Skip to main content
Atticus Poet

About Atticus Poet

Last updated: April 18, 2026

Who writes this site

Hi — I'm Atticus. I write under the pen name Atticus Poet because the work I do here is personal, and pseudonymity gives me the freedom to write honestly about retroactive jealousy, intrusive thoughts, and the parts of relationships people don't talk about at dinner.

I am not a licensed therapist or psychiatrist. I am a writer and a former sufferer. The reason this site exists is that I lived inside the loop for years — the obsessive questioning, the mental images I could not stop replaying, the compulsive reassurance-seeking that made everything worse. I read every book, tried every protocol, worked with clinicians who knew what they were doing, and slowly, awkwardly, found my way out.

Everything on this site is what I wish had existed when I was looking. It is grounded in the same evidence base clinicians use — Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), attachment theory — and translated into language a person in active distress can actually use.

What this site is — and what it isn't

This is an educational resource. It is not therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. If you are in crisis, please contact a licensed mental health professional or, in the United States, dial or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Internationally, see findahelpline.com.

What you will find here:

  • Long-form articles on retroactive jealousy, Relationship OCD, ERP, attachment patterns, and recovery — written from lived experience, grounded in clinical literature.
  • Book insights and reading orders on the texts that matter most for healing — psychology, philosophy, and memoir.
  • Free tools — exposure hierarchies, journal prompts, a workbook, a therapist directory.
  • Personal essays on growing up, becoming an adult, and the uncomfortable parts of self-knowledge — clearly labelled as memoir, not advice.

How content is researched and reviewed

Clinical content (anything covering ERP, CBT, OCD, ROCD, exposure, response prevention, treatment protocols, or therapy choice) follows this process:

  1. Topic and keyword research, then literature review against the sources listed below.
  2. Drafting in plain language, with claims tied to specific peer-reviewed sources or established clinical guidelines.
  3. Cross-checking against IOCDF, ADAA, APA, and rocd.net materials.
  4. Where appropriate, the article is reviewed by a licensed mental health practitioner before publication. Reviewer names appear on the article when applicable.

Personal essays are clearly distinguished from clinical content. They reflect my experience and opinion, not a treatment recommendation.

Why "Atticus Poet"?

The name honours Titus Pomponius Atticus, the closest friend and intellectual companion of the Roman statesman Cicero. Atticus bridged the life of the mind with the demands of the everyday — a publisher, a philosopher in practice, and above all someone who understood that real wisdom means applying what you know to how you live. The "Poet" part is for the part of healing that isn't clinical: the part where you have to find new language for old pain.

Editorial mission

AtticusPoet.com publishes educational content on retroactive jealousy, Relationship OCD, healing, and ancient philosophy for modern emotional wellbeing. We do not provide therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. Content is intended to inform and support — not to replace — the guidance of a licensed mental health professional.

Sources we rely on

The academic and clinical sources we rely on most heavily include:

Correction Policy

Accuracy matters on mental health topics. If you find a factual error on any page, we correct it within 48 hours of notification. Please email us at [email protected] with the page URL and the specific claim you believe needs correction. We take every report seriously.

For a full description of our editorial standards, research methodology, and disclosure policies, see our Editorial Policy.