Health and how they are doing

Self-reported state: illness, injury, pain, anxiety, stress and tiredness, in the brothers' own words (sincere statements only, selected by wording, so a few lines are about someone close to them). Nothing here is inferred: only what was said on air.

Dates are upload dates, which set the order. Where the speaker gives a different recording date in the video, it is added as "said on YYYY-MM-DD, implied" (derived from the date said in the video).

Health stories followed across videos (37)

story	told	videos
Hank's weekend haircut and earwax removal at the doctor, filmed (2007)	2007-02-26 – 2007-03-01	2
Hank: living with ulcerative colitis (2007)	2007-03-02 – 2026-04-07	29
John's March 2007 'eye doctor' visit, later told as a dentist visit (2007)	2007-03-07 – 2016-05-10	3
John's orbital cellulitis and hospital stay (2007)	2007-03-26 – 2026-02-14	16
John gets sick after the Sandwich Antiques Fair (2007)	2007-07-23 – 2007-07-26	2
John's ear infection (2007)	2007-11-08 – 2007-11-13	3
John is ill and put on antibiotics and steroids (2009)	2009-03-29 – 2009-04-01 (said on 2009-03-31, implied)	2
John's diet and weight loss after Henry's birth (2010)	2010-02-19 – 2010-05-28	4
Hank's childhood hand injury, whose lasting pain taught him right from left	2010-02-22 (said on 2010-02-23, implied) – 2010-08-13	2
Hank's stiff neck and doctor's visit (February 2010)	2010-02-22 (said on 2010-02-23, implied) – 2010-02-22 (said on 2010-02-23, implied)	1
John's BlogTV fundraiser for James at War's cat's surgery and the $540 check for the difference (2010)	2010-10-27 – 2010-10-27	1
Henry's serious illness and recovery (December 2010)	2010-12-22 – 2010-12-22	1
Hank's Asacol HD price rises from $50 to $620 a month (2011)	2011-01-24 – 2015-11-24	4
John buys Warner Chilcott stock after the Asacol HD price rise and sells it for a $26 profit (2011)	2011-01-26 – 2011-04-01	3
John's campylobacter infection, which his doctor links to dogs' licks (about 2009)	2011-03-23 – 2011-03-23	1
John's ongoing illness and his doctors' advice to scale back work (2011)	2011-06-27 – 2012-01-02	2
John's diseased gallbladder and its removal (2011)	2011-07-20 (said on 2011-07-21, implied) – 2023-12-24	8
John's signing hand stops working right; doctor and occupational therapy (2011)	2011-08-31 – 2024-12-31	6
John, sick with 'tiny chicken disease', goes out to vote in the Indiana primary (May 2012)	2012-05-08 – 2012-05-08	1
John has a tooth surgically removed (2013)	2013-03-20 – 2013-07-19	4
John's face is hit by a bike messenger in Chicago, starting years of chronic mouth pain (about 2003)	2013-07-19 – 2016-05-10	3
John applies for health insurance through the ACA exchange and a pre-ACA private insurer (2013)	2013-10-08 – 2015-03-24	2
John's depression at 24 in Chicago: leave from Booklist, home to Orlando, and watching Harvey	2013-10-29 – 2023-04-18	5
John injures his shoulder celebrating a goal in FIFA (2014)	2014-06-17 – 2014-06-17	1
John's viral meningitis and hospitalisation (2014)	2014-08-08 – 2025-08-12	12
John keeps looking away while filming sick children and worried mothers in Ethiopia (2014)	2014-09-23 – 2020-01-28	2
John's fourth oral surgery for chronic mouth pain (2015)	2015-05-19 – 2015-05-19	1
John's exhaustion during the Paper Towns film promotion (July 2015)	2015-07-14 – 2015-07-28	3
John's oral surgery (September 2015)	2015-09-22 – 2015-09-22	1
John's weeks of severe illness while changing his medication regimen (2015)	2015-11-20 – 2022-01-25	2
Hank ruptures both eardrums flying home sick after VidCon (2016)	2016-07-01 – 2016-07-08	2
Amy Krouse Rosenthal turns 'We're here because we're here' into hope for a depressed John at her reading (2005)	2016-08-02 – 2026-02-15	5
John is very sick and misses a vlogbrothers video for the first time in a long time (November 2017)	2017-11-17 – 2018-04-03	3
John reads Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye to pass 11th grade English and becomes an enthusiastic reader	2019-08-13 – 2019-08-13	1
John reads widely about tuberculosis and 19th-century illness (2022)	2023-01-31 – 2026-08-25	28
John's back pain (2023)	2023-03-24 – 2024-05-28	3
John's 2024 depression and his month away from the internet (2024)	2024-06-25 – 2024-09-17	9

John (311)

2007

2007-01-16 · John praises the new Brotherhood 2.0 website, then says it is 6:30 a.m., he is extremely tired with a long day of writing ahead, so he will be quick and go 'school style'. — Brotherhood 2.0: January 16, 2007 00:00:12
2007-02-27 · John is extremely tired and on his way, early in the morning, to the grocery store to buy horseradish. — Brotherhood 2.0: February 27, 2007: Horseradish Challenge 00:00:10
2007-02-27 · John is tired because he stayed up way past his bedtime cataloguing his books on librarything.com. — Brotherhood 2.0: February 27, 2007: Horseradish Challenge 00:00:35
2007-03-07 · John says the video is late because he feels a lot of anxiety after a busy day: three hours at the eye doctor, where his eyes were dilated. — Brotherhood 2.0: March 7, 2007: Stress 00:00:36
2007-03-07 · John says the big worry in his life is not even his: the Yeti is working on an extremely hard, stressful master's thesis, and he has never seen anyone work so hard. — Brotherhood 2.0: March 7, 2007: Stress 00:01:51
2007-03-19 (said on 2007-03-17, implied) · John felt a mix of anxiety and reverence he had not felt since working at the hospital, and kept calling the theatre 'the cathedral'. — Brotherhood 2.0: March 19th: Urban Exploration 00:02:24
2007-05-08 · By 11 p.m. in Indianapolis John had seen about 12 houses, all nice but needing work, and had about 30 minutes to edit and upload; he is very stressed. — Brotherhood 2.0: May 8th: House Hunters 00:01:41
2007-05-18 · John says the trip was planned for March but he couldn't go because he got orbital cellulitis. — Brotherhood 2.0: May 18: How to Write a Book Proposal 00:00:00
2007-11-05 · Paper Towns is back with John, so for the next week or so he will edit about 14 hours a day, which will be very stressful. — November 5th: John's Not Happy about Pakistan 00:01:01
2007-11-26 · John says his puff levels are high today; he must turn in the final revision of Paper Towns tomorrow evening and is a little stressed. — Nov. 26th: Writing Advice (And Notes on Surnameless Tiffany) 00:00:00

2008

2008-10-21 (said on 2008-10-20, implied) · John, on the Paper Towns tour, is in Columbus, Ohio, super tired after a long day of touring. — Travel Tips, Delivered Hoarsely 00:00:00

2009

2009-09-20 (said on 2009-09-21, implied) · John says that despite a successful business, Hank could not get health insurance for many years because insurers avoid covering ulcerative colitis, which is very expensive. — Health Care Reform: The Hank Factor 00:01:06
2009-09-20 (said on 2009-09-21, implied) · John says Hank must take a medicine costing $20 a day and has a greater risk of colon cancer, an incredibly expensive disease. — Health Care Reform: The Hank Factor 00:01:06

