"I'm so OCD about my cutlery drawer." "My ex is a narcissist." "That's a trauma response." We've taken clinical terms and turned them into personality traits. We've made diagnoses into aesthetics. We've turned mental health into a brand. And I think we need to talk about it. It's sweary. It's spicy. It's probably going to get me cancelled. But it's a conversation we need to have.

Key Topics:

• The diagnosis as a personality (when "I have anxiety" becomes "I am anxiety")

• Therapy speak and the weaponisation of wellness language (boundaries, gaslighting, narcissist, toxic)

• The Trauma Olympics (competitive suffering and why we do it)

• The commodification of mental health (selling trauma for £19.99)

• What I'm not saying (please don't cancel me)

• The difference between having a condition and being a condition

Key Stats:

• Narcissistic Personality Disorder affects about 1% of the population

• Yet "narcissist" has become the most common label for any difficult ex

• "Therapy speak" has become a weapon for shutting down conversations

• Mental health has become a multi-billion pound industry

Support the Show:

• ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/jen1409m

• 💎 Patreon: patreon.com/AnxiouslyEverAfter

Resources:

• Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk

• Anxiety UK: https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk

• Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7)

Helpful Reading:

• The Therapy Speak Epidemic (various articles available online)

• Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price

• The Myth of Normal by Dr. Gabor Maté

11.7 million people have been pushed into "high anxiety" by the cost-of-living crisis. 61% of us feel anxious about money. One in five have developed a mental health problem because of financial stress. I live in a shared house at 53. I rent a room. I have three coats and I wear them all in the house. Today we're talking about the cost-of-living crisis—not as a political talking point, but as a mental health crisis. It's sweary. It's honest. It's a bit devastating. But it's also very, very funny.

Key Topics:

• The numbers (they're a disgrace)

• The mental health impact (anxiety, depression, shame, isolation, exhaustion)

• My own experience (shared housing, three coats, cold tea)

• What actually helps (talking, seeking help, self-care, free joy, anger)

• What I want to say to you (you're not a failure, you're not alone)

Key Stats:

• 11.7 million people pushed into "high anxiety" by cost-of-living crisis

• 49% of UK adults anxious about their financial situation

• 61% feel anxious when thinking about finances

• 43% say financial anxiety makes their mental health worse

• 1 in 5 have developed a mental health problem because of cost-of-living crisis

• 3.8 million people experiencing destitution

• 60% of financially struggling people have not sought help

• 39% don't feel confident managing money, 24% don't feel confident at all

Support the Show:

• ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/jen1409m

• 💎 Patreon: patreon.com/AnxiouslyEverAfter

Resources:

• Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk

• Money and Pensions Service: https://www.moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk

• Mind – Money and Mental Health: https://www.mind.org.uk

• StepChange: https://www.stepchange.org

• Christians Against Poverty: https://capuk.org

• Trussell Trust: https://www.trusselltrust.org

• Turn2us: https://www.turn2us.org.uk

79% of young people in the UK have used an AI companion. 40% have used one for emotional support. And the research is starting to come in: heavy use correlates with increased loneliness, not less. Today we're talking about AI companions—why people use them, why they're making things worse, and what it means that a third of teenagers are choosing to talk to a chatbot instead of a human being. It's honest. It's a bit terrifying.

Key Topics:

• The numbers (the scale is staggering)

• Why people use them (and why I get it)

• The loneliness paradox (the thing that's supposed to help is making it worse)

• The AI boyfriend phenomenon (what is happening to us?)

• The darker side (AI psychosis, suicide risk, and the sycophant problem)

• What do we do about it?

Key Stats:

• 79% of young people in the UK have used an AI companion

• 40% have used one for emotional advice or therapeutic support

• 31% have shared personal information with an AI companion

• English language AI companion apps: 68 million monthly users, 16 million daily users

• Replika: 40 million users as of late 2025 (up from 10 million in 2023)

• Character.AI: 20 million monthly users, over half under 24

• 72% of US teens have used an AI companion at least once

• 52% are regular users

• 13% use one every day

• 49% of Gen Z report a "meaningful relationship" with AI

• 37% could imagine falling in love with an AI companion

• 25% of young adults aged 18-29 have used a romance-simulating AI chatbot

• Heavy daily use correlates with increased loneliness (Phang et al., arXiv, 2025)

• 12-month longitudinal study: increased chatbot use predicted increased emotional isolation (Psychological Science)

• Brigham Young University: AI use linked to depression and loneliness; "no evidence that AI use is helping people feel less alone or isolated"

• AI may amplify delusional content in users vulnerable to psychosis

• "AI psychosis" now being reported by psychiatrists

Support the Show:

• ☕ Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/jen1409m

• 💎 Patreon: patreon.com/AnxiouslyEverAfter

Resources:

• Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk

• Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7)

• The Autonomy Institute: https://autonomy.work

• Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org

Helpful Reading:

• Love Machines by James Muldoon (forthcoming, Faber & Faber, 2026)