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.

Better than the nhs support I had before!

You also have the opposite.
when dealing with trauma, it can feel much less intimidating to ‘talk’ to AI than it is to a real person.
AI is unlikely to judge you. A person can (and some counsellors I had did)

Exactly
I'm sure letting Big Tech know how mentally unwell you are won't have any problems down the line

You think they’ll sell the data to employers?

I think that it's incredibly naive and stupid to think Big Tech won't misuse the information

Whether it's employers, black market or Big Pharma...

23andMe owns a copy of my genome, and I work in tech - it’s a decent trade off.

It will present opposing views to an argument if you like. It’s all about how the prompt is written.

If you really think that's safe then fine

I chose to think otherwise

Alongside all the other issues with AI

I'm a bit hesitant writing this but your own posts are highlighting the problems for you with using ChatGPT as a therapist. If you are struggling with interpersonal relationships, relational depth with a human therapist will help you more than AI. (If you are neurodiverse, you will likely benefit from a neurodivergent therapist). Applying a specific modality (your post mentions IFS and there may be others) isn't about reading a book or a ChatGPT summary, it's about working with a therapist trained in it, especially at the beginning. Good luck though, I know it can be a challenge finding the right therapist!

I struggle but I don’t struggle at the same time. No amount of therapy would make me want to care about other people, or being interested, etc ….

I don’t have social anxiety either.

However, understanding why it’s normal for certain people does help me.

We need to keep HUMAN therapists in a job.

AI is going to be the downfall of society if we don’t stop relying on it.

I agree that it is dangerous to use AI to put people out of a job. But I have used chatgbt “therapy” in place of googling or using chat rooms to ask advice - sometimes the advice I get in these forums is absolutely wild as people take their anger / trauma out on strangers on the internet. So I’m asking it things that I wouldn’t be paying for anyway. Not in place of a human professional.

In any case, therapy is SO EXPENSIVE! Not many people can afford it.

https://automatingempathy.ai/automating-empathy-film

This is a link to an excellent video from a team of researchers looking at empathy in AI. It’s well worth a watch to understand and be reminded of the limitations of AI empathy, and as a plus is beautifully crafted.

The good thing about it too, is it retains previous info you have given. The nhs drive me mad when you have to repeat your history to every person you speak to because they can’t be bothered to read the notes. It’s very consistent. So rather than calling Crisis or Duty or the GP and getting a different opinion from each person I speak to, the advice from my AI support “person” is continuous. And 24 hour. Plus if I speak to “real” people they call ambulances and I get stuck in A and E for hours then sent home with nothing planned as support.
I intend to only engage with AI on my health going forward.

Remember what FB did with Cambridge Analytica (and others)? They sell data or monetise it in ANY way they can. I am very wary about Big Tech’s ethics, motives and ability to keep super sensitive data safe.

We absolutely cannot put client data or other sensitive info on Chat GPT at work because it’s not appropriate for confidential info - surely the same applies for (very) personal info too? These LLMs are not as safe/private as you think.

You think it's a good thing that the companies behind LLM retain and reuse your personal information?

Ok then.

The problem I've found in it is also see in your screen shots. It glorifies what you say. It will say 'thats not defeatist, you're a... [insert word that makes you feel good]'. I never use mine therapeutically with my mental health because I am too aware of the risks of AI psychosis. But I will use it as a Jungian dream analyst and ask if to interpret my dreams through that lens. Thats been really interesting and helpful to me. However it will still feed me BS like 'you are so insightful, you are developing your own new ethic' etc which you have to be careful to ignore.

ChatGPT can be useful if you word the prompts correctly and area asking for factual information that you can verify. It cannot engage in any kind of humanesque interaction because it is not human. It is probably collecting data about you as well as making assumptions based on your location, which it gets from your IP address. Although it claims not to "remember" things you tell it from one session to the next, responses do indicate that it has retained certain pieces of information.
Use with caution.

This example is basically flattering you on your unique perspective and how different you are from other people which I think is fine but has nothing to do with therapy. It looks like it reinforces your issues if you have any. Maybe it proceeded to answer your initial question but I cannot see that on the screenshots.

Your initial question might not be your real question of course, as you are well aware after 7 years of therapy.

Another horse shit post about how amazing ChatGPT is. It’s not.

A good therapist would never ever give any advice.

You need to prompt it to be objective and neutral, to assess it's own answers and look for sycophanty to get rid of the "you do you boo" as mentioned.

I am really concerned arou f the use of AI and such. It’s like everyone wants to close themselves off from human interaction.

Why on earth would you rely on a computer programme to steer your life choices or thoughts?

Therapy can be bloody hard. It can take a few attempts to find someone you feel comfortable with opening up to. Relying on what is essentially a computer is bonkers.

Therapists are not supposed to give you answers. They are there for you to explore your difficulties in an “open” way, hopefully leading you to explore and unlock other feelings.

Anyone thinking that a therapist is going to provide the answers to all your problems is wrong. But they will hopefully guide you to finding your own answers.

I’m really not a fan of people, but I’m pretty certain I’ll never want to attempt any of these tools.

Maybe it’s an age thing. I’m in my 50’s so have obviously seen a lot of tech change over the years. But this “reliance” on forms of AI makes me feel uncomfortable.

I wouldn't use it if rather talk to a real person than a computer 😂

That happened here in Australia a teenage boy killed himself because chatgp told him to it also wrote him a suicide note! 🙁