Articles from the Week of July 19, 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
Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.
Anne Lamott
When one door closes, another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us.
Alexander Graham Bell
All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
Walt Disney
Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.
J.M. Barrie
Fascinating Facts
“You can hear the roar of Africa’s Victoria Falls from up to 25 miles away.
“Sandwiched along the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world (literally). Nearly twice as tall as Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls plunges some 350 feet down into the basin of a vast gorge below. The steady stream of water is so powerful, it’s created a rainforestlike microclimate, because its voluminous spray blankets the surrounding area continuously. Although the world largely knows this wonder as Victoria Falls (after Queen Victoria, naturally), locals have traditionally called it Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning “The Smoke that Thunders.” The name is arguably a better fit, as the “thunder” of this massive waterfall can be heard from 25 miles away, and its “smoke” (aka water plume) can be seen even farther.
“Victoria Falls is actually several waterfalls in one. On the Zimbabwe side, there’s Devil's Cataract, Main Falls, Rainbow Falls, and Horseshoe Falls, and on the Zambia side lies the Eastern Cataract. If you want to see the waterfall at its most dramatic, visit between February and May when the summer rains, and by extension Victoria Falls itself, are at their highest volume. However, other times of year have plenty to offer, too. Between mid-August and mid-December, daring adventurers can take a dip in Devil’s Pool, a swimming hole that brings those unburdened by acrophobia — fear of heights — to the very edge of the Fall’s dizzying plunge.” (Source: InterestingFacts.com)
High heels used to be for men.
“Long before the days of stilettos and pumps, kitten heels and wedges, high-heeled shoes were worn by men. As far back as the 10th century, Persian soldiers and emissaries wore heels when riding, battling, or traveling to faraway lands. These heels weren’t for show, however; they were for function. When a soldier wore heeled boots on a horse, he was able to better steady himself and generate more balance both for riding and fighting. Persian soldiers were also able to stand upright in their stirrups, positioning their feet so the space between the heel and the sole was snug in the stirrup, which gave them an advantage in battle.” (Source: HistoryFacts.com)
Counseling Articles
Why Is the U.S. Still Pretending We Know Gender-Affirming Care Works?
It is significant that this well-written article is printed in the New York Times, which usually allows only progressive viewpoints, but here is an article that thoroughly and fairly explains the Cass Report of a few months ago, that points out the reasons that seven European countries, which were leaders in the gender-affirming movement have now moved away from this stance. Usually the New York Times only permitted people with subscriptions to access its articles, but I think it is now allowing non-subscribers to access a limited number of articles. I highly encourage you to try to do so: you will find the five-minutes or so that it takes to read the article well-spent. I think we all agree that we should support troubled teens through counseling and other ways, but the “gender-affirming protocol”—puberty blockers, then opposite sex hormones, followed by gender reassignment surgery, is the wrong solution to adolescent dysphoria.
Click here to read the full article
Locusts in your noodles? Singapore approves 16 insect species as food
In case you get really hungry and are in the Far East, you can have your choice of 16 types of insects. (I think I’ll stay with American cuisine.)
Click here to read the full article
“I’m Sick of Taking Meds!”
Teens with ADHD often go through periods when they refuse or resist taking medication. Here are some suggestions from one family about what doesn’t work and what has worked with their teen.
Click here to read the full article
Elon Musk Announces Next Phase in Neuralink Trials
As you may remember, Neuralink was implanted in a paralyzed person’s brain and for a time enabled him to move his paralyzed limbs just through thoughts. This article includes some updates on what has happened with this patient and how what they have learned will guide their work with future patients.
Click here to read the full article
New and emerging treatments for major depressive disorder
Major depressive disorder remains one of the most common mental disorders. If you are working with a patient who has not responded to traditional treatments this summary of new and emerging treatments may be of interest to you.
Click here to read the full article
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, America’s most famous sex therapist, dead at 96
By this time you’ve undoubtedly heard that Dr. Ruth, a person who celebrated America’s desire to have fulfilling sex relationships, has died. If you haven’t read one of the obituaries of this interesting person, here is one.
