Articles from the Week of May 12, 2023

Interesting Quotes

"The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer is God!"

FYODOR DOSTOEVSKY

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.

Jennifer Margulis

“Of all the liars in the world, sometimes the worst are our own fears.”

RUDYARD KIPLING

Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.

Benjamin Franklin

Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.

P.T. Barnum

There is a gigantic difference between earning a great deal of money and being rich.

Marlene Dietrich

Fascinating Facts

Oysters can live up to twenty years and have the capacity to change their sex multiple times in their lifespan. Scientists still do not understand all the factors that cause this. (Source: InterestingFacts.com)

First Ladies haven’t always been married to the President.

“Leading from the Oval Office is a tremendous task that requires round-the-clock work from the President, their staff, and even their spouse. However, not every President has entered the White House with a spouse ready to take on the demanding job of First Lady. Four Presidents — Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and Chester A. Arthur — entered the executive office as widowers, and one (James Buchanan) never married. For these men, the supporting role was instead filled by someone other than the President’s wife, such as a female family member, friend, or even a Cabinet member’s relative.

“Even married Presidents have been aided by “White House hostesses” who weren’t their wives. Take, for example, Margaret Taylor and Abigail Fillmore, who both took so little interest in being First Lady that they appointed their daughters to the job. At least nine presidential daughters (or daughters-in-law), along with two nieces and two sisters, have stepped into the role, performing all the required duties: arranging formal dinners, hosting social events, managing White House renovations, and championing philanthropic and social causes (plus more). Along the way, they added their own spin to the position; Martha Johnson Patterson (daughter of Andrew Johnson) enjoyed milking the White House cows, while Harriet Lane (niece to James Buchanan) decorated the White House Blue Room and was so popular with the public that she inspired both fashion and baby name trends.” (Quoted material also from InterestingFacts.com)

Climate activists in Germany decided to protest by gluing themselves to the floor in front of a Volkswagen exhibit. However, they forgot to think through their protest plan completely, and eventually became uncomfortable when they needed to use the restroom and Volkswagen employees declined to help them.

Antarctica is technically known as a desert.The definition of a desert is an area that receives less than 9 inches of rain per year. The average rainfall in Antarctica is 2 inches per year. (Source: InterestingFacts.com).

Counseling Articles

The Top 10 Manifestations of ADHD in Boys

We typically think that hyperactivity and impulsivity are the primary characteristics of ADHD in boys. This author makes the argument that these are not the primary characteristics of ADHD in boys, but other things are. Interesting insights to consider.

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Biden’s ‘Transgender’ Rule Mandating Schools Treat Biological Males as Females Gets Tested

This is not a counseling article, but some of you have children in school or may be counseling students or parents of students and so it will be helpful if you understand some of the legal issues involved in these situations.

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6 Myths about Bipolar to Stop Believing

Another excellent blog by Tanya Hvilivitzky. Although bipolar disorder cannot be cured, by finding and using the correct medication, making certain lifestyle changes and counseling it can be successfully managed.

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Putting The Counselor Back in Counseling

This article may not teach you anything new about counseling, but I think it’s a good affirmation that when we lose sight of God and God’s principles as we counsel, we lose something very important. Here is just one quote to give you the flavor of the article.

“How did the wide world of caregiving derail this far off track? The short answer (but no less an accurate one) is that it left God out of the picture. As soon as God was left out, a host of harmful consequences resulted like falling dominoes.”

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More And More Teens Dropping Dead From This Sick Social Media Challenge…

The latest craze is the “Benadryl Challenge.” Teens reportedly are taking large amounts of Benadryl in order to hallucinate. Unfortunately, large amounts of Benadryl can be fatal.

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America Rejects Trans Ideology, WaPo Poll Finds

Activists claim that those who oppose the transgender movement are discriminatory and are a minority. This Washington Post poll found that 70% of American adults oppose starting children on puberty blockers, and 80% support Governor DeSantis’ approach to transgenderism. They are not attempting to discriminate but simply believe that many adolescents go through emotional challenges during adolescence, but that adopting a transgender ideology will not resolve all those emotional struggles. It is not an issue of being prejudiced against a certain group of people, but instead believing that unrecognized transgender tendencies are not the cause of all adolescent struggles.

