Compassion – Page 4 – Superhero Therapy

When “Weird” Means Wonderful in the Accountant

Guest post: Harpreet Malla, M.A.

When my two greatest passions, movies and mental health, intersect, I become very excited. Especially when it is done well. I was invited to a pre-screening of director Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant, written by Bill Dubuque, and while I expected a good thriller, I did not expect a genre-fluid, well-rounded portrayal of someone with tendencies of Asperger’s Syndrome. Note that the portrayal is sensationalized for entertainment purposes, but still retains value in its complex look at its characters and their unique struggles. The following review will explore themes of mental health in The Accountant, and as always with my writing, do so with minimal spoilers so you can save the treat of watching it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. The following will contain details that will not spoil any plot points moreso than viewing the trailer (see link below) or first fifteen minutes of the movie would.

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Star Wars Challenge: Use the Force

Connecting with the Force includes a certain kind of practice – the practice of mindfulness. This means noticing how you are feeling and what is going on around you in real time. Most of the time we are in a rush, overwhelmed, and stuck inside our own minds. So then, how can we practice using the Force? Continue reading Star Wars Challenge: Use the Force

Do you deserve to be loved?

That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? Some might say, it depends on whether you are a good person. Others might say that love is unconditional.

In some cultures, including one I was raised in, parents might use love as a kind of privilege, something to be earned, deserved, not readily given. I’ve heard some parents telling their children that if they do not behave well, their parents will leave them and become a parent to another child. This suggests that love can be given as a reward or removed as punishment.

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The true magic of fantasy books

Last week L. A. Times released an article about Graeme Whiting, a Headmaster at an English school, who claimed that fantasy books, such as ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Lord of the Rings, ‘Hunger Games,’ and ‘Terry Pratchett’s ‘Discworld’ may become addictive and might cause brain damage in children. This blog post is a response to that article. Continue reading The true magic of fantasy books

Doctor Who helps children with depression

Doctor Who, a BBC science fiction television series that has been running for over 50 years, is extremely popular with both children and adults. It has also been adapted to audio dramas (Big Finish Productions), as well as novels, comic books, and a single full feature film. The show is about an alien from planet Gallifrey, who calls himself the Doctor. The Doctor has a time machine, called the T.A.R.D.I.S. (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), which looks like a blue police call box. The T.A.R.D.I.S. is bigger on the inside than the outside and can travel through both time and space, sometimes even going where the Doctor wants it to go.

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I’m a failure

Have you ever felt like a failure? Have you ever felt like a bad parent, child, partner, friend, student, mentor, human being? Have you felt like you simply weren’t good enough at something extremely important to you? And no matter what you did, you kept seeing the mistakes you made, seeing how others seemed to do it better, fearing that if others knew the truth about you, that they would no longer love you or want to be near you? Or perhaps you felt that you were not thin, beautiful, smart, courageous, creative, strong, productive, or supportive enough?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” please keep reading. Continue reading I’m a failure

You are loved

As we go through our day we may get so wrapped up in what we are doing we may forget to notice the beauty around us. But this post is not abound falling in love with the trees and bumble bees. This post is about falling in love with ourselves.

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Finding courage in the face of tragedy

About this time last year things started to come together. My book was getting signed, I had the support of my loved ones, everyone I knew was alive and well. Things were good.

Until they weren’t.

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How to be the Jedi of your New Year’s resolutions

It’s that time of the year again – when the New Year begins and the resolutions start strong. For many people this lasts for a few weeks. In fact, at this time they are one with the Force. They are unstoppable. They eat all their vegetables, they avoid all junk food, and they sign up for a 110-year commitment to the gym because this year will be the year that they stick to their resolutions. Forever. And it very well could be.

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My battle with the Pink Dementor

It’s that time of the year again – the fall. For many it is the time to celebrate all kinds of pumpkin goodness. However, for the thousands of people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, it is also a very challenging time. I am one of those people.

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