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Laura Dockrill told herself she was the worst case the psychiatric hospital had ever seen, and was untreatable. But that was only one of her delusions. Dockrill thought her father-in-law had hypnotised her. She would stalk the hospital corridors, feeling “like this badass”, as if she were a trained assassin. The rea...

Felix Moore Upon his death in 1989, retired jazz singer Billy Tipton, who lived as a man for more than 50 years, was discovered to be transgender. His story generated sensationalist press attention, but it also drew the notice of the trans community. “Men like Billy,” trans activist Lou Sullivan wrote at the time, “...

Your columnist Nesrine Malik writes (11 April) that the pandemic has made her reflect wistfully on the bargain she made when she left Sudan to find success far from home. Nesrine’s columns, expressing subtle thoughts with admirable lucidity, have been something I’ve looked forward to reading all during lockdown. Per...

The dilemma When I was 11, I was sexually abused over the course of a year. It was the 1980s, we trusted adults and I had private lessons at my teacher’s home. I eventually told my mum and the lessons stopped, but we never discussed it.I blanked it out until something sparked my memory when I was 18 and I brought it...

Fans of Paul Cooper’s podcast Fall of Civilizations will know that it usually begins in a particular way. A traveller, often far from home, encounters a ruin that hints at a vast and forgotten story of the past.Hiding from bandits in the desert, the Italian nobleman Pietro della Valle takes shelter in the shadow of ...

The dilemma I am a 50-year-old gay man. When I was young I was cast in the role of the “good” child – my mother’s antidote to my rebellious siblings. I behaved well, did fine at school and sought my mother’s approval and love. As a result I hid my sexuality. I was left in no doubt from her that being gay was “dirty”...

The day I gave birth, there were 24 people in the room, most of them fascinated medical students. At 10.11am they watched as my daughter, Bonnie, came into the world, and five minutes later they saw Watson emerge, from my other womb.The twins were not our first children. Our eldest daughter, Agyness, was born two mo...

I recently had my Covid-19 vaccine. One longstanding friend queried my decision and forwarded anti-vax conspiracy theories. Initially I responded by saying that we should respect each other’s choices and I would rather not argue with her about it. But after thinking it over, I felt angry and upset about her stance.A...

Names: Danie Tregonning and Mark PerkinsYears together: 18Occupations: Artist and compliance specialistIf there’s one area of their lives where Danie Tregonning and Mark Perkins have learned to compromise, it’s on the Eurovision song contest.'Easy to meet, hard to stay together': share your storiesBoth belong to the...

I’m a neurotypical, type-A rule follower – my husband and sons are anything but. How do we make it work? By embracing a funny, creative world of ADHD and differenceA typical weeknight evening in my house might go something like this. I help my nine-year-old son prepare for a spelling test. I sit on the floor and say “territory”, and watch as he lies...

Family court judge says parents failed to help severely overweight children and did not understand worry of West Sussex social servicesTwo teenagers have been removed from their parents’ care after social services raised concerns about their weight to a family court judge. The judge, Gillian Ellis, ruled that the children from Sussex be taken into long-term foster care. She described the case as “very...

The pandemic exposed gender inequality, shattering the fragile jigsaw of support that allowed women with children to work. Radical action is necessary to prevent women’s rights backsliding a generation“It is so hard, I cannot describe it.”“I burned out, completely.” Continue reading...

Scientists emphasise safety but younger women still hesitantCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAmy Taylor was chatting to friends over a Zoom drink when the conversation took an unexpected turn. One of the group – all in their early 30s, mostly university-educated and in professional jobs – mentioned that she had concerns about the Covid vaccine because she wanted to try for a...

Every year, thousands of British children are conceived with the help of donor sperm. But few ever meet their siblings...Caroline Pearson, a podcast producer from London, was a few days into her maternity leave when she discovered that her unborn daughter had two sisters. She had visited a website a friend had told her about, which allows recipients of donated sperm (such as her)...

I imagine a thriving mouse community going about its business behind the plaster, with an occasional member stopping to say, ‘I think I hear someone typing out there’The oldest one is complaining about a mouse that he says lives in his bedroom.“It scrabbles about under the floorboards,” he says. “It sounds big.” Continue reading...

You need therapy to help you resolve this painful experience, says Mariella Frostrup. And keep away from internet pornography which can only be more damagingThe dilemma I’m a very happily married man and sex with my wife is loving and satisfying. Recently, however, through viewing porn on the internet, I have become increasingly drawn towards watching older men having sex. Occasionally, I dream of...

Over the past year, reports of domestic violence have risen enormously – while refuge places are scarce. One woman explains what it is like trying to help those who have fled for their livesThe pandemic has had a devastating impact on women in abusive relationships, trapping them in their homes with violent, manipulative or controlling men. The UN described the global increase in domestic...

When I decided to adopt orphaned twins from Ethiopia, it felt like the most natural thing to do. But it raised many questions about motherhood and the bond we have with our childrenI assumed I would conceive naturally when John and I decided to start a family. I didn’t. We turned to fertility drugs with ambivalence. Reports of the mood swings the drugs sometimes...