What Happens To Us When Mental Health Goes Viral?

Listener SubscriptionMost of us assume that consuming mental health content is making us more emotionally intelligent. In this episode, I look at a different possibility: that the way platforms reward and distribute this content may be teaching us how to avoid discomfort more elegantly, not how to stay in it long enough to grow or repair.I break down how algorithms shape what kinds of emotional messages spread, why content that encourages exit and self-protection travels farther than content that asks for accountability, and what happens when therapy language becomes optimized for performance, shares, and watch time.I’m joined by Kati Morton, a licensed therapist and one of the largest mental health creators on YouTube, to talk about what happens not just to audiences, but to mental health itself, when therapeutic ideas become content at scale.We talk about how emotional vocabulary shifts from being a tool for repair to a tool for image management, why discomfort is increasingly framed as toxicity, and what that means for relationships, responsibility, and emotional development.In this episode, you’ll learn:How social media algorithms shape which mental health messages spread and which ones disappear.Why viral therapy content often teaches emotional exit instead of emotional endurance.What it means for relationships and accountability when therapeutic language becomes optimized for performance.If you consume a lot of mental health content and have ever wondered why it sometimes makes things feel easier but not actually better, this episode explains the tension underneath.Xxoo DarcyREFERENCES/RESOURCESwww.alternativescounseling.comwww.KatiMorton.com Why Do I Keep Doing This?: Unlearn the Habits Keeping You Stuck and UnhappyCREDITS“We Need To Talk With Dr. Darcy Sterling” is a Sterling Standard Production. Editing and sound engineering by Bart Migal. Our theme music is by Trending Music. Special thanks to Amanda Cristiani and Robyn Jaenchen. DISCLAIMERInstagram:@drdarcysterling Facebook:Dr.Darcy SterlingTik Tok:@doctordarcysterling X:@DrDarcySterling YouTube:@DarcySterling Threads:@drdarcysterlingWatch this episode here on YouTube. Listener Subscription