2010

2010-02-19 · At the doctor a month ago (January 2010) John found that his weight had a new first digit for the first time since he was about eight. — Henry's Pee and My Gut 00:01:43
2010-02-24 · John says he has lost almost 15 pounds since Henry was born, not through a crash diet: he eats a lot but no french fries, and has started running. — JOHN GREEN IS FAT. 00:01:27
2010-03-10 · John says his diet is still going well. — New Tour! New Book! (Remember Books?) Your Q's A'ed! 00:01:07
2010-03-10 · John says he is losing weight because of his son Henry: looking at him, he guesses the only real motivator is love; an aside adds wanting ex-girlfriends to regret dumping you. (hedged) — New Tour! New Book! (Remember Books?) Your Q's A'ed! 00:01:36
2010-04-26 · John misses Sarah and Henry, is tired and misses having time to write, but in a couple of hours meets hundreds of readers of the book he wrote with David, which makes him feel like the luckiest guy in the world. — Nerdfighters, They Named a PLANE After Us 00:01:38
2010-07-28 · Church bells interrupted John's vlogging; he went into the church and lit a candle for a sick friend, but did not film it because it felt private. — Umbrellas Amuse Me: Observations from One Day in Munich 00:01:27
2010-10-04 · At the party a 91-year-old woman got sick and was taken to hospital by ambulance; for maybe half an hour afterwards it was quiet. — The Terrible Burden of Destiny: Chicago and Waupaca 00:02:16
2010-10-27 · John says a recent BlogTV show raised a lot of money for surgery for James at War's cat, plus an equal amount to fight malaria. — You Are Awesome 00:01:11
2010-12-22 · John says last week (the week of 13 December 2010) was one of the worst of his life: Henry was very sick and crying all night, so they were scared and up every night. — I Was on Jeopardy!!!! 00:00:01

2011

2011-03-18 · John says he has a 101.2-degree fever and will see whether it affects his video making. — TERRIBLE 00:00:00
2011-06-01 · John is in Venice and really sick, but says he does not want to talk about either. — The Evil Baby Orphanage Returns...for George Washington? 00:00:00
2011-07-13 · John says he feels guilty that his social anxiety disorder makes it impossible for him to take pictures with nerdfighters or hug strangers. — ELLEN HARDCASTLE IS HERE! A Reunion Video 00:00:21
2011-08-15 · John says he owes a punishment but cannot do the sandwich punishment, because his gallbladder was recently removed; he declines to show the scars. — HANKLERFISH! 00:01:35
2011-08-31 · John says he has signed 42,000 copies and will continue, but first must see a doctor because his hand isn't working right and he needs occupational therapy. — How to Become An Adult 00:03:20
2011-10-24 · John is under stress from signing The Fault in Our Stars: 25,000 copies remain and he has few non-travel days left, so he is freaking out. — Signing Psychosis Takes Over 00:00:41
2011-10-24 · John says he knows many Nerdfighters, himself included, have struggled or are struggling with mental illness. — Signing Psychosis Takes Over 00:03:04

2012

2012-01-02 · John says the main reason is that he is still sick and his doctors want him to scale back on work, so he is going to try to honour their wishes. (hedged) — Changes to Vlogbrothers 00:01:08
2012-01-10 (said on 2012-01-09, implied) · John is a bit stressed: he has to leave his family for a month, which is a bummer, but he is excited to go on tour. — The Fault in Our Stars 00:00:12
2012-03-27 · Recalling the months he lived in Amsterdam, much of the time sick and crippled with anxiety, John now thinks only of how much one can love and miss made-up people. — Wrong but Right: Thoughts from Places Amsterdam 00:02:01
2012-05-08 · John doesn't want to vote while sick, but after failing to vote in Florida in the 2000 presidential election he promised himself and his country he would always vote. — Tiny Chickens Invade, But Still I Vote 00:01:10
2012-08-14 · After time with author friends including Maureen Johnson, John read at the 'I Was a Teenage Author' panel a story about an injured firefly he wrote for his high-school literary journal. — To Be Anything At All: Thoughts from Places, Chicago and LeakyCon 2012 00:01:02
2012-08-14 · Embarrassed, overwhelmed by people and needing a new phone, John walked toward the Apple Store, first crossing to Grant Park, scene of his first wizard rock concert on 8/8/08. — To Be Anything At All: Thoughts from Places, Chicago and LeakyCon 2012 00:01:26
2012-08-21 · After college John earned about $1 an hour less as an assistant at Booklist, but the job was better in every way: books, people who loved them, advancement, and in six years no vomit. — Is College Worth It? 00:02:45
2012-12-04 · John says Time Magazine has just named The Fault in Our Stars first on its list of the top ten novels of 2012, ahead of Hilary Mantel, Zadie Smith, Junot Diaz and J.K. Rowling, and he is overwhelmed. — Time for AWESOME 00:00:00

2013

2013-01-15 · John says at 22, accepted to the University of Chicago divinity school, he first spent six months as a children's hospital chaplain, where many sick kids died. — An Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall 00:50:10
2013-02-19 · After incredible weeks John has always been overwhelmed with anxiety and wanted to crawl into bed for good; calling that a bad life strategy, he updates Hank on twelve things instead. — Doing Things, On the Importance of 00:00:24
2013-03-05 · His perks: TSA pre-clearance so he keeps his shoes on, boarding first with a gold medallion status, and lounge access he skips because it is depressing. — The Gray Speckled Walls Encroach: The Perks and Liabilities of Frequent Flying 00:00:35
2013-03-20 · John says that yesterday he had a tooth forcefully removed and is in a lot of pain. — Ads Work...but for Whom? 00:00:00
2013-04-09 · John recalls being hospitalised in March 2007 with a not-dangerous infection behind his eye and thinking, at 2:30 one morning, that he was ready for death. — Inside North Korea 00:02:10
2013-04-23 · John makes this video on his way to the dentist; he later says he is in quite a bit of chronic dental pain. — DOCTOR GREEN 00:00:12
2013-06-04 · In a short insert recorded after the birth, John reports that everything is good: baby and mother are healthy, and the parents are exhausted. — A New Nerdfighter Baby 00:01:45
2013-07-19 · Asked if he's missing a tooth, John says yes: it caused terrible chronic pain since before Brotherhood 2.0, was removed in complicated, painful surgery, and no longer hurts. — TFiOS Movie, Bees, Babies, and More! 00:01:16
2013-08-06 · John came home to one child with strep throat and an eight-week-old who is small, adorable and seemingly nocturnal, so he is very tired. — Million Dollar Ideas 00:00:33
2013-09-03 · John says Hank has ulcerative colitis, a chronic, very serious and extremely expensive illness, so no insurance company will ever choose to insure him. — Bigger Pizzas: A Capitalist Case for Health Care Reform 00:02:26
2013-10-08 · Listing hospital stays and surgery, John names his orbital cellulitis, his wife's hospital stays for the births, and his gallbladder removal. — Applying for Health Insurance: Then and Now 00:04:06
2013-10-29 · At 24, John's longtime girlfriend had just broken up with him; he lived in Chicago in what had been their apartment with what had been their cat, and was pretty depressed. — Perspective 00:00:28
2013-10-29 · John's dad drove up to Chicago and they drove back to Orlando; John got into daily therapy, started a much better medication for him, and watched Harvey. — Perspective 00:01:51
2013-11-19 · Because of tornadoes, broken airplanes and a complicated chain of events, John has visited airports 9 times in the past 100 hours and is very tired. — On Middle School Misery 00:00:00

