Story perspectives

Malala's Brother Discusses Trauma and Healing from PTSD

4/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Khushal Yousafzai, brother of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, reflects on the trauma of the 2012 Taliban shooting.
At age 25, he discusses struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression and his initial attraction to the manosphere, which promotes traditional masculinity.
He says the self-improvement messages were appealing but ultimately harmful.
He emphasizes empathy and support to heal and to shift the mental-health narrative by removing the stigma around vulnerability.

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Story summary

Khushal Yousafzai, brother of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, reflects on the trauma of the 2012 Taliban shooting.
At age 25, he discusses struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression and his initial attraction to the manosphere, which promotes traditional masculinity.
He says the self-improvement messages were appealing but ultimately harmful.
He emphasizes empathy and support to heal and to shift the mental-health narrative by removing the stigma around vulnerability.