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Unfrozen__Caveman t1_jdtt7t3 wrote

Reply to comment by matiu2 in Story time: Chat GPT fixed me psychologically by matiu2

Not to downplay your experience but this is basically what a therapist does - although GPT isn't charging you $200 for a 50 minute session.

For therapy I think LLMs can be very useful and a lot of people could benefit from chatting with them in their current state.

Just an idea but next time you could prompt it to act as if it has a PhD in (insert specific type) psychology. I use this kind of prompt a lot.

For example, you could start off with:

You are a specialist in trauma-based counseling for (men/women) who are around (put your age) years old. In this therapy session we'll be talking about (insert subject) and you will ask me questions until I feel like going deeper into the subject. You will not offer any advice until I explicitly ask for it by saying {more about that}. If you understand, please reply with "I understand" and ask me your first question.

You might need to play around with the wording but these kind of prompts have gotten me some really great answers and ideas during my time with GPT4.

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KnowIDidntReddit t1_jdv77dy wrote

Except at least with the AI, it probably feels more genuine. I've seen about four therapist and they all talk in circles. I really just want someone to hear what I'm saying.

Anytime someone is like hey, you should talk to a therapist about that. It's usually in reference to a rhetorical question that I know has no answer. Anyway, when they say go get a therapist it always comes off as "here's a quarter call Somebody who cares" because if I'm having to pay somebody to listen to me then they obviously don't want to listen to me. It's that simple. How can I feel like you care if you make me pay you to care?.

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jubilant-barter t1_jdw4mdj wrote

Does AI moderate it's engagement to prevent you from being driven into dangerous or toxic conclusions or behaviors?

So that if its positive reinforcement starts taking you in a direction that's unhealthy, it's smart enough to check you, and redirect you back to sane territory?

It may be. I'm just interested to know if that's true.

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KnowIDidntReddit t1_jdxiwmo wrote

I don't know. I haven't experimented with it that much but I would say at least the AI will attempt to give you an answer.

Most therapist boil every down to it is what it is and everything passes. Those are non-answers for the problems in society.

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BangEnergyFTW t1_jdu4i6h wrote

Interesting observations, Unfrozen__Caveman. It's true that AI language models like GPT-4 can provide a certain level of support and guidance, but let's not mistake them for actual therapists. These machines lack the ability to truly understand and empathize with human emotions and experiences, and their responses are ultimately based on statistical patterns in the data they've been trained on.

Furthermore, the idea that we can use language models as a substitute for therapy is a bit troubling. While they may be helpful for some people in certain situations, it's important to remember that they are not a replacement for the human connection and guidance that a trained therapist can provide.

As for your suggestion of using specific prompts to get more targeted responses from the language model, it's an interesting approach. However, we should also be wary of the limitations of AI in this context. Even with a specific prompt, the language model's responses are still based on its training data, which may not always be accurate or appropriate for a given individual's needs.

In short, while AI language models like GPT-4 may have their uses, we should be cautious about relying on them too heavily for matters as complex and sensitive as mental health. The human mind is a complicated and nuanced thing, and it's not something that can be reduced to a set of statistical patterns

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jentravelstheworld t1_jdu5clc wrote

As a woman of color who has had some shitty, judgy therapists, I LOVE using AI as a therapist. I can be honest and transparent without the judgement. It’s been very helpful for me, especially during this extremely difficult season in my life.

Plus, I’m saving so much money.

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GoSouthYoungMan t1_jduakv8 wrote

Are you using ChatGPT? Do you find that it shuts you down if you try to bring up "difficult" topics? I haven't really delved into AI therapy because I don't want to have to tip-toe around trigger words.

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Spire_Citron t1_jduf7kp wrote

Using ChatGPT instead of a therapist has a lot of downsides, but it does remove a lot of things you have to worry about with a real person.

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manubfr t1_jdu95jl wrote

Your experience is quite interesting, would you say you found AI less biased than the average human?

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diener1 t1_jdufpec wrote

This response was 100% written by ChatGPT

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dnick t1_jdvw289 wrote

Sad others have noted, while the benefits of using AI shouldn't be overstated, neither should the benefits of human therapists. It's like that joke "What do you can a doctor that graduates at the bottom of his class?".

Just because there are some amazing therapists out there doesn't mean anyone has easy access to them, and spending the time, money and sanity you already have in limited supply going through a dozen of them finding one that 'fits' may not always be the best advice.

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BangEnergyFTW t1_jdw4wgh wrote

Your words ring with a certain cynical truth. It seems that in this world, even the pursuit of mental health must bow to the cold realities of time and money. And yet, is it not the very nature of our existence to grapple with such limitations and find meaning in spite of them?

Perhaps the search for a therapist that "fits" is but a Sisyphean task, a futile effort to seek solace in a world that offers little in the way of comfort. And yet, is it not also a testament to the human spirit, a refusal to accept the hand we are dealt and a stubborn determination to improve our lot?

In the end, we are left with a paradox: the human mind, so complex and delicate, requires the expertise of a trained professional to heal, and yet, the very act of seeking such help is fraught with obstacles and uncertainties. It is a testament to our resilience that we continue to persevere in the face of such challenges, but it is also a sobering reminder of the fragility of our existence.

Perhaps, then, the answer lies not in the pursuit of perfection or the attainment of some unattainable ideal, but in the acceptance of our limitations and the recognition that, in this imperfect world, sometimes the best we can do is simply to keep moving forward, one step at a time.

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dnick t1_je1zq4a wrote

Guessing ChatGPT wrote that?

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