2014

2014-06-17 · Celebrating a beautiful Wimbly Womblys goal, John shot his right arm in the air shouting 'AFC Wimbledon!' and seriously injured his shoulder. — Old. 00:01:12
2014-06-17 · John says how serious the shoulder injury is remains unclear while he waits for test results. — Old. 00:01:40
2014-06-17 · John says the injury made him realize he is old; he got a lot of new gray hair during two months of promoting the TFiOS film. — Old. 00:01:54
2014-08-12 · Last week (week of 4 August 2014) John messaged that he would miss his Vlogbrothers video because he was in hospital, then went back to being in the worst pain of his life. — EBOLA! (...meningitis) 00:00:06
2014-08-12 · Ten days before falling ill with what turned out to be viral meningitis, John was in Ethiopia, on the same continent as Guinea and Sierra Leone, where Ebola is spreading. — EBOLA! (...meningitis) 00:00:31
2014-08-12 · In hospital, doctors worried he might have meningitis, malaria, typhoid or dengue fever, all potentially fatal, but were not worried about Ebola. — EBOLA! (...meningitis) 00:01:04
2014-08-12 · It turns out John almost certainly caught meningitis not in Ethiopia but in Florida, in Orlando, the city of his youth. (hedged) — EBOLA! (...meningitis) 00:03:31
2014-09-23 · John says much of his Ethiopia footage shows him looking away: from families at a hospital, preterm babies under inadequate heat lamps, and a very sick boy his son's age awaiting a malaria test. — Looking Away 00:00:19
2014-09-30 · John recalls his amazing trip to Ethiopia in the last couple of months, for which he is grateful, and then getting meningitis. — Keeping it EVEN REALER 00:00:27
2014-09-30 · John says, honestly, he is stressed out right now and doesn't know what to do. — Keeping it EVEN REALER 00:02:14
2014-10-28 · The table read went great; John is exhausted but so excited about the Paper Towns movie and grateful to everyone coming together to make it. — The Paper Towns Movie IS HERE! 00:03:09
2014-11-11 · John is a little sick and 'rocking the husky voice'. — Lacey and Angela Question Tuesday: Pizzamas Day 2 00:00:06
2014-12-02 · John names his one-year-old daughter as the family's patient zero: five days before Thanksgiving she woke from a nap and vomited on him, though he did not get sick then. — What You Eat Of Those You Love 00:00:53
2014-12-16 · John says being ill is miserable because only a few days remain in the Paper Towns shoot; he wants to be there but does not want to make the cast and crew sick before they finish. — Jelly Face, Sharpie Face, Peanut Butter Face, and Mummy Dancers: The 2014 Project for Awesome 00:00:23
2014-12-23 · John says the Paper Towns movie finished shooting a couple of days ago, so he is home, tired and a little sick, and grateful to everyone who worked on it. — Agloe, New York 00:00:02

2015

2015-02-24 · John says he underachieved, skipped classes, skipped homework and reading and was always behind and stressed, while Hank got great grades and a college scholarship. — Who I Was in High School 00:01:55
2015-05-12 · John says he is much more self-conscious: being recognized makes him anxious, and though grateful, he finds people photographing him from a distance weirdest. — Becoming Someone Else 00:01:28
2015-05-19 · John says he has just had a pretty invasive oral surgery. — Pain Destroys Language: John after the Dentist 00:00:06
2015-05-19 · John says he first referred to this still-continuing pain in his second vlogbrothers video, in 2007. — Pain Destroys Language: John after the Dentist 00:00:14
2015-05-19 · John says this was his fourth and most dramatic surgery. — Pain Destroys Language: John after the Dentist 00:00:30
2015-05-19 · John says the surgery was needed because a metal rod had erupted from his gum and pressed against his lip, the best he can do to describe the pain. — Pain Destroys Language: John after the Dentist 00:01:01
2015-06-16 (said on 2015-06-13, implied) · The description says the European leg of the Paper Towns press tour begins in Madrid, with John and Nat Wolff pushing through crushing jet lag. — Paper Towns Madrid with Nat Wolff! THE TOUR BEGINS 00:00:00
2015-06-30 · John's young daughter is a little sick and threw up this morning; he found it heartbreaking because small children cannot understand what is happening to them. — Some News 00:00:18
2015-07-14 · John is exhausted and drained: he is not good at interviews and misses his family and home; the last month has been exhausting with two weeks still to go. — On Exhaustion 00:01:29
2015-07-14 · For a long time, when overwhelmed and exhausted, John would spiral into doing less and less until nothing, still overwhelmed, because he stopped doing everything, not only what drained him. — On Exhaustion 00:02:26
2015-07-21 · John says he is wound up and copes with stress by reading reviews of Paper Towns, because he really wants people to see it. — PAPER TOWNS IS HERE AND JOHN IS A BALL OF ANXIETY 00:01:18
2015-07-21 · In a P.S., John is sorry about Hank's VidCon stress and offers comfort in images of Pluto, a cold, distant former planet humans came together to understand. — PAPER TOWNS IS HERE AND JOHN IS A BALL OF ANXIETY 00:03:27
2015-07-24 · John is incredibly anxious and feels maybe VidCon and the movie shouldn't have been scheduled on the same day. (hedged) — From the Main Stage of VidCon! 00:01:58
2015-08-03 · John says that in hard times, from his brain's bad wiring or physical illness, pain, fear and obsessiveness consume him so that he struggles to empathize or listen. — I Love You, Hank. Esther Day 2015 00:00:42
2015-09-15 · Anxious and scared at first, John finds the inkless tattooing doesn't hurt at all and thinks he might sort of like getting tattoos. (hedged) — John Gets a Tattoo 00:01:17
2015-09-22 · John had oral surgery the day before (21 September 2015) and is in pain and on pain medication, so he apologises in advance if he slurs his words. — Is Poverty Necessary? Looking back at the Millennium Development Goals 00:00:01
2015-10-06 · But a small, persistent amount of vicious, hateful material directed at him has been tremendously hurtful and not good for his mental health. — Question Tuesday: My Social Media Hiatus, My Excellent German, and Books! 00:01:11
2015-11-10 · After John got meningitis last year (2014), Bill Gates sent him a get-well-soon orchid, a thoughtful gesture John really appreciated. — It's a Pizzamas Miracle! (Pizzamas Day 2) 00:01:26
2015-11-20 · Following Hank's personal video, John says he has obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is often associated with anxiety and depression. — On Mental Illness (and the end of Pizzamas) 00:00:57
2015-11-20 · John has been very sick for the last several weeks while trying to figure out a new medication regimen; after years of fairly good health he was reminded how painful and crushing it can be. — On Mental Illness (and the end of Pizzamas) 00:02:07

2016

2016-05-10 · John says the original fractures were misdiagnosed, leading to a long-term infection, many surgeries and ongoing pain. — On Pain 00:00:22
2016-05-10 · John's six-year-old son, bitten by an ant, said it hurt like this and pinched him, trying to shrink the space between his pain and John's understanding. — On Pain 00:01:26
2016-05-10 · John finds this horror-movie terrifying and says that is how he feels when pain turns him inward in an ever-tightening spiral. — On Pain 00:02:35
2016-08-30 · John says he broke his rib celebrating his 39th birthday last week (August 2016); sitting, standing, laughing and breathing are now painful. — My Body Is a Broken Temple 00:00:06
2016-11-22 · John says he has eosinophilic esophagitis: mild-ish inflammation that occasionally lets food stick in his esophagus, so he vomits every two or three minutes for hours until a doctor clears it. — On Not Seeing Hamilton 00:00:42