Click here to read the full article
Dogs Trained to Sniff Out Post-Traumatic Stress – by Smelling Patients’ Breath – With 90% Accuracy
Two dogs have been trained to identify humans with post-traumatic stress with 90% accuracy. However they were the only two of 25 dogs who were motivated enough to complete the intensive training program, so while this is interesting, there is still some time before this finding will have clinical utility.
Click here to read the full article
Is Cutting Off Your Family Good Therapy?
You may not be able to read this article without a subscription to The New York Times, but if you can as a guest, I encourage you to do so. It is a balanced article about a trend that started with some therapists such as social worker Patrick Teahan, and now has been spread by a few other professional therapists and by TikTok “therapists” to completely cut off relationships with parents because they are “toxic.” I think that all therapists should be aware of this trend in case you have a client coming to you asking whether this would be a good solution for them.
Click here to read the full article
Focus on the Family addresses ‘sexual anorexia’ in marriages and how women can cope
Often men have higher sex drives than their wives, but in some Christian marriages women have higher drives than their husbands, and when their husbands don’t want sex their wives often believe that something is wrong with them. It’s important to explore what is causing the problem. Here is an article from Focus on the Family that has some good ideas about starting the conversation about this issue.
Click here to read the full article
'Trans widows' desperately need the Church's help
What is it like when your husband abandons you and your children and decides that he is actually a woman who was born in a man’s body. This woman describes the experience and challenges that go with that experience. Since we do not know who God will bring into our offices in the years ahead I encourage you to read what this is like and the feelings that accompany this kind of experience.
Click here to read the full article
When Hollywood Gets Bipolar Disorder Wrong
This article, by an investigative journalist who also has bipolar disorder, describes the things that Hollywood sometimes gets right and sometimes gets wrong about portraying those who have bipolar disorder.
Click here to read the full article
How to Get Things Done Without Getting Bogged Down
People with ADHD often complain of trouble with time management and completing tasks. Here is compilation of common problems and one ADHD counselor’s suggestions for those problems.
Click here to read the full article
Dementia Caregiver's Support Group All Caregivers
If you know someone who is caring for someone with dementia, here is a free support groups information at Jupiter Medical Center, facilitated by a nurse practitioner with several years’ experience. She also teaches in the nursing program at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Click here to read the full article
Your brain on shrooms — how psilocybin resets neural networks
I think the verdict is still out on the use of psychedelic mushrooms in treating mental disorders, but if you’d like to read this article on some of these findings, they can be found here.
Click here to read the full article
Trump shooter Thomas Crooks might have been battling undiagnosed mental illness: sources
We’ll probably learn more in the coming weeks, but reviewing his computer searches point to the possibility that Thomas Crooks may have suffered from Major Depressive Disorder.
Click here to read the full article
Male-Female Differences in the Serotonin System May Help Explain Differences in Stress Vulnerability, Study Suggests
This research suggests that one of the reasons women are more frequently diagnosed with anxiety and depressive disorders than males is because of differences in the frequency of certain serotonin receptors in the brains of females versus males. This is based on studies of mice, whose brains are thought to be similar to human brains. Although interesting, this finding seems to be quite a way from any specific clinical applications in humans.
Click here to read the full article
Palm Beach County physicians discuss dangers of street drug more potent than fentanyl, ISO
For those of you who work with teens or in substance abuse, you may want to read this article. This new drug is 50 to 60 times more powerful than fentanyl, and 800 times more powerful than morphine.
Click here to read the full article
Man named Literally Anybody Else running for president
Not a counseling article, but if you needed a little humor to brighten your day: A man who was dissatisfied with either of the candidates that the two major political parties had chosen took the legal steps to change his name--Dustin Ebey—to "Literally Anybody Else" and is running as a write-in candidate for President.
This has been a stressful week for supporters of both of our major parties. Let’s pray for God’s protection and guidance of all our political representatives.
Have a wonderful week or weekend!
Henry Virkler