The Sick Gaze

Welcome to the Sick Gaze podcast, a series where we dive deep into the complexities of life with chronic illness, attempt to break down gendered barriers within healthcare, and advocate for disability justice. Drawing inspiration from Laura Mulvey’s concept of the male-gaze, The Sick Gaze challenges the existing narrative norms by offering a platform for diverse lived experiences. In a world where stories are often filtered through able-bodied perspectives, our podcast strives to bring visibility to invisible conditions. Join us as we navigate the complexities of life with chronic illness, fostering empathy, understanding, and ultimately, creating a community that embraces and validates the stories that have long remained in the shadows.

The Sick Gaze is a society podcast hosted by Molly Dickerson, with 29 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Molly Dickerson hosts The Sick Gaze, a society show with 29 episodes published.

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  Episode #1

  OCD: 10 Things I Would Do If I were Newly Diagnosed

  Sep 7, 202644 minS4

  Send us Fan Mail Hi guys! Long time no see! (or hear). I recorded this episode from bed during a chronic illness flare, and I'm so glad I did! I had been wanting to talk about OCD for a while now, as it is something I have been dealing with for around 2 years. This episode is for anyone with OCD, PANS, PANDAS, or even just extreme anxiety who wants to better manage their condition. This is an amalgamation of everything I've learned over the past few years: what helped, what didn't, and how I coped, and I'm in a much better place now than I was when my OCD first onset! Particularly useful for those with other health conditions like hEDS, MCAS, PMDD, etc... Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

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  Episode #8

  Five Public Health Updates You Should Know

  Nov 25, 202535 minS3

  Send a text In honor of Thank You Public Health Day, here are five public health updates you should know! This episode was recorded over a month ago. Although a temporary funding bill was passed and signed into law on November 12, 2025, ending the government shutdown, many of the issues we discuss are still very real. In this episode, we talk about what was happening at the time and why these problems continue to matter. We cover federal spending concerns, rising healthcare premiums, ongoing disability discrimination, food security challenges, and other public health issues that affect everyday Americans. Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

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  Episode #7

  Hysterical Histories: Unhinged Medical Myths about Womens Bodies

  Oct 26, 202536 minS3

  Send a text Welcome to The Sick Gaze Podcast ! In this episode, we time-travel through centuries of wild medical myths, questionable “treatments,” and deeply rooted biases that have shaped women’s healthcare as we know it. From the ancient idea of the “wandering womb” to Victorian “hysteria cures,” to the rise of douching ads and eugenics-fueled clitoridectomies, this episode dives into the bizarre and often horrifying ways women’s bodies have been misunderstood, medicalized, and controlled. We talk about how tuberculosis once became fashionable (“consumptive chic”), why doctors thought cycling caused bicycle face , how midwives were demonized as witches, and how childbirth shifted from community-centered care to sterile hospital rooms. The three of us - Molly, Tayler @distaaybled, and Amy @amyrosaliee - are all chronically ill women who’ve experienced medical dismissal firsthand. So we decided to dig into the history that built the biases we still face today. Our conversation moves through time and theme, connecting the dots between superstition, sexism, and the modern medical system. Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

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  Episode #6

  My Experience with Chronic Illness

  Aug 31, 202520 minS3

  Send a text Hi everyone, and welcome to this quick episode. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and share some of my journey with chronic illness. I live with rheumatoid arthritis and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, two conditions that have touched almost every part of my life. For me, illness hasn’t just been about navigating symptoms, treatments, or doctors’ offices. It’s been about confronting the larger systems of ableism and sexism that shape how people are seen, treated, and valued. Living in a body that doesn’t always cooperate has forced me to redefine what makes me worthy: not productivity, not being “easy” or “convenient,” but the inherent value I hold as a person. That hasn’t been an easy lesson. It’s been a process of learning through frustration, sadness, resilience, and the slow unlearning of the belief that my worth is tied to how well I can perform for others. By sharing my story, I aim to contribute to the ongoing development of this platform, fostering open and honest conversations about illness, identity, and care. This podcast is about making space for the messy truths of living with chronic conditions, and also about the power we find in telling our stories and building community. Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

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  Episode #5

  Forging Your Own Path While Being Chronically Ill with Hailey Hudson

  Aug 31, 202542 minS3

  Send a text In this episode, I sit down with medical writer Hailey Hudson, who first began experiencing symptoms of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in her teens. By her twenties, her condition had progressed to the point where she could not eat without extreme pain, nausea, and fullness. She reflects on navigating a healthcare system that too often dismisses young women with GI issues as anxious teenagers rather than recognizing them as patients in need of genuine and urgent medical care. Hailey’s story underscores her resilience and her determination to forge a life shaped by both entrepreneurship and advocacy—pursued not only in spite of, but also because of, the limitations imposed by chronic illness. You can learn more about Hailey and her work at https://thehardworkingcreative.com/ or check her out on linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/atlantahealthcarewriter/ Take care of your spoons! If you're interested in being interviewed for this podcast or want to let me know your thoughts on this episode, email me at thesickgaze@gmail.com and follow @thesickgazepod on Instagram and Tiktok!

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