2017

2017-01-03 · John says he is full of snot and apologizes for sounding sick, because he is sick. — 10 Years on YouTube (...and MORE GREAT NEWS) 00:00:11
2017-03-21 · John recalls that at VidCon, while he scrolled his Twitter feed checking everyone was having a good time, a friend said he seemed stressed and he answered 'Twitter'. — My Information Diet 00:00:00
2017-03-21 · John says the dumb phone hasn't worked: in seven months his background stress has decreased somewhat, but mostly he just spends more time on his computer. (hedged) — My Information Diet 00:01:33
2017-03-21 · John says in the last couple of weeks he has scaled way back on the social internet for an information diet: an hour or two each morning reading mostly The Economist, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Indianapolis Star. — My Information Diet 00:02:28
2017-04-18 · A YouTube friend who also has OCD asked John how he seems so put together, while John was thinking the same thing about them. — Framing 00:00:00
2017-06-22 · John says the story, though made up, is personal, because he has a mental illness that at times has taken over his life. — My New Book 00:00:29
2017-07-11 · His hand doesn't hurt: very effective physical therapy for his ulnar nerve entrapment during the Fault in Our Stars signing means he can now sign all day. — Signing 200,000 Autographs 00:01:40
2017-07-25 · John says he has obsessive-compulsive disorder. — What OCD Is Like (for Me) 00:00:37
2017-07-25 · John experiences obsessive thought spirals in which intrusive thoughts he does not want, which seem to come from outside him, hijack his consciousness. — What OCD Is Like (for Me) 00:00:56
2017-07-25 · For John the obsessive thought spirals happen all the time and can take over for days, weeks or months, for example a sudden worry that his food is contaminated or poisoned. — What OCD Is Like (for Me) 00:01:19
2017-08-08 · John landed in Venice yesterday morning a little tired and stood in a very long customs line before getting a ride into the city. — What You Make of It: Thoughts from Venice, Italy 00:00:01
2017-08-08 · Watching gondolas from a bridge, John recalls his last visit to Venice just over six years ago (June 2011): his video began 'I'm in Venice and I'm really sick', and he was very sick. — What You Make of It: Thoughts from Venice, Italy 00:02:01
2017-08-08 · John recalls cutting that visit short the next day to fly back to Amsterdam; his gallbladder turned out to need removing. — What You Make of It: Thoughts from Venice, Italy 00:02:12
2017-08-08 · John says that besides the physical illness his mental health was near an all-time low; in 2011 he hated the Piazza San Marco, its smell, tourists, pigeons and flying lions, and was sick and scared. — What You Make of It: Thoughts from Venice, Italy 00:02:15
2017-10-10 · About to go on stage for their rehearsal show, John is super stressed while Hank is just chilling. — Turtles All the Way Down!!! A Reunion Video 00:00:36
2017-10-17 · John says it has also been a difficult week: his mental health is not where he would like it, partly because he is so far outside his routine; he loves touring but it is a bit overwhelming. — Look at Tiny Baby Hank 00:01:40
2017-11-03 · John says he was then in a period of intense unwellness, losing himself to intrusive thought spirals, with a chest-crushing depression: nothing enjoyable, struggling to get out of bed. (hedged) — Because We're Here 00:00:47
2017-11-09 · The months before Turtles All the Way Down came out were difficult for John: overwhelmed by worry about its reception, the tour and publicity, and how to talk about his own mental illness. — The New Zealand Five Cent Coin 00:00:04
2017-11-21 · John has the flu, everything hurts and he is miserable, so he tries to cheer himself up by telling Hank two love stories. — Two Love Stories 00:00:00
2017-12-05 · Isaac, producer of The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, pointed out that obsessive thoughts are also non-linguistic, which didn't stop John writing the book. — On the Movies 00:02:43
2017-12-19 · John is physically and metaphysically tired; his brain and voice are limping to the finish line of 2017. (hedged) — History Is Happening 00:00:08
2017-12-19 · John says too much work and travel and too little sleep and exercise are bad for his OCD. — History Is Happening 00:00:18
2017-12-26 · The letters were his therapist's suggestion; John was suspicious at first, as of all therapy things, but found them incredibly helpful. — LEAVE IT IN 2017 00:00:15

2018

2018-01-02 · John is going back to writing about the astonishing history of Diet Dr Pepper. — BRING IT IN 2018 00:03:46
2018-01-16 · Asked how he deals with stress, John answers: poorly. — My Hollywood Star, Brexit Pears, and Hank's Book: It's QUESTION TUESDAY 00:02:12
2018-02-27 · John says nobody can take seriously his fear that some terrible thing 'X' is about to happen, because they don't find his obsessive reasoning compelling though he does; he avoids even naming X for fear that talking about it will make it happen. — Ode to a Dog 00:02:31
2018-05-08 · From age 14 until a few years ago the social internet gave John deep, meaningful relationships he struggled to find IRL; now it mostly makes him anxious and spirally without deepening connection. — Old Man Yells at Cloud 00:01:52
2018-05-08 · Like many people with OCD, John lives with a constant urge to check, dread when not checking, and the irrational certainty that this time checking will be important. — Old Man Yells at Cloud 00:02:50
2018-08-07 · John says he gets anxious in situations with lots of new people, not primarily because of his mental illness but because many people find social engagements nervous-making, especially alone. (hedged) — How I Made Friends 00:00:18
2018-09-04 · John is a little stressed at the moment and so has been thinking about the Eisenhower Matrix. — The Eisenhower Matrix 00:00:00
2018-10-09 · John says this matters to him personally: he couldn't function without his daily medication, which lets him live with his thoughts rather than be controlled by them. — How Big a Problem is Mental Illness? 00:02:55
2018-10-09 · John says that, like many people with chronic health problems, he has lost time to his illness but has a good and fulfilling life. — How Big a Problem is Mental Illness? 00:03:24
2018-10-29 · John is sick with a fever, out of bed for the first time in four days and not feeling great. — PIZZAMAS IS HERE! 00:00:16
2018-11-06 · John posts much less than he used to but still spends huge swaths of time on those platforms; all his attempts at an information diet or dumbing down his phone have failed. — Taking a Year Off 00:02:26
2018-11-13 · The description says John feels really overwhelmed and a bit burnt out, but also tremendously supported, and knows he can take breaks when needed. — HAIRMERGENCY! 00:00:00
2018-11-13 · John writes that although he has anxiety problems, viewers needn't worry this is part of a larger thing: he is stressed because too much is happening, not falling into 'the tightening gyre' — he thinks. (hedged) — HAIRMERGENCY! 00:00:00
2018-11-20 · When Turtles All the Way Down hit 52 consecutive weeks on the NYT bestseller list, John felt happy briefly, then anxious again; weeks later a quiet champagne toast with Sarah brought overwhelming joy and gratitude. — Cause for Celebration 00:01:56

2019

2019-01-08 · A month in, John is happier, or at least less anxious. — I Quit Social Media. Here's How It's Going 00:01:20
2019-03-05 · John is a little sick and apologises for his voice; he ends by going to drink tea with honey. — Way, Way Down the Rabbit Hole 00:00:00
2019-03-19 · John says Mrs. Obama was lovely, generous with her time and good at making anxious people comfortable, which he appreciated because he was extremely anxious. — Writing and Marriage Advice from Michelle Obama 00:03:04
2019-04-16 · John takes medication for his mental illness every day; taking it feels like doing something, and not taking it feels like doing nothing. — Doing Somethings 00:00:58
2019-04-30 · Lately frustrated that so much effort is for nothing, John says that over the last few years he worked hard on stories he eventually had to abandon, which is painful. — The Thing with Feathers 00:02:54
2019-06-11 · John says publishing the book was very difficult for him, 'champagne problems' aside: he was overwhelmed with fear about whether people would like it and whether it was good, useful and the best it could be. — Why I Haven't Written a New Book 00:00:59
2019-06-11 · John says for about a decade writing has also meant touring, publicity and movie rights, which he is lucky to stress about but finds stressful. — Why I Haven't Written a New Book 00:02:08
2019-07-12 · John says having the anchor of a Tuesday video is really good for his mental health. — Why Are We Still Doing This? - Reunion Video! 00:02:33
2019-09-17 · John says it is easier for him to live openly with a mental illness because he doesn't have to apply for jobs where an employer might be concerned by it. — 'end the stigma' 00:00:58
2019-10-15 · With the announcement near, John feels anxious; in fact everything makes him anxious at the moment. — I'm Having a Lot of Feelings 00:01:27
2019-10-15 · Ten years ago John mostly saw his anxiety as an embarrassing character weakness and talked about it only to mock it and himself. — I'm Having a Lot of Feelings 00:02:26
2019-10-22 · John says Ruth's education was interrupted by the civil war (1991-2002); she contracted HIV and nearly died before antiretroviral therapy let her recover and find a job with PIH. — Why We're Donating $6,500,000 00:00:43
2019-11-01 · Watching it took John back to writing the first draft of Looking for Alaska alone in a small furnished Chicago apartment, recovering from what would now be called a mental health crisis. (hedged) — On Looking Up to Your Little Brother 00:01:41
2019-11-07 · Most important, John is less socially isolated: he spends much more time with friends and family, hard and stressful at first but very fulfilling. — I took a year off social media. Here's what happened. 00:01:56
2019-11-26 · John says he has been thinking about burnout lately; he is not really burnt out now, but is starting to think differently about the role work plays in his life. — old fashioned parts video 00:00:15
2019-12-10 · In his mid-20s John went through intense loneliness and isolation that was correlated with serious depression. — On Loneliness 00:00:22
2019-12-10 · That pain makes him want to withdraw further from the 'stupid world', which worsens the meaninglessness and furthers his isolation. — On Loneliness 00:01:58
2019-12-10 · Both times the cycles were broken by treating his chronic health problem like a chronic health problem: for John, medication and regular therapy. — On Loneliness 00:02:31
2019-12-17 · On December 29, 2016, unsure Turtles All the Way Down would ever be worthwhile, John was alone in a small Michigan cabin with bread, peanut butter and lots of Diet Dr Pepper. — The Best Days of My Decade 00:01:45

