You either trust the science — or you don’t
“Trust the science.” That’s all I’ve heard from well-meaning do-gooders since the Covid-19 pandemic began to grip the States last year — and I agreed with their sentiment! It was definitely...
Category: Mental health
Women in the media: it’s not about being “tough enough”
Recently, Brenna Smith, a former colleague and friend, co-authored her first big news story for USA Today, featuring stories of January 6th riot suspects who crowdfund their defense lawyers....
A codependent love affair with a mirage
When I started this column on mental health in America over a year ago, I started it with the assumption that my own mental health had caused the collapse of an important relationship. As I learned...
Do a lack of connections make us depressed?
The book 'Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression-and the Unexpected Solutions' narrates the personal adventure of the British-Swiss journalist, Johann Hari, who from an early age...
A neat trick to combat vaccine skepticism
It’s hard to discuss mental health in America without discussing physical health in America — especially not while you’re still in a pandemic. And this means talking about vaccines. Today we...
Bryan Bertino, Texas and American anxiety
As I write this, many of my friends are suffering in Texas and other parts of the States. An epic storm has left them with no electricity. Pipes are bursting. Warming centers are scarce. Some people...
The restaurant and the congressman
Last night I was at the kind of D.C. restaurant I can only afford to go to when someone else is paying. A horrific politician who enabled some of Donald Trump’s worst abuses of power was also...
Socially distanced outdoor activities to preserve our mental health
Every January, many people make resolutions to start the year with more energy, but in many cases, these are forgotten quite quickly. 2021 is probably the year people have placed the most hope in, so...
Lighten up, Francis
Have you ever been to a war zone? I haven’t. I’ve been in dicey neighborhoods during violent events, I’ve been detained at checkpoints, I’ve had a gun held to my heart, and the car I was in...
Children’s worries and emotional health during the pandemic
The pandemic has caused a re-evaluation of many aspects of society. Most people's routines changed and they had to restructure their lives, adapting to situations that were unthinkable in the past,...