Links

Mental Health and Mental Illness

The American Association of Caregiving Youth addresses the needs of the one million children and teens who, like Billy Morrison in The Opposite of Music, are caregivers of an ill family member. Also listen to a National Public Radio interview with one of the organization's founders, Connie Siskowski.

Crazymeds, an irreverent support site for the "mentally interesting," provides a forum for people to discuss psychiatric medications and their side effects. "No doctors here" is their motto; the site is by consumers for consumers. Paid advertising keeps the site afloat, but discussions are candid, with some adult language and lots of dark humor.

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance provides information, advocacy, and support for people with depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety. Their Real Recovery Podcasts include an interview with me about The Opposite of Music and a discussion among teens dealing with mood disorders. You can also take a confidential depression screening test online.

Families for Depression Awareness takes a whole-family approach, helping parents, spouses, and children work together to recognize and manage depression. They also hope to reduce the stigma surrounding this illness.

How does it feel to be depressed, like Bill Sr. in The Opposite of Music? At Men and Depression, men describe their experiences in videos and audio files compiled by the National Institute of Mental Health.

The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill offers information and support on the whole range of mental illness (twelve illnesses are discussed in depth here). NAMI also advocates for the mentally ill at state and federal levels and monitors the portrayal of mentally ill people in the media.

The National Institute of Mental Health is a U.S. government agency focusing on scientific and research aspects of mental health, such as brain science and genetic and environmental factors. Look at the Science News page for the latest reports.

Writing and Publishing

Grub Street, Inc. is a nonprofit creative writing center providing classes, workshops, and social events for area writers. They also run community-based writing projects, such as Born Before Plastic, an anthology of memoirs by senior citizens from Boston's diverse ethnic neighborhoods. Stop in at their office overlooking Boston Common.

PEN New England, the regional branch of PEN International (Poets/Playwrights, Essayists, Editors, Novelists), supports writers, promotes literacy, and opposes censorship. Among their annual events are a Discovery Evening for emerging writers, a reading from The Best American Short Stories at the American Repertory Theatre, and a fall party for all members who've published a book during the year.

The Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators is the organization to join if you want to write books to be read by young adults. Upon joining you'll get a thick packet of materials on writing and submitting. You'll also have the opportunity to participate in national and regional conferences or find a local critique group. Their website has an active discussion board, too.