2020

2020-01-21 · A few years ago Mike Rugnetta gave John Elaine Scarry's The Body in Pain, which he would never otherwise have read and which totally changed how he thinks about pain and language. — Gifts That Changed My Life 00:00:58
2020-01-28 · John says he looked away: he didn't want to gawk, didn't know how to help in that moment, and it was awful to see a mother in such pain and a child suffering. — Looking Away (Again) 00:01:51
2020-02-11 · In 2017, after exercising five or six days a week for 100 days, John could run seven or eight miles, slept better, his mental illness had improved dramatically, and he wrote much of Turtles All the Way Down. — 1,100 Days: A Mental and Physical Health Update 00:00:00
2020-02-11 · John's mental health is probably the best it's ever been: still mentally ill and on daily medication, but his rolling 90-day average is much better than 5, 10 or 15 years ago. (hedged) — 1,100 Days: A Mental and Physical Health Update 00:01:27
2020-02-11 · John's three years were not without challenge: bouts of vertigo, at times extremely destabilizing, make exercise hard, and he has had small injuries and aches, from age and from activity. — 1,100 Days: A Mental and Physical Health Update 00:02:55
2020-03-24 · John says it has not been a great week: because of his anxiety problems and OCD, his brain is not well suited to pandemics and he is having a hard time. — Mental Health Tips from People Who've Been There 00:00:00
2020-03-24 · John has virtual therapy and medication, but found most helpful this week (week of 23 March 2020) mental health tips from Partners In Health, informed by people who lived and worked through big outbreaks. — Mental Health Tips from People Who've Been There 00:00:00
2020-03-31 · In early spring in Indiana, John says life feels vastly different than a few weeks ago and his omnidirectional anxiety is often overwhelming, so he suggests they take a walk together. — Let's take a walk. 00:00:00
2020-05-26 · John says uncontrolled mental illness feels like going through the day fearing the floor might collapse at every step, like the Emily Dickinson poem where a plank in reason broke. — you'll never know 00:01:56
2020-06-09 · As a college junior John took a semester off for mental health problems, so he graduated late and watched his classmates graduate, happy for them but hurt and feeling like a disappointment. — i could use a little fuel myself 00:00:29
2020-06-16 (said on 2020-06-07, implied) · In a comment John says his contamination anxieties are very specific and don't include river water; he follows experts' advice calmly, isn't afraid of flying thanks to exposure therapy, and calls pathological thinking definitionally irrational. — a cool place 00:00:00
2020-07-14 · John is burnt out, not just with work but, like many parents, with helping kids through immense uncertainty and constantly managing and analyzing exposure risk. — The ice we skate is getting pretty thin. 00:00:29
2020-07-14 · The mental health problems John brought into this weigh on him: OCD's endless thought loops and compulsions are monotonous, and thinking the same thoughts over and over is soul-destroying. — The ice we skate is getting pretty thin. 00:00:29
2020-07-14 · Last night, with Robbie Gonzalez's help and anxious insomnia, John finished a Rubik's Cube after 30 years of failure, producing some of his own joy. — The ice we skate is getting pretty thin. 00:02:26
2020-08-11 · John says he is not holding up okay: like many people he knows with chronic mental health problems, he is having a hard time. — never get bored 00:00:02
2020-08-18 · After a stressful week, John says he has a long-term plan to draw 170,000 or so circles. — what's wrong with taking the back streets? 00:00:00
2020-08-18 · John finds repetitive actions offer relief if he chooses them and they aren't too taxing; it's easy to chalk that up to his obsessive-compulsive disorder. — what's wrong with taking the back streets? 00:00:58
2020-10-07 (said on 2020-10-06, implied) · John recalls that 13 and a half years ago (March 2007) he was hospitalized for about a week with orbital cellulitis, a staph infection behind his eye. — The Golden Age of Vlogbrothers 00:00:00
2020-10-09 · John's first remembered obsessive experience was the worry that no one else on Earth was a real person like him, but aliens in human costumes; it tortured him for years as a kid. — The Rax Guy 00:02:20
2020-10-09 · The Rax Guy didn't cause John's OCD, which he would have had anyway, but he shaped the particular worry that took over John's life at seven and eight. — The Rax Guy 00:02:49
2020-12-31 · After finishing Textbook, Amy learned she had cancer and called John, who knew many gravely ill young people after The Fault in Our Stars, to ask how her kids and husband would cope. — Auld Lang Syne: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:12:46

2021

2021-01-26 · John's brain plays a similar game, What's Even the Point; a Millay poem he has quoted in two of his novels describes his depressive blizzards perfectly. — The Sycamore Tree: The Anthropocene Reviewed 00:01:08
2021-03-02 · John says that, though viewers might not know it from his last couple of videos, the past two weeks were the most stressful he has had in a while. — What's Not in the Frame 00:00:00
2021-03-02 · The last edits for The Anthropocene Reviewed book are due in three days, which is also a little stressful for John. — What's Not in the Frame 00:03:35
2021-03-30 · At times the signing hours passed in a flow-state contentment John needed; at others, with a cramping hand and looming deadlines, he felt frustrated and overwhelmed. — I did it! 00:00:58
2021-03-30 · John says he is absurdly lucky to sign 250,000 times but it was stressful, and he distracted himself by daydreaming about where each book might end up. — I did it! 00:00:58
2021-04-06 · Living with severe anxiety most of his life, John has learned that shame isn't effective for him: being told to stop worrying or that he's an idiot doesn't help. — How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? 00:01:27
2021-04-13 · John has been fortunate to have a lot of cognitive behavioral therapy for his mental illness; he uses its positive self-talk technique many times a day to reduce stress and break cycles of self-loathing and despair. — My Truly Mortifying Self-Talk 00:00:58
2021-04-13 · John has been struggling with fairly severe anxiety for the last eight to ten weeks. — My Truly Mortifying Self-Talk 00:02:00
2021-05-25 · A week later, his balance suddenly failed: the world spun, his eyes shivered, he vomited and was rushed to hospital; diagnosed with labyrinthitis, an inner-ear disease, it was an unambiguously one-star experience. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:00:58
2021-05-25 · People assumed John shared his protagonists' worldviews or questioned him as if he were the protagonist; a famous interviewer asked whether he, like the narrator of Turtles All the Way Down, had panic attacks when kissing. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:02:29
2021-05-25 · Having invited such questions with a public life as a mentally ill person, John told the interviewer he has no anxiety around kissing but does have intensely frightening panic attacks; talking about himself through fiction became exhausting and destabilizing, as if his self were for sale. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:02:44
2021-05-25 · John had written a few such reviews in 2014, of Canada geese and Diet Dr Pepper, and in early 2018 sent them to Sarah for her thoughts. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:10:17
2021-05-25 · Sarah told John, who wrote reviews as a detached observer, that in the Anthropocene there are no disinterested observers, only participants, and that reviews are really a kind of memoir; his 1,500 words on Diet Dr Pepper never mentioned his love for it. — The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated 00:10:40
2021-07-13 · A few years ago John wrote a video on how a symptom of both panic attacks and heart attacks is a 'sense of impending doom', and how hard it is to know how to respond to that feeling. — The Vlogbrothers Videos I Didn't Make 00:01:08
2021-07-27 · John has spent much of his life thinking and writing about how we go on, especially with mental health challenges, and says how we go on is linked to why. — Savoring: The Sunset Series Returns 00:01:58
2021-08-10 · Three and a half years ago (November 2017) John was diagnosed with labyrinthitis, a viral inflammation of the inner ear: he went from a slight head cold to incapacitating vertigo, fell over, vomited and was rushed to hospital. — My Physicalmental Illness 00:00:00
2021-08-10 · In hospital his vertigo was first thought possibly psychosomatic, caused by his chronic anxiety; when an ostensibly physiological cause was found he was a little relieved, as everyone, himself included, began treating the illness as really real. — My Physicalmental Illness 00:00:29
2021-08-10 · Labyrinthitis is not a psychological illness, or so John is told; he went home from hospital with two medications, the central nervous depressant meclizine and the anti-anxiety drug diazepam, which also lessens vertigo. (hedged) — My Physicalmental Illness 00:01:47
2021-08-10 · With lasting vestibular problems after the virus was gone, John was sent to a balance institute to retrain his brain; when the therapist said they were rewiring his brain, he realized it was just like his other therapy. — My Physicalmental Illness 00:02:26
2021-10-08 · In the script John says that, with a serious mental health disorder, he often has a feeling of impending doom and cannot tell whether it is a heart attack, a panic attack or actual doom. — On February 3rd, 2020, I Wrote a Video I Didn't Make. Here It Is. 00:00:50
2021-11-02 · John says he insulates himself from precarity as much as possible: he quit smoking 20 years ago, has insurance, and has financial security that eases stress and allows professional risks and support for his kids. — enough 00:02:36
2021-11-23 (said on 2021-10-28, implied) · After years of mostly stable, good mental health, John's has lately been unstable, with worry invading from every direction like clouding vision before fainting; it has improved in the last couple of weeks. — I have been playing a small trick on you. 00:01:27
2021-11-23 (said on 2021-10-28, implied) · Fourth, John wants to see if time away gives him more time and inclination to write: publishing, his lifelong dream, was fun at first but became mostly stressful and scary. — I have been playing a small trick on you. 00:01:56
2021-12-14 · When his thoughts race at bedtime, John is less likely to get stuck on obsessive fears because he can think about what might happen in the story. — MAKE. BELIEVE. 00:01:56