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It’s a Toddler’s Party. How About a $75,000 Budget?

This is not a counseling article, but if you’ve ever had a hankering for knowing how the uber-rich live, this article will give you pictures and a description of what a $75,000 child’s birthday party looks like.

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False Promise of Vaginal Laser Therapy in Breast Cancer Survivors

Some doctors are promoting vaginal rejuvenation laser therapy to women who experience discomfort with intimacy after menopause or after breast cancer therapy. A randomly controlled study found that this therapy does not reduce discomfort. Some doctors may still offer it because of financial benefits to themselves, but the research suggests that women not invest the money in this treatment.

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Coffee may be good or bad for you based on your genes

Many research studies have concluded that coffee has medical benefits such as reducing the risk of heart attacks, Parkinsonism and Type 2 diabetes but other research says it can increase the risk of medical problems. This study explains why researchers have found such different results—it apparently depends on your genes. One neurologist reviewing this research suggests paying attention to how coffee makes you feel and reducing consumption if necessary.

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‘Transgender’ Toddlers as Young as 2 Undergoing Mutilation/Sterilization by NC Medical System, Journalist Alleges

This investigative journalist asserts that in North Carolina gender clinics are beginning the sexual transition process on children as early as 2, 3 and 4.

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Tame Your Triggers

Individuals with bipolar disorder may have mood episodes precipitated by triggers. Triggers may be either negative or positive events, they may be external or internal events, etc. This article talks about the variety of things that can serve as triggers, as well as the idea of helping each client develop a resilience plan for their personal triggers. Probably an approach that could be used by many clients, not just those who have bipolar disorder.

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Staying Stable During a Job Hunt

Being between jobs can be stressful for any person, but especially for those with bipolar disorder. Here are some good suggestions that may help.

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How A First-Grader With Cerebral Palsy Helped Make His Playground More Inclusive

Here is an inspiring story of how a first-grader and his grandmother worked with a school and community to make their playgrounds more inclusive.

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10 Warning Signs You're A Pathetic Beta Male

This is an example of the Babylon Bee (a tongue-in-cheek periodical) at its best.

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9 Mean Teacher Comments Every Student with ADHD Knows Too Well

Hopefully fewer and fewer teachers are making these comments, but if you have a child who has ADHD or you counsel children with ADHD, you have probably heard them.

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Florida Activists Secretly Ship Free Sex-Change Kits to Children Around the Country

This might seem unusual based on our Governor’s and the Florida legislature’s attitudes toward children having access to sex-change material, but this investigation does appear to show that one group of activists here in Florida are shipping these kits to children in Florida and in other states.

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Why I no longer use Transgender Pronouns—and Why You shouldn’t, either.

Dr. Julie Hamilton referred this article to me. It was written by Rosaria Butterfield, who wrote the interesting book The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert which I do recommend to you if you have the time to read it. She was once a very proud and vocal lesbian but became a Christian, left her lesbianism, and is now married to a Reformed Presbyterian minister.

She takes a view about not using transgender pronouns about which there is debate among evangelicals, including Mark Yarhouse, who takes the opposite view and whom I highly respect also. If you want to read her article you can hear her reasoning and then have the opportunity to think and pray about this issue.

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1st Babies Born in UK to ‘3 Parents’

You may have seen headlines about this and wondered what was happening. This article explains the procedure and why it is being used in a small number of cases. Apparently a small portion of people have severe mitochondrial diseases, which can be passed on to offspring and which can cause significant medical problems in the children. In order to prevent this, about .1% of the genetic material from the parents is replaced with genetic material from a third person. This procedure is still in experimental stages, so it has only been used in a few cases, which will be followed carefully until long-term results have been seen.

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Many antidepressants not effective for chronic pain

Antidepressants are often prescribed for those experiencing chronic pain such as pain caused by fibromyalgia, nerve pain and lower back pain. However, a British study of 28,000 people concluded that only duloxetine reduced pain by 50%, but a placebo also reduced pain by the same amount. You can view a fuller description of the results here.

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Have a wonderful week (or weekend),

Henry Virkler