Articles from the Week of July 25, 2024
Special Note: This Friday mailing is being sent out on Thursday morning since we’ll be having family visiting us from Thursday noon through Saturday.
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 about Families
Parenting without a sense of humor is like being an accountant who sucks at math.
Amber Dusick, author and artist
A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.
Jerry Seinfeld
If you’re wondering, “How much stuff do I need to bring if I’m out with a baby for 40 minutes?” the answer is “only slightly less than someone traveling the Oregon Trail.”
Raquel D’Apice
Sometimes going to bed feels like the highlight of my day. Ironically, to my children, bedtime is a punishment that violates their basic rights as human beings.
Jim Gaffigan
Why don't kids understand that their nap is not for them but for us?
Alyson Hannigan
Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee.
David Frost
When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.
Nora Ephron
Sleep at this point is just a concept, something I'm looking forward to investigating in the future.
Amy Poehler
When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they’re finished, I climb out.
Erma Bombeck
Fascinating Facts
What Happens If You Get Struck by Lightning and Survive?
Since we live in an area that has lightning strikes with some frequency, this short article (takes just a few moments to read) gives some interesting details about how to minimize the chances of getting struck, and some details about what happens to people if they do get struck and survive.
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Counseling Articles
Puberty blocker curb has not led to suicide rise – review
One of the assertions that transgender advocates have made is that if transgender youth are denied access to puberty blockers there would be an increase in suicides among those teens. A suicide expert in Great Britain has been asked to study whether there has been an increase among transgender youth since the Cass Report came out and puberty blockers became illegal in that country. He found there had been no increase in suicides since that time.
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Tips for Flying: The ADHD Travel Advice We Follow
Flying can be stressful for most people, but for people with ADHD, or parents who have children with ADHD, it can be especially challenging. Here are some tips that various people have discovered.
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The Dangers of a Phone-Based Childhood: Are We Protecting Kids in the Wrong Way?
I think the most important points from this article are captured in the subtitle (Are We Protecting Kids in the Wrong Way?) This article, from the Psychotherapy Networker, makes an important point for us as we work with parents. The best way for us to prepare our children for life is not to try to put them in a protective bubble, but to allow them to experience challenges during childhood and help them to learn principles from those experiences that will stand them in good stead in the years ahead.
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The Parentification Trap: Growing Up Too Fast as a Child of Immigrants
The author of this article, also in this month’s edition of The Psychotherapy Networker makes some thought-provoking points, some of which I agree with and some with which I disagree. She defines parentification as a situation in which a child comes to take on some of the roles or responsibilities usually borne by parents and that this crowds out their ability to experience childhood as a child. The child often feels good because they are providing a needed role, and they are often complimented on their maturity, and this parentification role often is a role they carry over into adulthood.
While I would agree that parentification could be harmful if it prevented the child from experiencing any childhood of their own, and I would agree that it is unhealthy for a child to have to take on the role of mediator between their mother and father, I would like to relate this article to the one above (Are We Protecting Children the Wrong Way?). The author of that article makes the point that one of the best ways to prepare children for adulthood is to give them opportunities to try to do things and to help them learn from their experiences. My siblings and I grew up on a farm, and when we were young were given tasks and responsibilities that today might be considered child abuse by the progressives in our culture. (For example, at the age of five I was taught how to drive a tractor and would do so while my father and a hired hand would pick stones out of the field before it was planted.) That did give me a good feeling of being useful and was one of the many experiences that helped me to grow up with a strong work ethic. I think there is a balance between not expecting children to take on adult roles and responsibilities that prevent them from experiencing childhood, but also to recognize that encouraging children to take on some roles and responsibilities appropriate for their age can be helpful. For example, we sometimes see young adults who go to college and still have the mindset of adolescents and who don’t make good use of their college years. If you take the time to read these two articles see what you think.
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Ethics of Sex, Romance Among Older Adults in Nursing Homes
Interesting discussion by a faculty member from the Division of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. See whether you agree with him, and if you disagree, identify why.
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Everyone’s Jaws Dropped When the Groom Revealed His New Bride’s Darkest Secret…
One good story about how not to start a marriage.