2022

2022-01-11 · John is emerging from a long bout of the flu, not COVID, an old-school virus that makes him feel like he is in the 1990s. (hedged) — The Fault in Our Stars - Ten Years Later 00:00:00
2022-01-25 · In a hot, crowded, windowless hotel room, with Nat reminding him to breathe and drink water, John's spiraling anxiety made him clench his jaw for hours until a tooth began to ache. — My Least Relatable Story: The Parisian Dentist 00:00:58
2022-02-01 · Several months ago John started a new medication for his OCD that has been very effective: he no longer loses hours to obsessive worry or compulsions or feels gripped by dread. — This Video Is Actually Three Videos 00:02:34
2022-02-15 · John's most financially valuable book is probably a first edition of Slaughterhouse-Five, a gift from Sarah years ago, now worth about $2,000 and stressful to touch. (hedged) — My Most Valuable Books 00:00:29
2022-06-07 · John says watching that scene was painful: he wanted to stop it, turn on all the lights and make sure everyone was okay. — Hello! Meet Aza! 00:01:39
2022-06-21 · John lists the itises he has or has had: orbital cellulitis, eosinophilic esophagitis and viral meningitis, besides ordinary ones like sinusitis and gastritis. — On Disease 00:00:29
2022-06-21 · John says he got orbital cellulitis because bacteria invaded the soft tissue between his eye and brain, but the name means his own white blood cells caused swelling behind his eye. — On Disease 00:02:26
2022-08-09 · John has been feeling a little exhausted lately, so his garden is overgrown and wild. — How to Cook Beans and Resist Dread 00:00:00
2022-09-13 · John says Hank is sick with shingles, which is extremely painful and sucks, and he is sorry. — A Million Things at Once 00:00:00
2022-10-18 · In a comment John says ocular/vestibular physical therapy really helped him, though different people get different results from different treatments. — Terraverse Over Everything: Thoughts from London 00:00:00
2022-10-18 · Recovering from labyrinthitis, John was told by his physical therapist to go outside daily; relearning balance, his brain relied on visual cues and was easily overwhelmed. — Terraverse Over Everything: Thoughts from London 00:03:16
2022-11-08 · After second-guessing himself, John correctly identifies Diet Dr Pepper and then Dr Pepper. — Dr Pepper Enthusiast John Green Taste Tests Dr Pepper and Its Misbegotten Pretenders 00:04:14
2022-12-27 · After finishing Textbook, Amy learned she had cancer and called John, who knew many gravely ill young people after The Fault in Our Stars, to ask how her kids and husband would cope. — We're here because were here. 00:12:19

