Articles from the Week of June 30, 2023
Interesting Quotes
Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion.
Brené Brown
Yes, you must live life beautifully and not allow the spirit of the world that makes gods out of power, riches, and pleasure make you forget that you have been created for greater things: to love and to be loved.
Mother Teresa
We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.
Frederick Koenig
Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Of all the means to ensure happiness throughout the whole life, by far the most important is the acquisition of friends.
Epicurus
“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.”
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Rank does not confer privilege or give power. It imposes responsibility."
Peter Drucker
Don’t allow your wounds to transform you into someone you are not.
Paulo Coelho
"Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying."
RALPH WALDO EMERSON
“There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven't even started wondering about yet.”
ROALD DAHL
"I’ve learned that anything in life worth having comes from patience and hard work."
GREG BEHRENDT
"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul."
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Fascinating Facts (from InterestingFacts.com unless otherwise noted)
Walt Disney cartoons were originally called “laugh-o-grams.” [I like the new name better.]
Mickey Mouse was, for the first 20 years, voiced by Walt Disney himself.
Jericho is probably the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world.
The world’s most famous mummies are in Egypt, but the oldest mummies are in Chile, in the Atacama Dessert, and predate the Egyptian mummies by as much as 2,000 years.
“Seahorses have a unique appearance with their horse-like head, prehensile tail, independently moving eyes, and brood pouch. Seahorses are strange creatures that have unique characteristics, such as changing gender. Seahorses often change their gender during their lifetime. This flexibility in their sexual identity may be due to the fact that seahorses do not have a fixed reproductive system. Seahorses are among very few animals where the males give birth to their young.” (from NeedtoKnowFacts.com)
Lake Superior is the largest body of fresh water in the world. Its greatest depth is 1,332 feet and it contains 3 quadrillion gallons of water.
You Have Far More Than Five Senses
“We’ve all heard that we have five senses: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. That idea goes back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle — but it’s wrong. Modern science has identified as many as 32 senses, by looking at receptors in our bodies with the job of receiving and conveying specific information. Senses you might not know you have include your vestibular sense, which controls balance and orientation; proprioception, which governs how our bodies occupy space; thermoception, which monitors temperature; nociception, our sense of pain; and many more.”
Body Language Is Largely Universal
“All humans demonstrate the same expressions for emotions the world over, according to body language expert David Matsumoto. That’s because we all generally have the same facial muscles and structure, regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or culture. However, culture helps determine what emotions are expressed when — and how those expressions are perceived.”
Counseling Articles
AI-generated child sex images spawn new nightmare for the web
As if there wasn’t enough pornography on the web already, here is a new phenomenon that some of your clients may be wrestling with.
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The Monticello Plantation Hides Secrets About the Thomas Jefferson Mystery
Although this article has nothing to do with counseling, many of us have probably heard rumors about various things having to do with Thomas Jefferson and his home at Monticello. This is a very thorough article about what historians have pieced together about Sally Hemings, a slave at the time, her secret bedroom, her relationship with Thomas Jefferson after he became a widower, and the six children that she allegedly had with him. Fascinating reading if you’re interested.
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Balancing Your Vacation with Bipolar Disorder
Vacations can be both enjoyable and stressful, but if someone has bipolar disorder they have to take a few extra steps to prevent those changes from precipitating another bipolar episode. This article discusses why and provides some helpful suggestions.
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The Parents’ Guide to Dismantling Oppositional, Defiant Behavior
Many children and teens display oppositional behavior and some even qualify for the diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Behavior. Although this article was written for parents of children with ADHD who have ODD, I think some of the ideas, especially the recommended phrases to use, might be helpful to many parents, whether they have ADHD or not.
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OceanGate Offers 20% Off Coupon For Next Tour
If it wasn’t so sad, this article from the Babylon Bee might be funny.
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Singing is good for you. Singing with others may be even better
Interesting study compiling some of the research on singing and signing in choirs. Something you might share with clients.
