#FF: The Face of Autism, Silver Linings, & the Power of Mothers

Thought for the Day: I collect my finds for this post throughout the week while I browse the web. My only agenda is to find articles that will help my readers, but when I put them together they sometimes have some common features. In today's post two common themes arose loud & clear. The first two articles relate to helping people understand & discuss two serious psychological disorders: autism & bipolar disorder. The second two show the power of mothers' resourcefulness & creativity. I hope you will use, enjoy & share these resources with friends & family. I hope you will come back tomorrow for Saturday's Songs for the Soul post, a series I started last week. As I prepared for tomorrow's post, the songs came in handy, by accident, in some of my sessions with clients. Without giving away any confidential information, I will share how the songs I chose helped people as they worked through life challenges in therapy. 

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1) My first fabulous find is a contest sponsored by Parenting Magazine called: What Autism looks like. Autism  is one of various psychological issues that impact on followers of my facebook page & blog.  It is one of the challenges that are grossly misunderstood in our society. I frequently hear how parents of autistic children contend with critical looks & comments from other parents, storekeepers & passersby as they try to control their children's challenging behavior. I applaud Parenting Magazine for their willingness to write about a topic that is rarely covered by mainstream media. Entrants in the contest could win a well deserved family vacation package, plus airfare, to The Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort in Curacao, a $500 donation to the autism organization of your choice & a chance to appear in Parenting magazine. Two runners-up will receive a $500 donation to the autism organization of their choice. To enter, fill out a simple form with a 300 words or less story telling what autism looks like to you by March 18th. To get the details & enter the contest, click here: http://www.parenting.com/webform/what-autism-looks?src=SOC&dom=tm
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2) An article about how the movie Silver Linings Playbook has been changing lives is my second fabulous find. It appeared in The Huffington Post & was written by Matthew Quick, author of the novel, The Silver Linings Playbook, upon which the movie was based. He reports that as he talks with people from around the country who have seen the movie, that it has helped "an extraordinary amount of people feel less alone." Director, producer & screenplay writer, David O. Russell, did not have a hard time imagining the characters & their lives. David's 18 year old son, Matt, suffers from bipolar disorder. (Here's a clip of David & Matt speaking about their experience working on the film. ) The movie is giving new insight into the world mental illness & how it impacts on families. It also has opened a platform to discuss the obstacles in the path to recovery. The acting by Jennifer Lawrence, who received the Oscar for her role,  Bradley Cooper,  Robert De Niro & Jacki Weaver are all believable, at times funny & other times just heart wrenching. David O. Russell was not the only one in the movie who had first hand experience with mental illness. De Niro revealed the fact that he too has known what families of the mentally ill experience. He apologized for tearing up (see photo below) during an interview with Katie Couric about the movie. The fact that De Niro, whose father suffered from depression, felt compelled to apologize for his emotions underscores how hard it is for people to discuss mental illness of a family member publicly. Fortunately, the movie is helping many people speak up about their experiences. If you have not seen the movie yet, make the time to see it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-quick/silver-linings-playbook_b_2706230.html?icid=maing-grid7|heroes|dl19|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D274538
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3) My third find comes from an organization called Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. In just 10 weeks, these amazing women have mobilized 80,000 members with 80 chapters across the country. The nonpartisan grass roots movement is organizing an event in Washington DC on March 13th. They will even set up appointments for anyone who wants to take part to meet with their elected officials! I am trying to free up some time to go down, since both gun control & increased access to programs for the mentally ill are high on my personal agenda. Here's how these fiesty moms are taking action: MOMS TAKE THE HILL: Can you join Moms Demand Action on March 13 in Washington, DC? We'll help make your appointments with your Congressional reps - all you have to do is fill out this form and get to DC! Please share with moms who may want to join us! #momsdemandaction #gunsense Click here to learn more & sign up if you can go:

http://momsdemandaction.org/moms-take-the-hill-for-gun-sense/
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Lynn Perkins Founder & CEO of UrbanSitters with her twins

4) If you need a sitter in order to go to Washington DC, my fourth find, the work of another creative mother may help you find one quickly. The article by Catherine New tells the story of how Lynn Perkins, the mother of twin boys (pictured to the left), is revolutionizing the baby sitting market. See how her new company, UrbanSitters.com is using online matchmaking technology to streamline the process of finding a sitter.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/06/urbansitter-lynn-perkins_n_2576984.html?utm_hp_ref=women-in-tech&icid=maing-grid7|heroes|dl14|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D275294

Have a wonderful weekend!