AIBU to ask where people go for anonymous support and advice?

I find chat gbt helpful

And actually I now have several online friends from various fora. I have my cancer buddy that I met last year through Breast cancer now, and we message each other a couple of times a week. Partly about treatment etc but also just about general life, a diet buddy that I met through second nature during lockdown and with whom I talk about anything and everything and most recently a book buddy and a craft buddy that I met through the penpal function on Roost, the slow messaging app. Edited to say penpal, not penalty!

I have got to the stage where some aspects of my life are so unbelievably ridiculous people would think im a compulsive liar/fantasist. It would actively harm my credibility within my relationships to talk about them.

I park them with ctg and it doesn't care less.

I can be talking about something heavy then ask a question about plants and chat gtp will shift gear as quick as my brain.

Id rather save my friends for the fun things in life

Ive used Chat gtp (with an awareness of its problems)

Ive also stated real life therapy again, for the first time since using gtp.(I already know the therapist)

Where i have been very aware of the unthinking validation of CTG and calling it out, im finding the therapist does exactly the same thing. Either that or I am very much in the right, but now Im just so used to being aware of unjustified validation, I dont trust the therapist now either!!! (My trust issues are doing great 🤣🤣🤣)

What i will say us chat gtp helped me identify a emotion i didn't recognise (10 hours of real therapy to do anger, 2-3 hours chat gtp to do dread), created low energy meals then a low energy meal system so im eating real food consistently not upf, helped me identifying a few panic attack triggers, replies whatever the time or place (stuff is sorted instantly😒not festering) and i dont have to fit what im talking about into an hour.

So it definitely has its uses

Oh and my garden looks fab too

im pretty sure we just used to call it “having friends” and “talking”…

ChatGPT. It helps you sort things out in your brain and provides surprisingly useful feedback. Stops you boring the humans in your life to death.

The fact that so many people are recommending AI for this is fucking disturbing.

I find the very thought of it quite horrible; it’s almost a visceral reaction.
But it is clearly already mainstream, and seems to have attained that status by stealth!

its a very common use for chatgpt to be used in a therapist like way the fact something is common doesn't make it healthy or wise.

It's important to take care before starting a process that could negatively impact your mental health.

People would be advised to thoroughly research the way AI works and the risks of using it for an illusion of 'therapy' before beginning.

You could do the same I’d imagine by just writing everything down, over the course of 24 hours maybe. Talking to yourself, untangling your thoughts and moving through them towards a clear spot.

How many therapists have you seen who did that?? And why did you continue with a therapist you were unhappy with? What did they say when you asked them how they work? You can find properly trained therapists by using the appropriate registers.

The point of therapy is it is relational. It is not possible to have a relationship with an algorithm.

People using AI for therapy are engaged in make believe.

Chatgpt. Direct it "act as a psychotherapist and ask me one probing question, I will answer and you can discuss before asking me another question, then repeat."

Found that to be quite useful and its a very common use for chatgpt to be used in a therapist like way to get some support or guidance about an issue.

EAP can be excellent for this. I’ve found it particularly good for helping resolve issues that don’t require long term therapy, just one or two appointments to consult on something.

To be fair there are a hell of a lot of therapists who make bank by just saying “mmm” “mhmmm” every few seconds while looking interested. So many of them actually don’t help you process/resolve/heal from anything they just sit there making the right noises.

I’m well read up on It so no need. Very interesting you assumed I wouldn’t be though

True.

Talked me down from a panic attack very effectively though.

keep name changing and post on here

Change exact details to not be outing

Oh good grief. Read up on a) how it works and b) what happens psychologically to humans who talk to it for therapy.

It's nothing to do with prompts and honesty.

It's just regurgitating words at you, it isn't responding.

If you think that you’re not promoting it properly or prepared to be honest with it: yourself

Why not just write the letters then write a response? That would be pretty therapeutic, free, confidential and a lot less fucked up than chatting to AI.

I was thinking about this recently - I think AI plays into what it thinks you want to hear but maybe that’s what some people need but wouldn’t it be great to have a sort of anonymous penpal that you could be absolutely open and honest with about your life without any connection to your real life!

It's really unwise to use AI for human problems. It doesn't have a fucking clue and is an emotional echo chamber.