I Tried ChatGPT for Therapy. Here's What I Found.

With something as complex and human as mental health, it feels wrong to put it in the hands of AI.

- By Patricia Manarang

I believe in signs from the universe. It could be some words on a billboard or a song on the radio. Chalk it up to confirmation bias or desperation. But if there's something I'm on the fence about buying that I see an ad for, I'll go buy it immediately. If I'm stuck on a decision, I'll wait for a song to come on and let its lyrics indirectly tell me what to do.

Unfortunately, I can't help but have this carry over to my online habits. I look to the Internet for advice on everything. It's extremely helpful 95 percent of the time, like if someone else on Reddit has dealt with the same printer issue. But recently, I found myself spiraling deeper into TikTok and all the unsolicited advice they have on mental health, identity and relationships.

It felt like being led to a certain mentality or conclusion without a feedback loop. I was just being fed all these things, and I couldn't debate or talk my way through it. It was all consumption and no output. As my algorithm reinforced all this advice, I would find myself having zero original thoughts and having to shake myself out of it.

Personally, the main reason I do it is to unravel and understand my feelings or whatever I'm going through. Yes, talking about it with my friends and family works, but there's this nagging part of me that feels like I'm burdening them with too much. I know that's not the case, and I'm luckily surrounded by so many people who are willing to listen to me yap about the same topic and constantly reassure me. But it's hard to switch that part of my brain off.

I have also fallen victim to those tarot card readings and videos that say, "Use this sound or you'll lose him forever." It's embarrassing to admit, but no harm, no foul, right? Using TikTok in this way seems absolutely harmless, although my mental health could take a hit if the algorithm just repeats the same types of videos over and over again.