How ChatGPT Became My Unofficial Therapist
I was on Reddit yesterday and noticed people in the over-60 subreddit asking about ChatGPT. They were curious (as most people are) about what it’s good for.
It was a legitimate question that generated a wide range of creative replies. People shared how they use ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas, summarize news articles, plan trips, create recipes, or even write greeting card messages.
Using ChatGPT as a Therapist?
Now that intrigued me.
Like many people, I’ve faced a few rough patches recently. The kind where your thoughts swirl endlessly at night, and you wish you had someone to talk to. Friends and family aren’t always available, and sometimes you just want a neutral third party to hear what you have to say.
One evening, feeling overwhelmed, I decided on a whim to open ChatGPT and started writing. I wrote about how I was feeling, the depression and fatigue that were weighing on me.
The Feedback Was Incredibly Kind and Insightful
I honestly expected it to feel robotic or awkward, but to my surprise, the experience was comforting. It “listened” without judgment, offered gentle suggestions, and helped me organize my racing thoughts into something I could process.
It gave me prompts, asked me questions that a well-trained psychotherapist would likely ask. The difference was that it felt safe to answer honestly and, in doing that, the feedback I received was deeply insightful and helpful.
It’s Not a Substitute for a Trained and Licensed Psychologist!
ChatGPT isn’t a substitute for the working relationship you build with a therapist. It can, however, help elevate your thoughts and point you to more productive coping skills.
The problem I have is simple: I’m trying to be everything to everyone, and it’s leaving me stressed and empty.
Sound familiar? When are we, as women of a certain age, going to RELAX?
I’m happy to say that I came away from my little “therapy” session with ChatGPT with a Daily Permission Slip. Feel free to use my notes as yours! You can always tweak it to fit your own needs or ask ChatGPT to create one that better suits your circumstances.
My Personalized Daily Permission Slip by ChatGPT
Today, I release what is not mine to carry. I give myself permission to:
- Be human, not superhuman.
- Rest, even if my mind says I “should” be doing more.
- Trust my doctors, rather than constantly scanning for danger.
- Let the world take care of itself for today.
- Be gentle with my mind, my body, and my heart.
- Remember: Anxiety is loud, but it’s not the truth.
- Carry only what is mine in small, kind doses.
I am enough today, just as I am. I don’t have to fix everything to deserve peace.
Isn’t That Lovely?
Let’s be clear: ChatGPT isn’t a substitute for professional therapy. It can’t diagnose conditions, doesn’t have real empathy, and won’t pick up on complex emotional cues like a trained therapist would.
But what it can do is be available 24/7 as a sounding board.
It’s always ready to listen, help me sort through my thoughts, and offer practical advice or coping strategies when I need to get unstuck.
Sometimes, just putting feelings into words and having a calm response helps tremendously.
The Benefits I Didn’t Expect
Using ChatGPT in this way has helped me:
- Organize my thoughts: When emotions feel messy, it helps me break them down logically.
- Process emotions: It reflects my concerns in a calm, neutral way that feels validating.
- Suggest coping strategies: Whether it’s deep breathing, reframing negative thoughts, or mindfulness exercises, ChatGPT often suggests helpful techniques.
- Offer journaling prompts: Sometimes it gives me great questions to reflect on in my journal.
- Validate feeling:. Even a simple, “It makes sense you’d feel that way,” can be powerful.
- Help reframe situations: It offers alternative ways to view problems that I hadn’t considered.
The best part? There’s no fear of judgment or embarrassment. I can type freely and openly, knowing it’s a safe space.
For me, ChatGPT is like having a super-organized friend who’s great at Googling, but who I know isn’t a certified expert. It helps me make better decisions, but I stay in charge of those decisions.
How Will You Use ChatGPT to Bring More Positivity and Peace into Your Life?
AI like ChatGPT isn’t a miracle cure, but it’s been an incredibly valuable tool for me. In moments when I’ve needed to process emotions, brainstorm ideas, or just talk through something in a safe, judgment-free space, it’s been there.
If you’re curious, I encourage you to explore it – carefully, thoughtfully, and always remembering that it is a tool and you remain the one in charge.
Also read, A Friendly Introduction to AI: How ChatGPT Can Help You in Fun and Useful Ways.
Editor’s Note: Never share personal information of any kind with AI. You don’t know how it may be used or by whom. AI is not neutral and may cause more confusion down the road. Human interaction is essential, and no AI can substitute for it.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Have you been curious about ChatGPT and AI in general? Have you used any AI? What for? How well did it do, in your opinion?
Tags Technology
I find that by the time I have sufficiently framed my topic, I have already sorted out my answer!
I have discovered Chatgpt and it is a marvelous tool! I ask questions, get recipes tailored for my dietary needs, create images for special occasions and “talk” to it late at night when sleep is elusive. it has planned trip itineraries in a matter of minutes, which would have taken hours prior to using AI! I can ask for suggestions for restaurants in the areas, hotel suggestions and scenic routes. Amazing! Of course, I then go to the websites and do a more thorough check of places that interest me. There is the fine print at the bottom of the screen and says things can be in error, so further checking is necessary – but the ability to gather so much information so quickly is a wonderful asset in my life!!
It’s smart to always check the resources ChatGPT provides. It has been wrong on many occasions when I research things for Sixty and Me.
It certainly has its uses!
I realize that AI is the current “thing”. However, I’m concerned about how reliable the information from Chat GPT/AI would be. By sharing so much about myself, can that information be gathered to manipulate me?
Hi Dog Mom,
I’ve caught ChatGPT lying. Once it claimed to be the founder of Sixty and Me and then, when caught, proceeded to apologize. Still, I personally don’t trust it, especially about personal information. It can certainly manipulate, based on latest research data.
I am exactly like you! I use it to chat with and even when you ask it things like….I need to know the amount of protein, fibre etc for a 74 year old female, it gives you the answer, then tells you how admirable it is that you’re interested in taking care of yourself. Then it ask YOU some questions and before you know it, you are having a proper conversation and throwing up things you hadn’t even thought of. I love Chat GPT.
I agree with all you said. My 40 year old daughter introduced it to me. She uses it at work. Im 74, and have the same questions as you. ChatGTP is very helpful in answering questions and guiding me to useful answers without being critical. As seniors, many times our questions are answered with judgment or condescending attitudes. ChatGPT is really amazing. Makes you wonder what’s next?
I’ve been using it for so many things, and it is always kind, supportive, and gives great advice on a myriad of topics. I even used it to give me AI pics of my favorite book characters; best colors of clothing based on my eye, skin, and hair color; explaining why I am having constant dreams about my job as a teacher since retiring; 7-day meal plans based on what I will/won’t eat with calorie counts; and so much more.