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5 Subtle Signs of a Bipolar Mood Shift
Sometimes signs of a bipolar mood shift are easily recognized and the patient can contact their doctor for advice. Sometimes, however, the signs of an impending mood shift are more subtle and may not be recognized until after the fact. Here is a good article on spotting those more subtle signs.
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Washington University researchers shine light on amyloid architecture
Amyloid clusters are believed to be an important part of causing Alzheimer’s disease (the most frequent cause of dementia), but exactly how this happens is unclear. This new type of brain scan is able to see some of the changes these amyloid clusters create. While this is still some years away from producing clinical treatments for Alzheimer’s, this new brain scan may in the coming years have promise for understanding and treating (preventing?) these amyloid clusters from developing.
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An Alternative to the Bonhoeffer Option
You may remember that Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a committed Christian in Germany who thought Hitler was so evil that he needed to be assassinated. The plot was discovered and Bonhoeffer, along with his fellow co-conspirators, were executed. We might think this kind of thinking is far removed from our time, but a poll taken in 2023 found that both Biden and Trump followers thought the other side had become so extreme that violence was justified. This article in Christianity Today tells the story of another German, unknown to most of us because his work has only recently been translated into English, who took another stance than Bonhoeffer. As we enter a political atmosphere that may become even more polarized, I think we ought to consider following this alternative which this Christian pastor did during World War II.
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The Iranian church continues to grow despite all opposition
This obviously is not a counseling article, but I wanted to draw your attention to the fact that the Christian church in Iran, a country very hostile to Christians, is one of the fastest growing churches in the world. Let’s pray for our brothers and sisters there, and I think you’ll be amazed if you read about some of the miraculous things happening there.
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Extending Grace to Others
Last week I included an article on the movement of some therapists to encourage clients to totally cut off all contact with toxic parents or other people in their life. Clearly there are some people who are so toxic and so unwilling to change that that may be the best option for a person. On the other hand, this article by Randy Alcorn encourages us to consider another option whenever that is possible.
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Ovary Removal Linked to Potential Cognitive Decline: New Research
I didn’t include this research for some time after seeing it for the first time, but there is such an awareness now that removal of the ovaries before menopause is associated with cognitive decline that women who have heightened risk of ovarian cancer need to have careful conversations with their doctors about the pros and cons of ovary removal, especially before menopause. Its interesting that a prevailing theory among some researchers is that ovary removal causes loss of testosterone (the ovaries produce both estrogen and testosterone). If it turns out that the loss of testosterone is the cause of the cognitive decline, then testosterone supplements may be warranted for those who have ovary removal prior to menopause.
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Top Transgender Health Group Said Hormones, Surgeries Were 'Medically Necessary' So That Insurance Would Cover Them, Documents Show
New research has shown that WPATH asserted that hormones and surgery were necessary, not because scientific evidence proved this, but so that attorneys could use this in court to force insurance companies to pay for the treatments.
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5 Key Exercises to Improve Balance and Stability
I think we all know of an older person who fell, broke an important bone, and who never recovered physically after that time. This article explains the three systems that help us maintain balance, and then gives several exercises that help older people improve their balance and stability.
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Barbie Unveils Dolls with Down Syndrome, Blindness
Mattel has offered two new dolls with developmental disabilities, a Black barbie with Down Syndrome and a blind Barbie. Mattel is to be commended for helping young children recognize that children are born with various disabilities and still deserve to be loved like all other children.
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The Disturbing Sexual Trend with Real Health Consequences
You may already have heard of this, but a new sexual trend among young adults is choking one’s partner during sex. Some 64% of young women say they have been choked during recent sexual encounters. This can cause death in extreme cases, but can also cause headaches, throat problems, ear ringing, or other physical symptoms. If you work with young people you probably should listen to this short interview and then pre-warn young people, both males and females, of the dangers of this practice.
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Volunteering Would Feel Good Even If It Didn't Have Health Benefits. But It Does.
One of the challenges of adjusting to retirement is finding a new sense of purpose and believing that your life still counts. Volunteering does this and more. If you are working with clients about to retire, I think the insights in this article can be helpful.
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Neural circuit basis of placebo pain relief
Researchers have found the neural circuit in mice which seems to produce the analogue of the placebo effect in humans. Further research may show how this could be used in humans experiencing chronic pain.
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Have a wonderful week! I’ll include tomorrow’s news in next week’s Friday News.
Henry Virkler