Counseling News from the Week of December 19,2025
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
"Her own thoughts and reflections were habitually her best companions."
Jane Austen from "Mansfield Park"
“The most important thing is that you be a good person and you live by the golden rule of do unto others. If you live by that, that’s all I care about.”
ROB REINER
It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
Fascinating Facts
Retired Cop Rehabs Bus into Mobile Laundry: He Now Washes Clothes for the Homeless
A retired canine officer heard a voice calling out to him, and following the promptings of that voice, decided to start a laundry service for the homeless. He raised funds and rehabbed a bus to serve as a traveling laundromat. He says that if people can have clean clothing it often has a significant effect on their mood. He has a hope of raising funds so he can get a second bus to serve more of the homeless.
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2025 Word of the Year: Slop
“Merriam-Webster’s human editors have chosen slop as the 2025 Word of the Year. We define “slop” as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” All that stuff dumped on our screens, captured in just four letters: the English language came through again.
“The flood of slop in 2025 included absurd videos, off-kilter advertising images, cheesy propaganda, fake news that looks real, junky AI-written books, “workslop” reports that waste coworkers’ time… and lots of talking cats. People found it annoying, and people ate it up.”
The hidden history of 'White Christmas'
Although “White Christmas,” composed by Irving Berlin and sung by many accomplished singers including Bing Crosby, has been a holiday favorite for many years, it has a surprising history, including personal tragedy and even a racist history. If you’d prefer just to enjoy the song, you can skip this article.
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Counseling Articles
Taylor Swift Fans' 'Joy Blackouts' Are Completely Normal
Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans have been claiming to have amnesia for some of their experiences at Taylor Swift concerts. Mental health experts say that such occasional experiences are completely normal during highly emotional times, and that many people will experience something similar during a particularly emotional time in their lives.
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Creating Family-Friendly Tech
An interesting article about how social media technology could (but probably will not) develop family-friendly methods. It is estimated that 85% of software programs have serious problems. The goal of most programs is to keep users “hooked” and to encourage them to spend longer and longer on them. Read about a creator who would like to change this for the better.
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Sorry, Liz Gilbert, Married Women Are (Increasingly) Happiest of All
Feminists such as Liz Gilbert, Amy Shearn, and Wendy Patrick have been contending that single women should focus on maintaining their autonomy. They claim that single women will be happier, with earn more money and will live longer than married women. The truth is that each of these assertions is untrue. According to solid research, married women are more satisfied with their lives, earn more money during their lifetimes, and live longer than their single counterparts.
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Yes, Virginia, You Do Have to Hug Grandma This Christmas
This author argues that it is important to help children learn to express appropriate love, respect and appreciation to older family members, and then as they become older, learn how to become discerning in recognizing the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships. This needs to be a gradual education that lasts throughout the year, and not just during the holidays.
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Australia’s Social Media Ban: Is it Enough to Protect Children?
Although last week the attention was on Australia’s social media ban for children younger than 16, Australia is not the only country that is starting to take precautions regarding children’s access to social media: here in the U.S. congressional committees having been having investigations. Hopefully this will be a motivator for a growing number of countries to take some meaningful action to protect our children. Social media companies are primarily motivated by the profit motive, which involves seducing children into spending increasing amounts of time and money on them, so it is up to parents and legislators to initiate meaningful changes.
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AI Toys Should Be on Your Holiday Naughty List
I included a warning last week about an AI chatbot teddy bear, but apparently AI chatbots are not limited to teddy bears. This warning about any kind of AI chatbot toy for children should be avoided when making Christmas purchases.
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Review Finds Scant Evidence of Benefit for Medical Cannabis
Some of you have clients who use medical cannabis to treat depression, anxiety, sleep disorders or pain. (It has sometimes been used, although less frequently, to treat Parkinsonism, glaucoma, and rheumatic arthritis). Forty states have legalized medical cannabis and it is now a $32 billion industry! But gold-standard research involving 120 studies over the last 15 years has found that studies of its effectiveness are either weak or nonexistent. Further, since the concentration of marijuana in such products is constantly increasing, 30% of those who use it for medical purposes now meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder.
