Articles from the Week of June 14, 2024
Explanation: Although I scan the Internet primarily for counseling articles, in the process I run across quotes and interesting facts that I sometimes include in these first two sections. If you’re just interested in the counseling articles, you can skip these first two sections and go directly to the section called Counseling Articles. HV
Interesting Quotes
But oh! The blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely.
Dinah Craik
I would rather walk with a friend in the dark than walk alone in the light.
Helen Keller
"Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy those are who already possess it."
FRANCOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD
Those who never retract their opinions love themselves more than they love truth.
Joseph Joubert
In order for connection to happen, we have to allow ourselves to be seen. Really seen.
Brené Brown
If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.
Maya Angelou
We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.
Elie Wiesel
Many brave things were done that night but none more brave than by those few men playing minute after minute as the ship (referring to the Titanic) settled quietly lower and lower in the sea … the music they played serving alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recorded in the halls of undying fame.
Lawrence Beesley
The most effective way to do it is to do it.
Amelia Earhart
Fascinating Facts
Napoleon was attacked (and defeated) by a horde of rabbits.
“Napoleon Bonaparte is revered as one of the greatest military commanders of all time, but even he was helpless against the most fearsome foe of all: fluffy little bunnies. In one of history’s most shocking upsets, the emperor of the French was attacked — and defeated — by a horde of rabbits. The coup took place in July of 1807 as Napoleon and his coterie celebrated the Treaties of Tilsit, which brought a victorious end to the war between France and Russia, with a traditional rabbit hunt. Louis-Alexandre Berthier, Napoleon’s chief of staff, arranged the festivities with anywhere from a few hundred to 3,000 rabbits and expected them to behave as normal when they were uncaged on a field. Rather than run away, however, the bunnies began swarming Napoleon and his men. Though amusing at first, the situation quickly overwhelmed some of Europe’s foremost military strategists.
“The situation rapidly became chaotic. According to General Paul Charles François Adrien Henri Dieudonné Thiébault, “the intrepid rabbits turned the emperor’s flank, attacked him frantically in the rear, refused to quit their hold, piled themselves up between his legs till they made him stagger, and forced the conqueror of conquerors, fairly exhausted, to retreat and leave them in possession of the field.” Having ceded this crucial territory, Napoleon retreated to his coach and thought the bunnies would show mercy. They did not. With what historian David Chandler has described as “a finer understanding of Napoleonic strategy than most of his generals,” they continued their siege until the coach fled the scene. The reason for the creatures’ aggression? Berthier bought tame rabbits from a farmer rather than trap wild ones and, because they hadn’t been fed that day, the hungry bunnies swarmed the men they assumed were there to feed them.” (Source: HistoryFacts.com)
Seconds After Thief Grabs Woman's Bicycle - A Cowboy Stuns Police with Epic Move
This article clearly has nothing to do with counseling, but it’s such an amusing story I thought some of you would enjoy it.
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Counseling Articles
How Does ADHD Medication Work? Your First Questions Answered.
If you’re working with someone who is new to the diagnosis of ADHD and has questions about medication, here’s a primer by a medical doctor that has some good information.
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“This is What Undiagnosed ADHD Feels Like”
Some people (especially girls and women) with ADHD go undiagnosed for many years. Here is what it feels like when they finally get an explanation for why they’ve had some of the difficulties they’ve experienced.
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Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms Much Lower Than Previously Thought
Sometimes people who are on antidepressants are fearful that they will have serious discontinuation symptoms if and when they stop their antidepressants. This large study found that only 15% of clients experienced discontinuation symptoms, and only 2% experienced severe symptoms. So when depression appears to have lifted for a period of time and the problems that triggered the depression have been resolved you can encourage your client to talk with their doctor about a plan for tapering and discontinuing them and reassure them that discontinuation symptoms are generally rare. Often psychiatrists will recommend a gradual taper to reduce the likelihood of discontinuation symptoms even further.
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Strategies for Improving Your Emotional Intelligence
If a client came to you wanting to improve their interpersonal life, this article on improving one’s emotional intelligence has some good concepts that might be helpful as a starting point.
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4-legged lifesavers: Service dogs are working wonders for veterans with PTSD, study shows
Here is an article about one very effective treatment for veterans with PTSD that may be of interest to some of you: one of the centers for this treatment is here in Florida.
