Articles from the Week of November 8, 2024
This week’s articles is a little shorter than normal, perhaps because of the election. Nevertheless, some good articles.
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 on Parenting
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
President Andrew Jackson was involved in as many as 100 duels.
“The seventh President of the United States was known to be as thin-skinned as he was quick-tempered. This dangerous combination resulted in Andrew Jackson challenging many a foe to a duel — as many as 100, by some counts. Most of these confrontations involved little more than the combatants firing their guns into the air as a show of courage for not rejecting the initial challenge, but at least one turned deadly. It began when fellow horse breeder and longtime rival Charles Dickinson leveled a series of insults at Jackson (calling him a “worthless scoundrel” and referring to his wife as a bigamist, among other things), which escalated into a feud that ended with Dickinson’s death on May 30, 1806. Jackson barely escaped with his own life, as Dickinson fired upon him and hit the future President near his heart. The bullet was never removed, and Jackson carried it with him for the rest of his life.
“Though Jackson participated in more duels than most, the practice was commonplace at the time. Aaron Burr famously killed his personal and political rival Alexander Hamilton in one on July 11, 1804, at which time Burr was serving as Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President. Unlike Jackson, however, Burr was vilified for his actions — Hamilton was a founding father, after all — and Burr never held elected office again after his term ended.” (Source: HistoryFacts.com)
Counseling Articles
Over 7,000 Bottles of Antidepressant Recalled: What to Know
Over 7,000 bottles of duloxetine (Cymbalta) have been recalled because they have been found to contain a potentially cancer-causing agent.
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Cooking With A.D.H.D. Can Be Overwhelming. These Cooks Are Finding Ways to Thrive.
You may not be able to read this article without a subscription to the New York Times. As you know, ADHD interferes with executive functioning, which is an important part of cooking, especially when you’re preparing several dishes simultaneously. These cooks with ADHD share some of the tricks that have enabled them to successfully cook even with the challenges they face.
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“The Expensive Lessons We’ve Learned About In-App Purchases”
Children can sometimes cajole their parents into letting them invest in games, but the results may sometimes be far beyond what the parents expected. This parent, who is also a psychologist, tells her story and what she has learned that can help other parents
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How to Steer Your Teen Without Hovering or Nagging
Although this is written in a magazine for parents of children with ADHD, I think most of the ideas could be useful in many families.
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Hidden Mental Health Risks of Perimenopause Identified For First Time
Perimenopause is the period, usually between ages 45 and 55, when menstrual cycles cease. This large study in Great Britain found that some women experience mental health difficulties during this period who had not experienced mental health difficulties at any time earlier in their lives. So if you work with women during this period in their lives who are mystified about why they are experiencing difficulties that they never did before, reassure them that many other women do also.
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Childhood neglect linked with mental and physical health problems in adulthood
We’ve known for some time that child abuse can lead to emotional difficulties in teen and adult life. This research investigated what effect something less severe—child neglect—would have on later life. It found that childhood neglect also produced mental and physical health problems in adulthood. When adults are often focused on other things—careers, social media, etc., this can result in children experiencing neglect. We need to help adults become aware of the importance of nurturing their children. My thanks to Wynne Stalling for drawing my attention to this article and the one above.
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An Utterly Unexpected Risk Factor for Malignant Melanoma
I don’t think this title does justice to the article. The article itself discusses several studies and shows that various personality types are associated with various kinds of illness, not just cancer. It also concludes with some suggestions for how people with certain personality patterns can become healthier psychologically and perhaps thereby reduce their likelihood of developing various illnesses. Certainly a relevant article for all of us who counsel.
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Anorexia nervosa: Silently suffering and debunking myths
This is an article written by a physician who suffers from anorexia nervosa. She talks about the pain she experiences from anorexia even when it seemingly is in control. She also discusses how some of the personality traits that help us become healthy, effective human beings also push some people toward anorexia. She makes some good points about anorexia that I had never heard before.
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Cannabis Use Linked to Brain Thinning in Adolescents
Several research studies have shown a relationship between cannabis use in adolescence and unhealthy behavior. This article identifies why that relationship may develop. Apparently the use of cannabis during adolescence reduces the development of dendrites, which are integral to communication between brain cells. Despite the growing amount of negative information about the use of recreational marijuana on humans, in recent years a growing number of states have voted to legalize the use of recreational marijuana. Several authors have verbalized that today’s marijuana is not the marijuana found at Woodstock back in the 70s. That marijuana had an average THC concentration of 4%. Today’s marijuana has an average concentration of 15%, and some marijuana has been measured at a concentration as high as 70%. Police are saying that in some states the incidence of driving while intoxicated with marijuana is higher than that of drunk driving. And we know that regular marijuana use can lead to addiction. I think this will be an issue of growing discussion in the years ahead.
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16 Nerve Cell Types Identified in Human Touch
Not a counseling article, but just one more reminder that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” The fact that God designed 16 different types of nerve cells that help us touch our environment in safe ways.
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Your Brain Is Wired for Honesty—and Lying Taxes You
An interesting article about a medical doctor who found that when he stopped telling little “white lies” his migraines stopped. The article then summarizes several studies that confirm that people who make honesty the practice of their lives have healthier mental and physical health. While we as Christians have probably made honesty a practice for biblical reasons, this research just confirms one more example of theonomous law—that God’s principles are set up with our best interests in mind.
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My Journey as the Child of a Parent with Bipolar Disorder
Here is one person’s story of how terrifying it was to have a mother with bipolar disorder and have no one to explain it to her. I encourage you to consider adding this to the services you offer.
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What It’s Really Like to Live with Bipolar Disorder
Here are comments from several people who live with bipolar disorder, including some comments about how they have come to live with their disorder.
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The New Sexual Revolution
Although progressives within our culture often deride Christian values such as monogamy and fidelity as antiquated and stifling, this article assembles data from across the centuries saying that these qualities make for healthier and more productive societies and lives.
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The Joy of Growing Old Together
Since Mary and I have had the privilege of being married more than 50 years, I wondered whether this article would be accurate. I found that it was very true. Even if you haven’t been married that long or consider the two of you old, I think it will remind you of the joys of spending years with each other.
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Hope you’ve enjoyed these articles!
Henry Virkler