Author's posts
Gus Walz and the male loneliness crisis
As Tim Walz accepted the vice presidential nomination at the DNC, his teenage son, Gus, inadvertently became internet famous after clips of him crying and exclaiming, “That’s my dad!” circulated. While many across the political spectr…
The abuser’s playbook: the weaponization of mental health
I almost didn’t write this piece. Almost. I feared it might be seen as provocative like I was asking for trouble. But that is exactly the attitude that has silenced victims of harassment and stalking for too long. The short version of the story i…
Empathy: the unexpected gift from abuse
Months after I left him, I could still feel the pain he inflicted. He not only weaponized my insecurities but also demeaned the things about myself that I loved, insidiously dismantling my sense of self until nothing remained. I even doubted my ability…
The role of institutions in medical misconduct
There are no words more devastating than, “Our hands are tied” to a survivor reporting abuse and seeking some semblance of accountability from a larger institution. “The institution admitted no fault” is a close second. Picture …
Balancing tension and kindness in medical education
I recall a particularly tense interaction on my surgery rotation in medical school. The sub-intern on our team, a dedicated classmate of mine, was instructed to carry the call pager one Friday afternoon, to the undue chagrin of the team’s nurse p…