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6 Films Where Bipolar and Love Meet on the Big Screen
Here are descriptions of six films where at least one, and sometimes both partners in a love relationship have bipolar disorder. The descriptions are written by Tanya Hvilivitzky, a highly respected blogger who has bipolar disorder herself. These films might be of interest to anyone with bipolar disorder themselves, or who have loved ones with bipolar disorder.
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Brain Dead People May Not Be Dead–Here’s Why
While not strictly a counseling-related article, this is one that Christians may be interested in. A person in some instances may meet the criteria for brain death but may not be biologically dead. For organ donations that is an important distinction, since many types of organ transplants cannot be done if the donor is biologically dead. In very rare instances people who were brain dead have recovered and gone on to live for several years, so making accurate distinctions about brain death is very important for ethical organ donation programs. For more information read this very informative article.
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Cannabis Use Linked to Increased Heart Risks
If you have a client who is using marijuana daily and who needs some motivation to cut back or stop using, you may tell them or show them that people who used cannabis daily (smoking, vaping or eating) had a 25% increased likelihood of heart attack and a 42% increased likelihood of stroke compared with participants who did not use cannabis. This research might be especially relevant for elderly clients who are considering substituting some of their pain medication with daily marijuana.
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Another Dangerous Game that Teenagers are Playing
Another dangerous game is making the rounds among teenagers, so if you counsel with teenagers or with parents you may want to be aware of it. It’s called “Senior Assassins,” and in it teens who are seniors use toy guns to tag their targets. The danger is that the toy guns can be mistaken for real guns and bystanders or police who may attempt to stop what they believe is real violence and cause death or permanent injuries to the teens who are playing it, as this one father did.
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Rethinking Bipolar ‘Relapse’ and Getting Back on the Path to Stability
Stephen Propst passed away in 2022, but for several years he was a very popular bipolar blogger. Here he has some good thoughts about how to respond to and learn from relapses with bipolar disorder. Actually many of the suggestions he makes could be worthwhile for anyone to use with the situations they encounter in life.
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How You Can Help Support Someone with Bipolar
Here is another article by the late Stephen Propst that is excellent and could be helpful to the spouse or friend of someone with bipolar disorder.
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The Hidden Dangers of Late Bedtimes to Your Brain
A large research study at Stanford Medical found that those who routinely stay up very late are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and other behavior disorders than those who go to bed earlier. This article incorporates findings from other studies and includes strategies for those who are used to late nights to gradually move their sleep patterns earlier.
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The Hidden Trauma of Moral Injury
An interesting article from the Psychotherapy Networker written by a psychologist who specializes in trauma work. In it he discusses a specific type of trauma—the specific feelings people have who have witnessed, or in some cases as in the military, have been forced to participate in situations they felt guilty about. He describes a treatment he has developed which he believes brings some healing to such individuals. Since this article is published in a secular magazine it does not include Christian elements. It is possible that Christian elements could be incorporated into it if the therapist and client were open to that.
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Articles Recommended by Mark Gregston of “Parenting Today’s Teens”
The following articles are arranged by topic and might be helpful discussion starters if you work with parents of teens.
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Why Animal Foods Are Essential for Brain Health
It is clear that colorful fruits and vegetables are important in a healthy diet, and that some of us eat too much meat. However, the experts cited in this article say that having some meat in our diets is crucial for optimal brain health and explain why they believe this is true.
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Arise: A Program Designed by Women for Women Who Struggle with Pornography
Some Christian women (not just men) struggle with the temptation to pornography, and they generally feel twice as ashamed as men do. If they would like to receive information about this new program that is being developed by Covenant Eyes, here is a website for them to contact.
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Tattoos Associated with Increased Lymphoma Risk, and Size Doesn’t Matter: Study
Tattoos are often considered a means of self-expression. If you, or a client is considering getting a tattoo, new research has found that the ink in tattoos has some cancer-producing agent that increases the likelihood of developing cancer in the coming years. Apparently the size of the tattoo is not a factor.
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DRUNK IN CLASS? NO PROBLEM! LEGAL LOOPHOLES MAKE IT A-OK
A second-grade teacher in Sacramento was removed from class when it was found that she had twice the legal level of alcohol in her system. After investigation authorities found that there’s no state law in California that forbids teachers from teaching class while drunk. If you have school-age children, perhaps that’s a suggestion you’ll want to forward to Florida legislators.
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Why Can Music Heal Us?
Most of us have heard that music can sometimes help those who have dementia. This article discusses this and some other ways that music can affect people, not just those with dementia.
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Have a wonderful week or weekend!
Henry Virkler