Cults, Control, and the Machinery of Belonging
65% of ordinary people delivered what they believed were dangerous shocks under authority (Milgram). A clinician's field guide to how cults really work.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
mental health
Still neon
15 articles, newest publications first. Browse this subject or search the full archive.
4 articles in the wider archive have updated wording and source notes. The other 164 have not been fact-checked as part of this review. Older topics and links are retained to keep existing articles findable.
Broicism: the fake stoicism hurting men
Men high in emotional control carry 2.32 times the odds of a lifetime suicide attempt. Broicism sells suppression; S.T.O.I.C.K. offers a modern reflection practice inspired by responding thoughtfully.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Therapy Speak: Why Everyone Calls Their Ex a Narcissist Now
Just 6.2% of U.S. adults meet DSM-5-TR criteria for NPD, yet TikTok tags every ex a narcissist. A clinician traces the concept creep behind therapy speak.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Schizoid Personality Disorder: What Clinicians Miss
Schizoid personality disorder affects an estimated 3-5% of the population per DSM-5, yet remains one of the most misunderstood diagnoses in clinical practice.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Burnout: What It Actually Is and How to Recover
43% of U.S. employees report burnout (Gallup) — rest alone won't fix it. It's a meaning and control problem, not just exhaustion, with its own recovery path.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
SDOH Referral Gap: Your Doctor Asked, Then Nothing Happened
1 in 4 positive SDOH screens never lead to a completed referral, 2024 data shows. Your doctor asked about housing or food — here's why nothing happened next.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
AI Mental Health Apps Keep Failing — What Actually Works
Nevada, Illinois, and Utah now fine AI wellness apps up to $15,000 per violation for misrepresenting clinical care. Here's what actually works instead.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
How to Actually Use Your EAP (And Why Most Employees Don't)
EAP utilization sits at 3-6% annually, per EAPA — even though free therapy, legal help, and financial counseling are already covered. Here's how to use yours.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Financial Toxicity: The Chronic Illness Cost
Medical debt is now the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the U.S. Here's what financial toxicity is and why it matters for chronic illness mental health.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
AI Mental Health Tools Are Failing
The AI mental health market is projected to cross $8 billion in 2026, yet VERA-MH found chatbots can't reliably detect suicide risk. WHO now demands more.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Burnout, Depression, or Exhaustion? How to Tell Them Apart
In one study, up to 90% of burned-out workers met criteria for depression. Exhaustion answers to rest, burnout is job-shaped, depression follows everywhere.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Emotional Regulation Is a Skill You Can Learn
Emotional regulation includes skills you can practice. What DBT research shows, what Gross’s process model offers, and why no strategy works in every situation.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Evidence-Based Therapy, What It Actually Means
A 2025 study found 52-80% of high-engagement TikTok mental health videos contain inaccurate claims. Here is what actually makes therapy evidence-based.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
Signs You Need Therapy, Not Just Self-Help
People wait a median of 11 years between a problem starting and treatment. Self-help does real work, but here's the honest line where it stops being enough.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article
What Is Mental Wealth? A Therapist's Definition
Only 17.2% of U.S. adults were flourishing when Corey Keyes first measured it in 2002. Mental wealth is the capacity you build on purpose to close that gap.
Matthew Sexton, LCSWRead article