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How the Internet Has Encouraged Bad Behavior—Especially in Females
You may be surprised at this article’s title. The studies it cites do give some support to the title itself.
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Hide Your Kids: Pride Members State Their Agenda, 'We're Coming For Your Children'
This march in New York city verbalized the goal of activists to expose and indoctrinate children to their way of thinking. Christian parents, counselors and pastors need to think and pray about what our response should be.
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An NFL Player Being Cleared on Rape Charges Reveals One Nasty Truth About the Me Too Movement
Rape is a terrible crime and deserves to be punished. However, some people’s lives and careers can be destroyed when they’re falsely accused of things they never did. You may sometimes need to counsel people on both sides of this issue.
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Alcohol May Curb Stress Signaling in Brain to Protect Heart
Those who wish to continue light to moderate alcohol use may point to a recent study that says light to moderate drinking may curb stress signaling to the brain and thus be cardioprotective. This article from Medscape Psychiatry gives a balanced conclusion—even though that is true, the conclusion is that “the apparent CVD benefits of light to moderate drinking were counterbalanced by an increased risk of cancer. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption.”
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Atheists Are More Political Than Other Religious Groups
Although there is the common belief that evangelicals are more active politically than other groups, apparently atheists are the most politically active. One of the things I found most interesting in this Breakpoint column were the comments from C.S. Lewis about when he was an atheist. I think you’d find this column useful in understanding some of the religious struggles of clients.
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'Non-binary' identifying students in New Jersey skyrocket over 4,000% since 2019
There seems to be an epidemic of students in New Jersey now calling themselves “non-binary.” New Jersey has been in the news this week because the state has sued three school districts for informing parents that their children were considering sex change.
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Harvard Professor Who Studies Honesty for a Living Accused of Faking Data
In an ironic turn of events, a Harvard professor, Francesca Gino, who has authored or co-authored many research papers, several on honesty, is now accused of fabricating her findings. There have been an increasing number of allegations that some of her data was falsified, and a number of other researchers have conducted studies and could not replicate her findings. It seems that the adage “Be sure your sins will find you out” applies.
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There Is No “Magic Potion” for Bipolar Disorder
This is the story of a man and his father, both of whom had or have bipolar disorder. His father just “took the pill” but nothing more, whereas the son encourages those with bipolar disorder to take advantage of some of the additional services, that are available and how much they can add to the lives of those with bipolar disorder. If you know someone who just “takes the pill” and thinks that is enough this article could be helpful to them. It also reminds us of how much attitudes and treatment has progressed in just one generation.
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65 Percent Of Teenagers Are Targets Of ‘Sextortion’ Schemes: Study
From the article: “Almost two-thirds of teenagers globally have been targeted for “sextortion” schemes by criminals seeking to pressure victims into sexual activity or extort money, according to recent research.” Fortunately, this article tells parents, teens and counselors what they can do if this happens to them.
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Millions Don’t Regain Senses of Smell and Taste After COVID: Clinicians Share Validated Approaches
A considerable number of people report that they don’t regain their senses of smell and taste after having COVID, and some people report regaining a partial sense of smell and taste after COVID. A small number of people also say they lost their sense of smell and taste after receiving the COVID vaccine. The article includes several clinician reports of things they have tried with patients, but these seem more in the realm of anecdotal reports than validated approaches. I’m including the article, not so you could recommend any of these treatments, but primarily so that if you have clients complaining that they have lost their sense of smell and taste, you could reassure them that many people have reported the same phenomenon. If that loss is seriously interfering with their life, then referring them to their physician rather than recommending any of the treatments mentioned in this article may be the safest thing to do.
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Suicide Attempts Nearly 8 Times Higher Among Transgender People, Study Shows
Significantly, this study was done in Denmark between the years 1980 and 2021, a very progressive country, during years when there was easy access to gender-affirming treatments. Both suicide attempts and completed suicides were significantly higher among transgender people than among those who identified with their natal gender.
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I wish you a wonderful weekend or week.
Henry Virkler
