Aura – the superhero with mental illness and migraines

In the past mental illness was largely misrepresented in the media, especially in the movies and comic book industry, where the villains were usually ones with mental illness. We know that someone with a history of mental (or physical illness) can be a superhero too and I’m glad that more films, TV shows, and comic books are now starting to demonstrate this point. In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark appears to have symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and while he is struggling, he is able to do what’s necessary to protect others. Similarly, in Gail Simone’s version of Batgirl, Barbara Gordon struggles with PTSD and her paraplegia due to the fact that Joker brutally shot her in The Killing Joke. And now there is a new hero with mental illness, Aura.

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“Madness” at the Movies this Month

By: Harpreet Malla, M.A.

Typically when I see that mental health is featured in film, I have mixed reactions. On one hand, the more mental illness and its existence is talked about or addressed, the better. Stigma, or the negative perceptions and misconceptions we have, are primarily broken down by contact with the thing about which we know so little. On the other hand, when portrayals of the mentally ill are poorly done, they can feed into our existing stereotypes and imbue people with fear or disgust rather than compassion. I can think of many films in which an actress has had a near-melodramatic meltdown in an Oscar bid amid characters that are portrayed unidimensionally as either the antagonists who “elicit” the mental illness or are the supportive, silent sufferer types. This month, however, I was delighted to see not one but two excellent films featuring characters dealing with mental illnesses.

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Fear is our Superpower: Psychology of “Listen” Episode of Doctor Who

“What’s that in the mirror?
Or the corner of your eye?
What’s that footstep following, but never passing by?
Perhaps they’re all just waiting, perhaps when we’re all dead
Out they’ll come
A slithering from underneath the bed?”

WARNING: spoilers!

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Psychology behind The Iron Druid Chronicles

I had the honor of interviewing Kevin Hearne, the New York Times best-selling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles, exactly 1 year ago and yet I did not have the courage to post this until now. Since then, his new book came out, he’s had many more exciting news and events to report but I simply couldn’t post this. I couldn’t figure out why until very recently when I started doing some soul searching and digging into the study of vulnerability. Suddenly it all made sense, it clicked like a seatbelt, creating a lightbulb eureka-like sensation in my brain.

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All about the F-Word: FEMINISM vs. online bullying

Jenna Busch

Today we will be discussing one of the most important F-Words – Feminism. Just to be clear, this word simply refers to general equality (i.e., economic, social, political), as well as overall respect for women’s rights. Largely misunderstood, this term historically resulted in occasionally ludicrous posts, where people outright reject feminism based on the mistaken notion that it refers to more traditional sex roles or that it requires a certain political affiliation, profession, job title, social status, or physical appearance. In addition, people who support feminism, such as a TV-host and writer, Jenna Busch, have been bullied and occasionally even threatened. This post further explores this problem, discusses its psychological implications, and offers some advice to those targeted by online bullying. Continue reading All about the F-Word: FEMINISM vs. online bullying

Psychology Behind Doctor Who: Deep Breath

I’ve never fallen in love with The Doctor as quickly as I did with Peter Capaldi. There were so many psychological themes in the first episode of Season 8, Deep Breath, that I felt instantly connected to him and found him extremely relatable. Below is my review of the episode from a psychological standpoint. WARNING: CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS, CLICK TO READ MORE IF YOU DARE

T-Rex stomping through London

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Self-compassion for the modern geek

I believe that most of us are compassionate individuals, that is when we see other people or other animals suffering, most of us genuinely want to be a Superhero and to help. However, what happens when we are too emotionally overwhelmed to help someone else? This blog post and video discuss how we can practice self-care so that we are able to reduce burnout and are better able to take care of ourselves and others. Continue reading Self-compassion for the modern geek

Remembering Robin Williams

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post as the world mourns the death of a brilliant artist, Robin Williams. Williams made many of us laugh at times when it was impossible to laugh, and got many of us through some very dark times with his silliness and humor.
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Did you ever want to be a Superhero? What do Batman, Harry Potter, and The Doctor teach us about facing our fears

Did you ever wish that you could have amazing Superpowers or that you would suddenly discover that you were really a witch or a wizard? Many of us often wish for special powers, especially when times are rough and we might just want to find our strength in something. It’s often for this reason that we tend to relate to fictional characters that have undergone similar experiences to us.  Continue reading Did you ever want to be a Superhero? What do Batman, Harry Potter, and The Doctor teach us about facing our fears

Talk Nerdy to Me

While there is still a lot of stigma and bullying that many fellow geeks face each and every day, I am thrilled to see such a vast growth and expansion of geek culture around the world.
I’d like to propose a virtual toast to celebrate this occasion and propose the song below as an official geek/nerd anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO6eydRPpyU