Not About Autism: A Refrigerator Moms Side Chat

Kelley Jensen and Julianna Scott launch a new segment called Not About Autism, built on a simple idea: parents managing complex mental health challenges need real breaks, not more algorithm-fed autism content. To kick it off, they dig into a 2006 email thread from back when they first became friends, revisiting early medication decisions, a beloved longtime psychiatrist, and a very of-its-era debate over The Devil Wears Prada. Along the way they talk reality TV, online shopping in its infancy, the Anne Hathaway-led Yesteryear adaptation, and Emily Wilson's Odyssey translation.

Key Takeaways:

• A new recurring segment, Not About Autism, is designed as an intentional break from autism-focused content
• Kelley and Julianna read from an actual 2006 email exchange between them
• The email covers an early medication decision, including a diagnosis and a first anti-anxiety prescription
• They both still recommend the same psychiatrist referenced in that 2006 email
• Their paper "A Tough Pill to Swallow" covers how they evaluate whether a medication is working
• The conversation drifts into The Devil Wears Prada, both book and movie, and its sequel
• They recommend the documentary The September Issue as a companion watch
• Book chat touches on Yesteryear, the trad-wife novel Anne Hathaway is adapting
• They also discuss Emily Wilson's translation of The Odyssey
• A future Not About Autism episode will cover the Jane Austen Society

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

A Tough Pill to Swallow — a Refrigerator Moms paper on medicating autism and how to evaluate whether a medication is working. (https://refrigeratormoms.com/a-tough-pill-to-swallow-medicating-autism/)

The Devil Wears Prada — the novel and film referenced throughout the conversation, along with its upcoming sequel.(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458352/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_the%20devil%20wears)

The September Issue — a documentary about Anna Wintour and Vogue, recommended as a companion watch to The Devil Wears Prada. (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1331025/)

The Run-Through with Vogue — hosted by Chloe Malle, mentioned in connection with behind-the-scenes stories about Anna Wintour and Vogue. (https://open.spotify.com/episode/5h0FDZsFjP3DOuvia003mB)

Yesteryear — a novel about a trad-wife influencer, being adapted into a film starring Anne Hathaway. (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/780686/yesteryear-a-gma-book-club-pick-by-caro-claire-burke/)

The Odyssey (Emily Wilson translation) — referenced in discussing Anne Hathaway's performance in a related adaptation. (https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393356250)

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Refrigerator Moms is sponsored by Brain Performance Technologies, a specialty mental health clinic that offers neuromodulation treatments for mental health conditions including depression, PTSD, OCD, anxiety, ADHD and autism. Our treatments utilize TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) protocols including rTMS, aTMS, and MeRT. All of our treatments are drug-free and noninvasive. Call for insurance options or learn more at https://brainperformancetechnologies.com

00:00 Introducing Not About Autism
00:24 Why parents need a break from autism talk
01:10 Life before phones, email, and social media
01:44 Pulling up a 2006 email thread
02:31 The email topic: medication
02:54 A first psychiatrist visit and diagnosis
03:10 Starting buspar, an anti-anxiety medication
04:00 Emoji habits then versus now
04:45 Brain Performance Technologies sponsor message
05:06 Managing medication with Jamba Juice and yogurt
05:44 Devil Wears Prada plans, twenty years ago
06:13 Tough Pill to Swallow, their medication paper
06:39 Back to Devil Wears Prada talk
07:07 Confessing a reality TV addiction
07:20 Real World before Real Housewives
07:31 The book's first hundred pages verdict
08:06 Coordinating babysitting and free weekends
08:25 Early days of online shopping
08:57 Whether they ever saw Prada 2
09:25 Comparing the movie to the book
10:08 Frustration with endless remakes and sequels
10:34 The Vogue Runway podcast comes up
11:24 Brain Performance Technologies sponsor message
11:45 The September Issue documentary recommendation
12:23 Asking for a new book recommendation
12:30 Introducing the novel Yesteryear
13:19 Anne Hathaway's Odyssey performance
14:00 Emily Wilson's Odyssey translation
14:13 Teasing the Jane Austen Society