American men are in a friendship recession. Compared to a few decades ago, five times as many men have no close friends. So what’s going on? In this episode of Embodied, host Anita Rao talks with Mark Pagán, creator and host of the podcast “Other Men Need Help,” about what makes close friendships among men so fraught — and what we can do about it. They talk about everything from why Mark loves secret handshakes to his ongoing journey of making himself say the hard stuff out loud.

Meet the guest: Mark Pagán is the creator and host of the podcast "Other Men Need Help" and writes the substack "Other Men" Read the transcript. More episodes of Embodied are available here: https://www.wunc.org/show/embodied

This week, meet Corinne, a teen who makes "Final Destination" look like a chill day out. After a car packed like a clown car met a tree at high speed, she was launched out the window (note to self: wear your seatbelt, kids ), broke a laundry list of bones, and then casually had a stroke in the ambulance for an encore. The paramedic? Looked "terrified". Corinne spills on surviving the unsurvivable, relearning to talk (with a little help from Taylor Swift ) at the amazing IWK Health Centre, and why graduating high school is her biggest flex – mostly because she’s "done with science and math". It's a story of insane resilience and why you should support the IWK Telethon.

For more info on the IWK Telethon.

You can watch this entire episode over on YouTube.

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Feeling like 'self-care' is just another word for avoiding your problems? Psychologist Dr. Emily Anhalt joins the boys to unpack the concept of Emotional Fitness — a proactive approach to mental health that involves leaning into discomfort, not away from it. Discover the 7 traits of emotionally fit people (including mindfulness, resilience, and playfulness!) and learn practical 'emotional push-ups' you can do daily to build strength, even when it sucks. Dr. Anhalt breaks down why waiting until 'shit hits the fan' isn't the best strategy, how to reframe negative self-talk by talking to your 'inner five-year-old', and why true growth comes from embracing the uncomfortable. Get ready to flex your feelings and ditch the B.S. self-care trends.  

Be sure to check out Dr. Ahalt's new book: https://www.dremilyanhalt.com/book

You can watch this entire episode over on YouTube!

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What happens when your brain betrays you with seizures that arrive without warning and leave you depressed for days? Meet Landis, a writer and podcaster who developed epilepsy after brain tumor surgery at age 32. In this illuminating conversation, she breaks down the reality of living with seizures that arrive without warning, including the four-day depression cycle that follows each episode. From creating a post-seizure self-care system complete with personal reminders, to experiencing fascinating "auras" where her brain conjures fictional characters like "Mrs. Bit Binder," Landis shares it all with remarkable honesty and humor. She also discusses how epilepsy affected her dating life (including having a seizure during some hanky panky sexy times!), the service dog who detects her seizures before they happen, and how this condition has simultaneously limited her independence while deepening her appreciation for life's small moments. A powerful reminder of resilience in the face of chronic illness.

You can watch this entire episode over on YouTube!

Check out Landis' podcast "What The Ef"

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What if the thing that saved your life ended up making you feel like a stranger in your own body? Whose Hand Is It Anyway? This week, Jer goes full Frankenstein as he walks the guys through the psychological minefield of visible transplants—hands, faces, and all the weird, uncomfortable identity baggage that comes with them. From the guy who returned his donor hand, to another who says he’d rather go back to prosthetics, to a woman who looked in the mirror and saw a stranger’s mouth — this episode dives into the surreal world where medicine meets identity crisis. 

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He lost most of his leg, two lungs got cracked open, and somehow he still walked it off—literally. Jeff Bryant’s life was all about basketball—until a swollen leg led to a diagnosis of high-grade osteosarcoma. What followed was a wild medical journey: a full femur and knee replacement, the loss of three out of four quadriceps, two lung surgeries, and multiple reconstructive operations. But Jeff didn’t just survive—he came back swinging, walking hospital laps days after surgery, mentoring other patients, and even launching an international young adult cancer support network. This episode dives deep into the physical pain, the mental grit, and the community that helped Jeff keep going. From titanium bones to Final Four tickets, this is a story of resilience, purpose, and finding new dreams when old ones get ripped away.

When Gwen first went to the doctor for stomach pain, she didn’t expect to leave with a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome—let alone a growing list of conditions including POTS and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. In this episode, the gang explore what it’s like to get too many answers too quickly, how chronic illness reshapes identity, and why the system often fails patients with complex needs. From medical gaslighting to becoming a voice for disability advocacy, Gwen’s story is as sharp as it is eye-opening. It’s a reminder that “invisible” doesn’t mean imaginary—and that the fight for proper care can be just as exhausting as the illness itself.

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Are we witnessing the first scientific proof of telepathy? Dr. Diane Powell is a Harvard-trained neuroscientist and psychiatrist who’s spent the last 20 years diving deep into a topic most scientists wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole: telepathy. And not just any kind — we’re talking about non-speaking autistic children who seem to communicate mind-to-mind. In this mind-bending episode, Diane joins the fellas to unpack her controversial research, the wild experiments that left her questioning everything, and why the scientific community has been so eager to ignore the data. Is this fringe pseudoscience, or are we looking at a hidden frontier of the human mind? If you thought savant syndrome was wild, wait until you hear this.

For more on Diane’s work be sure to check this page out.

Be sure to catch the full video version of this episode on YouTube.

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What do Hereditary, Sound of Metal, A Ghost Story, and The Rugrats Movie have in common? They’ll absolutely destroy you—and maybe help you feel a little more human while they’re at it. This week, Jeremie and Brian sit down with Elliott and Kylie from the Moody Movie Club podcast, who are running a film screening series all about grief, loss, and those beautiful moments where a cartoon baby can make you ugly cry. Together, they unpack four films that hit like a truck and make a strong case for why sad movies might be better than therapy (not medical advice, obviously). From demonic moms to haunted pie-eating ghosts to the sound of silence (literally) to a baby’s search for his mom—this episode is for anyone who’s ever sobbed into their popcorn and said, “Damn, I needed that.”

Learn more about the Moody Movie Club grief screening series here ➡ https://metrocinema.org/series/undone-by-each-other-grief-loss-and-mourning/

Be sure to catch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

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What if you were too young for the place you had no choice but to call home? At 39, Mel moved into a long-term care facility because of her MS. Fifteen years later, she's navigating a world designed for people twice her age—where privacy requires special door signs, intimacy becomes a spectator sport, and a single shower per week is the norm. With unflinching honesty and humour, Mel takes the fellas inside her daily reality: having meaningful conversations in a place where 90% of residents have dementia, fighting for basic dignities most take for granted, and hanging a "virtual meeting in process" sign when she needs... hanky panky time. This episode is a window into the rarely discussed intersection of disability, aging care systems, and what it means to maintain your identity when the world around you doesn't quite fit. Through Mel's advocacy and refusal to be an afterthought, we discover her powerful mantra: "Inaccessible is unacceptable. Dignity matters.

Be sure to catch the full video version of this episode on YouTube!

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