2023

2023-01-03 · Last year (2022) John several times got into angry internet debates with strangers, such as whether access to life-saving medication is a human right, making him late to dinner without helping anyone. — TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH 00:01:27
2023-01-03 · After the chaplaincy John took a temp job typing numbers into a database at Booklist, and though very anxious, he became known there for staying calm under pressure: it was just a magazine. — TAKE IT DOWN A NOTCH 00:01:56
2023-01-17 · John says Hank has ulcerative colitis, has lived with it most of his adult life, and it is really hard, but he is doing it. — John Green Answers the Most Searched Hank Green Questions 00:01:27
2023-01-31 · John says he was never a good student: school felt like the price of living life, which was about friendships, obsessive crushes and binge drinking. — I'm Going Back to College? 00:00:29
2023-01-31 · Overwhelmed by how awesome it is, John has signed up for two Study Hall classes starting in March, one in American history up to 1865. — I'm Going Back to College? 00:03:04
2023-02-21 · John makes closed clay forms he calls secret keepers: you whisper something difficult, painful or traumatic into their holes so the secret lives in the form, not your brain. — Maybe Art Only Needs to Be 00:00:23
2023-02-28 · John recalls that when he had meningitis he was rarely alone, except in his fear and pain, where he was always alone. — Empathy and its Limits 00:02:47
2023-03-14 · John says pain is insistent and won't shut up: his back hurts, so he tries standing, then hides behind a plant, which he finds hurts less than regular sitting. — The Seduction of Despair 00:00:00
2023-03-14 · Last week (week of 6 March 2023) John's friend Chris called because he knew John was in pain, said he was sorry, listened and believed him; it didn't help the pain, but it helped. — The Seduction of Despair 00:03:33
2023-04-04 · John says he is really doing okay, but he is exhausted, and not mainly physically. — The Search for Real Feeling 00:00:43
2023-04-18 · John retells that in late 2001 a mental health crisis and depression got so bad that, with his parents, he decided to quit his job and move home to Florida for full-time care. — goodbye to my friend 00:00:21
2023-05-23 · John has seen illness and humor coexist many times: as a chaplain, as a child, and during his own serious health problems. — Rough Week 00:01:08
2023-05-23 · When John was hospitalized with meningitis, his best friend Chris greeted him by saying he thought John had already had all the itises; hilarious from Chris, less so from a doctor. — Rough Week 00:01:50
2023-06-20 · John says Hank pre-made a Vlogbrothers video because he knew he would be too sick to make one this week (week of 19 June 2023). — Reflections from a Terrible CEO 00:04:45
2023-08-01 · In a channel comment, John says the medication he takes is Remeron, which is very sedating. — Three Mornings 00:00:00
2023-08-01 · John says he makes his morning coffee with Sarah's help; he once treated coffee as medicine against drowsiness from his OCD meds, but now luxuriates in it knowing the care behind it. — Three Mornings 00:00:08
2023-08-08 · John says they have both seen comments blaming Hank's cancer on a vaccination, on working too hard, or on his ulcerative colitis. — TAKE IT UP A NOTCH 00:01:56
2023-08-15 · Before getting sick Henry was a great student who dreamt of university; his mother Isatu worked hard to pay his school fees with a small market business selling scented oils and perfumes. — Henry 00:00:29
2023-08-15 · The injections were not working for Henry: he lost weight, TB-swollen lymph nodes became open wounds, and he bled so much he needed blood transfusions. — Henry 00:01:27
2023-08-15 · Henry knew how sick he was and what it meant: he had seen his best friend at Lakka die of multidrug-resistant TB after the injectables failed. — Henry 00:02:26
2023-09-14 · John recalls an infection behind his eye that needed a $12,000-a-pill antibiotic; his doctor said he was paying twice, since the public also funded its development, which John agrees with. — Talking Tuberculosis, GeneXpert, J&J, and more with MY HEROES 00:41:20
2023-09-19 · John recalls that early in 2007, at the start of Brotherhood 2.0, he was hospitalized for an infection between his eye and his brain. — So, um.... GOOD NEWS?!?!?! 00:04:54
2023-10-03 · John admits he is anxious and goes outside, because touching grass and being among trees actually helps him. — Nourished by Leaving 00:00:19
2023-10-17 · In November 2017, just after publishing Turtles All the Way Down and a grueling tour, John's balance failed at home; he was hospitalized and diagnosed with labyrinthitis. — My Next Book 00:00:00
2023-10-17 · John says that, technically, he has been retired since November 2017: lying ill in bed for weeks, unable to read or look at a screen, he decided to retire. — My Next Book 00:00:00
2023-10-24 · John says the lump grew until Mondeh struggled to swallow and lost weight, over four years; at 10 he saw a Partners In Health doctor who suspected lymphoma, and a biopsy in the capital confirmed Hodgkin lymphoma. — A Tale of Two Cancers 00:01:58
2023-10-31 · John tells Hank he is a little overwhelmed with anxiety at the moment. — How to Make Hot Sauce for Just $65 per Bottle 00:00:00
2023-11-07 · John says the writing is going terribly so far because he is a smidge depressed and anxious at the moment. — NaFaDoYBIMSCoM 00:03:13
2023-11-21 · John says he has had a rough couple of months: his OCD and anxiety have been very high and he has had a lengthy bout of depression. — Minus Its Charms 00:00:05
2023-11-21 · John says the depression started about nine weeks ago amid that good news, yet when it came he felt nothing but dread, a terrible indescribable fear. — Minus Its Charms 00:00:28
2023-12-12 · Because John's kids have serious lung and allergy issues, Potato was one of the only dogs that would work for the family. — POTATO! 00:01:05
2023-12-24 · John says he wanted to stop Brotherhood 2.0 around March, when it still felt long; imagining the future overwhelmed him, but the present was always fun. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 00:13:14
2023-12-24 · John explains his missing tooth (in 2013): terrible chronic pain since before Brotherhood 2.0 ended in a complicated, painful surgery, and it no longer hurts. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 01:44:55
2023-12-24 · After having his gallbladder removed, John says he can't do the sandwich punishment and asks viewers to suggest another for Hank to pick. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:08:36
2023-12-24 · At LeakyCon 2011, John says his crippling social anxiety disorder makes taking pictures with or hugging strangers impossible, and he feels guilty about it. — John and Hank Hanging Out but they Keep Getting Younger and More Pixelated 02:10:46
2023-12-30 · After finishing Textbook, Amy learned she had cancer and called John, who knew many gravely ill young people after The Fault in Our Stars, to ask how her kids and husband would cope. — John's Review of Auld Lang Syne 00:12:46

2024

2024-01-02 · John says that over 17 years there have been many weeks, maybe four or five a year, when he didn't want to make a video: sometimes mental health, quite present lately, or family or writing deadlines. (hedged) — Being Old on YouTube 00:02:37
2024-01-02 · John says he almost always made a video anyway, unless hospitalized or without internet, and was usually glad he did. — Being Old on YouTube 00:02:58
2024-04-23 · The description says John is a ball of stress and worry but very grateful to everyone who watched the movie with them in Los Angeles over the weekend. — Full Hank 00:00:00
2024-04-23 · When John feels overwhelmed he wants to make more stuff, until he eventually hits a hard wall. — Full Hank 00:00:58
2024-04-30 · Flying to New York for press for the movie, which comes out Thursday, John says he is quite tired, physically and existentially, and a bit unwell. — Not Doing That Great 00:00:29
2024-04-30 · John says it is really hard for him to talk so much about his mental health and living with OCD and depression. — Not Doing That Great 00:00:58
2024-05-21 · John says he cannot return to a world where his relationship with his OCD is private, having talked about it publicly so much in the context of Turtles All the Way Down. — Getting Personal about Getting Personal 00:01:05
2024-06-25 · John can't tell where circumstances end and depression begins: he is in an objectively hard time he won't make public, but has had harder times without this much despair. — taking a break 00:00:29
2024-06-25 · Depressed for quite a while, John finds it hard to judge what is real: everything great feels illusory and everything terrible utterly true. — taking a break 00:00:58
2024-06-25 · John must finish his book so it can come out next year (2025), and that alone feels like too much work for his depressed brain. — taking a break 00:00:58
2024-06-25 · Overwhelmed, with his nerves seemingly outside his body, John can't do it right now and needs time away to get it sorted. — taking a break 00:02:26
2024-06-25 · Depression convinces John that he is worthless and his work worse than worthless; he speaks from the bottom of the well. — taking a break 00:03:05
2024-08-06 · John says he had a low-to-mid-level nervous breakdown and took a break from the internet; now back-ish and feeling better-ish, he describes what helped through this serious depression. — What Helped Through Depression 00:00:00
2024-08-06 · An AFC Wimbledon co-founder, who needed something to look forward to when depressed, mailed John the club's new away kit, which will take time to arrive. — What Helped Through Depression 00:01:27
2024-08-06 · What probably helped most was meeting his therapist and psychiatrist. (hedged) — What Helped Through Depression 00:02:26
2024-08-07 · John says although they don't run them, the two companies he and Hank own employ over 150 people, an intense stress for them. — Dear Hank and John Livestream! 00:21:49
2024-08-20 · Tired but eager, John came to watch AFC Wimbledon play an away game against Bromley. — Thoughts from Places: BROMLEY! 00:00:00
2024-09-17 · John says he has been emerging from a depression, partly by engaging less with algorithms. — My Consciousness. Their Capital. 00:00:29
2024-09-17 · On that walk a coyote came out of the woods and stood in John's path staring at him, and he felt a surge of panic. — My Consciousness. Their Capital. 00:01:56
2024-10-01 · John's least favourite photo of himself is from the Paper Towns film premiere: on top of the world, rich and very famous, he was in the middle of a panic attack. — On Fame and Chappell Roan 00:00:12
2024-10-01 · John disliked feeling overwhelmed, overexposed and scared, nerve endings outside his body; he feels it less now after a lot of work and being past the summit. — On Fame and Chappell Roan 00:03:45
2024-11-13 · John says Potato has giardia and has been sick for about a week, preferring to have his diarrhea inside. — Some New Things… 00:23:01
2024-12-31 · About 50,000 sheets into the signing, John developed pain in his wrist and especially his shoulder that kept getting worse. — I Just Can't Do It Anymore 00:00:38
2024-12-31 · After the pain worsened John saw a doctor and it got worse still; without giving medical details, he says he can no longer sign and is not allowed to. — I Just Can't Do It Anymore 00:01:12

