Articles from the Week of August 4, 2023
Interesting Quotes
People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.
Abraham Lincoln
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.
Pablo Picasso
There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.
John Holmes, military veteran and author
“You must be prepared to work always without applause.”
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.
Maya Angelou
“Honesty is the first chapter of the book wisdom.”
Thomas Jefferson
"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something."
WILSON MIZNER
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."
Benjamin Franklin
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.”
Mary Anne Radmacher, writer
My esteem in this country has gone up substantially. It is very nice now when people wave at me, they use all their fingers.
Jimmy Carter
"People are very open-minded about new things - as long as they're exactly like the old ones."
CHARLES KETTERING
Fascinating Facts (Source: InterestingFacts.com unless otherwise noted)
Interesting circumstances surrounding the iconic picture of Einstein sticking out his tongue: Einstein was known for his irascible sense of humor. There was a birthday celebration for him at Princeton University to celebrate his 72nd birthday. At the end of the evening Einstein was tired of photographers asking him for “just one more picture” and so as he climbed into a car with two colleagues, he stuck out his tongue at the persistent paparazzi. One of those photographers, Arthur Sasse, timed his shot just right and caught the iconic picture. It is reported that Einstein liked the photo so much he used it in some of the greeting cards he sent from that time on.
In case you ever watched “Golden Girls” you might remember that there were few problems that a piece of cheesecake couldn’t solve. It was estimated that approximately 100 cheesecakes were consumed during the duration of the TV show. If you were a careful observer, you would have noticed that “Dorothy” rarely takes a bite. In real life Bea Arthur reportedly hated cheesecake.
Counseling Articles
Arizona teen Alicia Navarro may have Stockholm syndrome: former fed
I’m sure after she has been back for a longer period of time, that we will understand Alicia Navarro’s situation more fully and accurately. Here is an update on what we know after the first week.
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10 Surprising Addictions
A brief article on 10 activities that can become addictions. Probably nothing new to you, but this WebMD article could start a healthy conversation with a client on differentiating between activities that are normal in moderation but could become addictions if they become excessive.
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4 Ways to Help Others Help You Manage Your Bipolar
Those who have had a few years of experience with bipolar disorder have probably learned that it’s best to include your close friends and family and close working associates in your support plan. Here’s a good article with some ideas on how to do it.
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Detransitioner Chloe Cole’s full testimony to Congress
I encourage you to listen to her verbal testimony in this clip: it (better than just the summary of her testimony) gives you the human side of this situation.
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Family Torn Between Placing Grandpa in Hospice and Having Him Run for Senate
Fun headline from the Babylon Bee
Company Advertises Job For ‘Not-Woke’ Employee, Says ‘We Know What A Woman Is’
On-line ad from a firm in Australia.
8 Famous Historical Figures with Bipolar
Although manic-depressive illness or bipolar disorder was not known of during the time when some of these people lived, careful historical analysis has led some psychiatrists to believe that all of these people may have had bipolar disorder. These people made significant contributions to our world even though treatments like lithium were still unknown.
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6 Tips for Dating With Bipolar Disorder
People with bipolar disorder struggle with how much and when to tell dating partners about their illness. Here is a young woman who shares the suggestions she has for telling her dating partners about her disorder and when.
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New Research Validates Autism’s Link to Gut
This article claims that new research shows that those who have autism have unique microbiomes in their stomachs. This newspaper sometimes publishes findings that are viewed by some as controversial, although the research they cite in this article seems plausible. It will be interesting to see if other research confirms this finding.
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Canada’s Suicidal Slide
Several years ago Canada expanded the criteria for persons to request Medical Assistance in Dying (essentially assisted suicide). This Breakpoint article discusses how this has impacted Canada, and I think we should be prepared to speak to this issue if it is proposed to us.
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Woman Thinks Her Husband Might Be Having an Affair, but It Turns Out to Be Early Onset Dementia
I think the beautiful part of this story is how this wife and her family (two sons and her mother) have all responded to the discovery of her husband’s early-onset dementia. This might give you ideas about how to help a family if a similar situation develops.
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12 Questions for Those Considering Universalism
Caring persons find it hard to believe that anyone could go to a place where there would be unending punishment, and also because of the growing tolerance for different religious ideas in our culture there are a growing number of Christians who are embracing universalism (i.e., the belief that all people will eventually be saved and spend eternity in heaven). This article makes 12 points that show that it is hard to affirm all of Scripture without affirming that God says there are two eternal destinations rather than only one.
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Promoting Social Prescribing in Psychiatry—Using Shared Decision-Making and Peer Support
Although this article is written to psychiatrists, I think it has important implications for mental health counselors as well. There are at least some therapists and other mental health professionals who think that medication or psychotherapy are the only things that mental health professionals should be concerned with. This article makes the point that our concerns should be broader than that. See what you think.
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Does Microglial Activation Lead to Cognitive Changes After COVID-19 Infection?
It is estimated that close to 20% of those with COVID infections may experience “long COVID,” which sometimes expresses itself in cognitive impairment and depression. Here is an article suggesting one type of therapy that might be helpful for individuals trying to recover from “long COVID.” Although this theory is still in its early stages it is probably worthwhile for counselors to stay aware of this research and see whether it is confirmed by other researchers.
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Michigan Bans Therapies Encouraging Children to Accept Biological Sex
Quote from the article: “The bill defines “conversion therapy” as any practice or treatment by a mental health professional that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. This means efforts to change a child’s behavior or gender expression or eliminate their attraction to the same gender are prohibited.” However, counselors may still provide counseling and support for children who want to transition to the opposite gender or are considering same-sex relationships. The law will go into effect in October.
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Hochul Using Taxpayers Money to Fund Prostitutes
New York Governor Kathy Hochul allocated one million dollars to provide medical and dental services for prostitutes at the same time that others are decrying the fact that some sections of New York city are overrun with street prostitutes openly offering their services to potential customers.
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Five Fatal Flaws of Moral Relativism
Here’s a section from one of Greg Koukl’s classes. If you are working with someone who affirms moral relativism you might get an idea or two that would be helpful. Dr. Koukl’s main point is that no one lives as if moral relativism is true, even though they think they believe in that position, and through good questioning you can help them see this.
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I hope you have a wonderful week or weekend!
Henry Virkler