Another concern for medical cannabis dispensaries, which are not federally regulated, is the quality of their products, and the possibility that their products could be contaminated with mold, pesticides, and heavy metals. State regulations differ from state to state and enforcement is inconsistent.
Some people use “gummies” and claim they reduce anxiety, but comparison with placebos found there was no difference in symptoms for those using gummies and those receiving a placebo. Although some people claim that cannabis helps them sleep better, their insomnia usually returns when they stop using it, which may also indicate they are going through cannabis withdrawal.
Pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids, such as Marinol, Syndros and Cesamet, (in contrast to “medical cannabis”) are available by prescription at conventional pharmacies and have had good results in easing chemotherapy-related nausea, stimulating the appetite of patients with debilitating illnesses like H.I.V./AIDS, and easing some pediatric seizure disorders.
So these pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids, when used for the above-named problems, seem to be effective, but medical cannabis to treat depression, anxiety or sleep disorders, are probably a waste of time and money (and the fact that some pot smokers deeply breathe in pot smoke to increase it’s potency adds further harmful effects). Clients would be better served using other methods to treat those problems.
On Thursday, (December 18) President Trump made an executive order to change marijuana from a Schedule 1 drug (one that has no medical benefit and a high potential for abuse) to Schedule 3 (medications that may have potential medical benefits and may be studied). While some have criticized this move, it does allow research to be done on its safety and effectiveness. Since the potency of marijuana has increased several hundred percent in recent years, many believe that opening the door to increasing research will ultimately be beneficial.
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Florida Suit Alleges Roblox Gaming Platform Fails to Protect Kids from Sexual Predators
If parents are looking for things to buy their children this Christmas, they should be cautious about purchasing a game called “Roblox.” Although its creators claim they have built in safeguards, parents say the age-verification system is easily fooled, and children can be exposed to graphic sexual content and some children have even been abducted and sexually abused by predators in several states. There are at least a dozen existing lawsuits against the game in various states.
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The Timing Hypothesis That Redeemed HRT
I included an article a few weeks ago that talked about the fact that thousands of women had suffered through menopause needlessly because of incorrect conclusions drawn from early research studies. This article gives some balanced advice on timing and alternatives to HRT. The article doesn't include the finding that some women may benefit from starting HRT before menopause symptoms appear, but that data has been included in other research articles that I’ve included in previous Friday News.’ The important point for women is to consult a competent doctor about their individual situation to see if HRT or some other alternative would be helpful to them.
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The Other Screen Time Risk We Rarely Hear About
This ear, nose and throat specialist has written this article of importance to parents of young children. Young children are often not aware of the damage that loud sounds can permanently cause to their hearing. If you know of someone for whom this warning might be relevant, please let them know about it.
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Hallucinogens Linked to Mania, Bipolar Disorder
Hallucinogens such as ketamine, psilocybin, and LSD are sometimes used for recreational purposes, and occasionally for research purposes. But studies have shown that people who use them for either purpose are several times more likely to be hospitalized and diagnosed with either mania or bipolar disorder in coming years.
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The Damage Already Being Done
Probably many parents of children with autism and ADHD have concerns about some of the statements of RFK Jr. and the recent advice of his committee to postpone the infant Hepatitis B vaccination. Although he may be correct on the origin of the COVID virus and some other issues, many of us wish that the President had picked someone with more medical training to serve in that very important leadership position.
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Too Tired to Function? 10 Ways to Help Lift Bipolar Fatigue
Some people with bipolar disorder, especially during depressive episodes, feel so fatigued that they believe they can do nothing. Bipolar blogger Tanya Hvilivitzky gives 10 practical suggestions for how to deal with this.
