Trans “Medicine” Based on Bad Science: New Study Debunks “Dutch Protocol” Research
This Breakpoint article highlights some of the scientific errors being done to support trans medicine. Click here to read the full article.
Memory Decline Tied to Lifestyle Factors
Even for people with a high genetic risk for Alzheimer’s, this study has shown that factors such as eating a healthy diet, exercise, social activities, mental exercise and avoiding alcohol and cigarettes can slow the rate of decline. So these are things which we all have some control over. Click here to read the full article.
Have a wonderful week or weekend!
Henry Virkler