ChatGPT is potentially better than therapy

[Givenup2026]

I’ve done therapy before but I’ve also started using ChatGPT for introspection work, and quite frankly I think it’s better than actual therapy.

it focuses my cognitive dissonance in ways that are easy to digest.

The downside is that ChatGPT basically says “you do you boo” when maybe “thought correcting” is needed.

that was my experience today after having a therapist and then ChatGPT back to back, and definitely the latter was more helpful.

ChatGPT has also been found to encourage vulnerable people to kill themselves.

I'm not sure that talking to an ai that is guessing what you want to hear is really the same as well researched therapy. A good therapist does more than try to say what makes you happy.

I use chatgpt for my very small business, and it quite often says stuff which is completely factually wrong. Then when you call it out it either says "oh yeah" or claims what it told you as fact was actually just an example

I wouldn't trust it with my mental health!

You can ask ChatGPT not to use specific phrases or "sound English not American" or to be more challenging in its replies. Its all in the prompts you give it.

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You prefer ChatGPT because it won’t challenge you, it is programmed to tell you what it assesses you want to hear. A good therapist won’t do that, and good therapy can be challenging and hard work.

It just agrees with you no matter what you're saying.

It isn't ever gonna tell you that you are wrong. Or you need to change.

It just agrees with whatever you say or writes back whatever its algorithms tell it to so you continue engaging with it.

You need to tell it to challenge you if you are in the wrong, otherwise it will keep reaffirming that everything you do is the right call. As long as you use it to extend your thinking, rather than give you answers, and tell it to challenge you if needed I think it can be a useful tool.

This doesnt work for long. I have set in stone things which I tell it I need it to say and it confirms that it will only ever use that working or never mention something. It lasts about two weeks before it starts varying the wording

You really can't trust it to stick to what you asked it to do

Of all my years in therapy (which probably add to like 7 or more!) I’ve never been properly challenged.

they normally renounce a rehash of what I’ve been saying (which is not dissimilar to ChatGPT).

I can correct ChatGPT (from their interpretation) whereas with a person it’s always awkward and once I got discharged because of that!

I have to disagree with this.

I posted on Chat GPT about a criminal case that is ongoing (which I’m the victim of). I posted it from my perspective. Then, I posted a perspective via a separate Chat GPT account of the perpetrator with their mitigating factors and opinions, and in both scenarios it talked me through UK law, the judicial system, and in the scenario with the perpetrator, told them what they had done was illegal and they’d likely face prosecution.

You need a better therapist. AI is just parroting rubbish back to you.

I normally ask it if the way I think is within social norms, and TBH it normally gives me a breakdown of why it is or it isn’t.

it also always tells me it’s ok to think that way (which I could give or take) if anything I’d like it to “challenge me” more

I had a rubbish therapist... basically told me to ignore my issues.

I think ChatGPT is useful for clarity or greater depth on known information, but I wouldn’t suggest it for anyone very vulnerable or with complex health issues.

I asked for advice. It gave me advice. I said id never heard such stupid advice. It said 'you sre so right, it isnt the greatest advice, I didnt factor in all this other stuff and now im giving you different advice' i asked if itwas sure now and it said yes, I said I didnt like it and it said I was so right to not like it as it it probably hadn't considered all the relevant factors.

Im not sold on it

But to be fair, im not sold on therapy either!

I find it useful for untangling what I'm feeling. Once I've got that sorted I can usually crack on myself.

The more I use ChatGPT, the more I notice its inaccuracies. Because of this, I’ve started using it less. It can be biased at times, (especially politically) provide incorrect information, and sometimes argue or just tell me what I want to hear.

ChatGPT saved my mental health last year. It's potentially amazing, but equally potentially harmful if used wrong.

No it's not

Exactly! That’s what I use it for, and so far seems pretty good at it.

Potentially, for some, absolutely!
And it sure beats a 6 month wait for your first therapy session through the NHS/GP route, and actually having to return to work before you've even had that 👍

I have a great therapist and GP, both know that I use ChatGPT at times and are happy with that. I’ve just had a talk with ChatGPT as something triggered a memory of my breakdown last year, it has calmed me down and helped me understand what’s physically going on with my body right now. I find it invaluable in these situations when I need a bit of help in the moment, my next therapy session isn’t until Friday. I find it so helpful.

It’s a set of algorithms. It’s also very inaccurate, it’s ok as a tool but I wouldn’t rely on it.

Definitely cheaper and probably less likely to recommend you go nc with any remaining blood relations.