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Women Getting Bad Advice on Cannabis Use in Pregnancy, Study Finds
Apparently one in five cannabis retailers are telling pregnant women that cannabis is safe to use while pregnant. It is not and can lead to problems such as preeclampsia and low birth weight. Perhaps President Trump’s Thursday executive decision to move marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug will allow research to establish this conclusion.
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FDA Approves Sexual Desire Drug for Postmenopausal Women
Flibanserin (Addyi) had previously been approved for premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire. This new approval extends this FDA approval to postmenopausal women younger than 65 who also experience hypoactive sexual desire. This information may be quite exciting for some of your clients.
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Why Gratitude Changes the Brain–Not Just the Heart
An article that compiles the recent brain research demonstrates that developing gratitude actually changes the brain in measurable ways. The article gives several suggestions for ways that people can start to develop more grateful attitudes. Might be helpful for some clients.
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What I Wish Family and Friends Knew About Bipolar
A short article, but one that all those of us who do not have bipolar could probably read for a better understanding of what it is like to live life with bipolar disorder.
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How I Prepare for Bipolar Mania Before It Happens
Here is some excellent advice from someone who has lived with bipolar disorder for several years and has gone through many mood episodes. I’d encourage you to save this article to your computer to use with clients to help them prepare proactively for their next episode (which will come—it’s just a matter of when).
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JD Vance’s wife Usha addresses speculation about her marriage in rare interview
Unfortunately, those in the public spotlight experience a lot of speculation about their every action, such as when JD Vance gave a comforting hug to Erica Kirk or when Usha Vance was spotted not wearing her wedding ring. In this interview she sets some of those speculations to rest.
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Rich men tend to marry ambitious women
There is a belief in some circles that men are not attracted to ambitious women. This research examined this idea and found it that it was false.
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Four ingredients to a happy marriage
This research surveyed 2,000 men and women to identify what participants said made for a happy marriage. Among 11 variables, four stood out as most likely to be identified. Those were: (1) high commitment, (2) a protective spouse, (3) joint church attendance, and (4) frequent date nights.
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A New Eating Disorder, Orthorexia, Is On the Rise, According to Therapists
Orthorexia is not in the DSM yet but may appear in the DSM-6. It refers to an obsession with only eating “healthy” foods. It becomes unhealthy when it causes people to not get adequate nutrition because they are avoiding some of the foods they need to have a balanced diet. Since it is not a formal diagnosis and research has not yet been done on what is most effective in treating it, one suggestion has been to use CBT to help the client dislodge unhealthy beliefs that are preventing them from consuming a balanced diet.
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Most Receive Shock Therapy Without Counseling
This study revealed that most people in the U.S. and throughout the world received ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) without receiving counseling beforehand to ascertain whether there were other factors that should be addressed. While it is true that the majority of those receiving ECT had major depression, a significant number revealed that they had experienced child abuse as children. While it is probably true that the residuals of the child abuse could be more effectively dealt with after treatment for the Major Depression, it seems like ECT is being administered by psychiatrists without adequate assessment beforehand or counseling afterward to deal with other mental health problems that may be present.
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Academic Outcomes in Primary and Secondary School Students Prescribed Long-Acting Stimulants for ADHD Management
This is a long (and some would probably say boring) article (if you take the time to read it I’ll let you make your own analysis). If rather than reading it yourself you want a summary, here it is: This is a multiple year study in Canada of the effect of treatment with long-acting stimulants on academic performance of primary and secondary school students.
There was no significant difference in academic performance between treated and untreated children in primary school, but there were significant improvements for children in secondary schools with ADHD who were treated with long-acting stimulants, and they missed fewer days of school. They, however, did not do quite as well as students who did not have ADHD. Treated ADHD students were also more likely to attend college.
These results are generally consistent with research that has been done in other places. In summary, for children diagnosed with ADHD, treatment with long-acting stimulants does seem to help them to maximize their potential.
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I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Henry Virkler