2025

2025-02-18 · John says he has had a rough month professionally and personally and feels discouraged; the P4A came when he was tired and overwhelmed but needed a pick-me-up. — Gastrointestinal Hypermotility in Tuatara 00:00:58
2025-02-25 · After coughing up blood, Stokes was X-rayed in Gadsden and found to have miliary TB; the technician said he had never seen such a case live over two months. Stokes entered an Asheville sanatorium. — EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS 00:03:13
2025-02-25 · John says he started writing about TB to understand how an illness could quietly shape so much of human history. — EVERYTHING IS TUBERCULOSIS 00:06:20
2025-03-04 · John says he hears the sound of his anxiety a lot at the moment, partly because anxiety is his background emotion. — The ANXIETY IS PALPABLE 00:00:00
2025-03-04 · John says feeling far from hope makes it anxiety-inducing to do interviews where people ask for his hopeful message. — The ANXIETY IS PALPABLE 00:01:27
2025-03-04 · John says having a book come out is always stressful because it is the culmination of several years of his life and he wants people to like it and respond generously. — The ANXIETY IS PALPABLE 00:02:05
2025-03-18 · John next goes on Morning Joe, a different television program, and gets to be anxious again. — ITS ALL HAPPENING 00:00:24
2025-03-18 · John says live morning TV is the most stressful part, and now he goes back to the hotel to make a Vlogbrothers video. — ITS ALL HAPPENING 00:00:54
2025-03-25 · On his ambitious tour schedule, John says he is tired, a different city every day, exhausting and exhilarating, but less tired than expected because he is also extremely energized. — Taylor, Dr Pepper, and My Anxiety Strats: It's Question Tuesday 00:04:23
2025-04-22 · During that illness John followed a Spanish-language radio broadcast of the Peru v New Zealand World Cup playoff by intonation alone; Peru won, qualifying for the first time in decades, and he heard the commentator's tears. — The Unimportant Things 00:00:29
2025-04-22 · Though very tired, John says he is excited and motivated by his work and grateful to everyone who has read and shared Everything Is Tuberculosis. — The Unimportant Things 00:03:51
2025-05-06 · John met several TB survivors, including Gladys, whose extrapulmonary TB invaded her breast, an extremely painful and life-threatening condition. — Health CARE: Thoughts from Lima 00:01:56
2025-06-10 · John says a friend in Sierra Leone with HIV had his medication rationed by funding cuts; John promised he and Sarah would cover private medication, and the friend asked: what about everyone else? — 90,000,000 Lives for $20 00:05:50
2025-08-12 · John recalls that on a Monday afternoon in 2017, while rummaging through a drawer, his sense of balance suddenly failed; he fell to the floor and started vomiting. — On Balance 00:00:00
2025-08-12 · Sarah took John to the hospital, where they first tried the Epley maneuver, moving his head and body to rearrange the crystals in his inner ear; it failed and made him vomit more. — On Balance 00:01:40
2025-08-12 · John was eventually diagnosed with labyrinthitis, when a virus or something attacks the inner ear; in some cases, including his, balance is never fully restored. — On Balance 00:02:10
2025-08-12 · John says he cannot remember what having meningitis felt like, not in the acute way he remembers scents or sights. — On Balance 00:03:53
2025-09-09 · John says he barely consumed caffeine until his 30s, when he began taking Remeron for his OCD; it makes thoughts more manageable but makes him very sleepy in the morning. — Sorry, Hank, but Coffee Is Just Better 00:00:00
2025-09-09 · John says he no longer takes Remeron but different medications for his mental health, so it is a fine time to switch to decaf. — Sorry, Hank, but Coffee Is Just Better 00:03:24
2025-09-16 · John apologises for his husky voice: he has been sick. — After seven long years… 00:00:00
2025-09-23 · John says he is supposed to take three pills a day, one for cholesterol and two for OCD and depression; they are good pills, yet many days taking them feels like climbing a mountain. — Why Can't I Take My Meds? 00:00:00
2025-11-11 · John says he has been battling some ill health alongside the feeling he gets every November: if he is not sad, it is only because he is so anxious. — John's Annual Psychophysical Decline 00:00:00
2025-11-11 · John says his travel has been non-stop; he feels fortunate to preach that the world's deadliest infectious disease is curable and preventable, but he is tired. — John's Annual Psychophysical Decline 00:00:00
2025-11-24 · John says Henry just had his wisdom teeth out, got dry socket and was in terrible pain, and John felt terrible for him. — Good Store Holiday Gift Guide LIVE with Hank and John 00:44:47
2025-12-02 · John says that idea is very real to his own experience of depression. — The Meaning of Life with Hank and John 00:05:27

2026

2026-02-13 · John says he found early 2026 very stressful and difficult; he needs the Project for Awesome every year, but especially this year (2026). — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 01:10:53
2026-02-13 · John says his work in progress is taking a long time to write: in early 2020 he read it aloud in semi-secret livestreams, when he was sad, depressed and alone like everyone else. — Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! 01:15:37
2026-02-14 · In 2019 Partners In Health told John that $25 million was needed even to break ground on the maternal hospital in Sierra Leone, and he almost had a panic attack. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! 00:03:54
2026-02-14 · John recalls that when he was ill in March 2007, about 270 viewers sent pictures with stuff on their heads to cheer him up, the first moment he and Hank thought of doing more with the community. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! 00:08:24
2026-02-14 · Dropping in on Hank's shift, John says he is sick with an earache and a throat ache. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 3! 06:48:20
2026-02-15 · John does not need a yacht: he dislikes boats because a vestibular disorder from his labyrinthitis in 2017 makes him sick; he is glad they are hiring community health workers in Lesotho. — Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! 03:12:33
2026-03-17 · John says the reason Hank is in so much pain turns out to be that he has shingles again. — Tuberculosis and Hank's Shingles 00:00:58
2026-04-07 · John notes Hank has always had to destigmatize pooping somewhat because he has ulcerative colitis. — I've Been Pooping All Wrong 00:01:56
2026-04-14 · Scared and anxious, Sia was taken by ambulance to an available operating room and delivered a healthy baby boy by emergency C-section; mother and baby are doing great. — Babies. Babies. Babies. 00:02:55
2026-05-05 · John marks Hank's 46th birthday: he was born 46 years ago today and survived childhood scarlet fever and other illnesses that a century earlier might have killed him. — Noted Brother Hank Green 00:00:03
2026-05-26 · John's reasons: running such a big thing is stressful, and Complexly is healthy with an amazing team that doesn't need him, so he can focus on his fulfilling writing. — Hank Green Is a Fool 00:05:05
2026-07-07 · In Turtles All the Way Down John tried to accept the problem and talked about his own OCD alongside the character's, which made him feel squeamish. — On the Death of the Author 00:04:25
2026-08-18 · John is very anxious because no one has read the book yet and he does not know whether it is good or will be well received; the endless worries keep him up at night. — My Nemeses 00:00:00
2026-08-18 · Instead of denying his anxiety, John manages it with the tools he has, medicine being one: he has been trying hard to take it every day. — My Nemeses 00:00:58
2026-08-18 · John's favorite tool from therapy is to give anxiety a set time: he lights a candle, sets a 15-minute timer, checks things like pre-sales, then blows out the candle and moves on; it does not always work but helps. — My Nemeses 00:01:27
2026-08-25 · John is part of the first generation of Americans who never had to fear measles or polio, thanks to vaccines, or death from TB or scarlet fever, thanks to antibiotics. — The Great Thing about Infectious Disease 00:00:58
2026-08-25 · Hank probably would not exist either: he had scarlet fever as a kid, easily cured, but a common cause of childhood death in the 19th century. (hedged) — The Great Thing about Infectious Disease 00:02:26
2026-09-15 · John says the book's reviews so far have been exceptionally generous, which has slightly dulled his constant gnawing anxiety. — YouTube Says This Video Has 683,183 Views, It Actually Has 312,584 00:00:00
2026-10-08 · John loves travel and calls it a privilege, but he is tired of airports and limping to the finish of the Hollywood, Ending tour, missing his family, his bed and his wardrobe. — The Test of a First Rate Intelligence 00:00:29
2026-10-13 · In the description John calls his Hollywood, Ending tour a pure joy and the gift of a lifetime, saying he didn't get tired until about the 19th day. — My Lungs Are on the Outside of the Body 00:00:00
2026-10-13 · John says he met 30,000 people on his Hollywood, Ending tour and enjoyed it so much; too tired to take it in yet, he will spend much of his life buoyed by the last month. — My Lungs Are on the Outside of the Body 00:02:51

Hank (179)