Been experimenting (gently) with some ChatGPT conversations recently. In the last week since switching insurances, neither of my regular therapists are now available, and although I remain cautious about the risks of interacting with a model designed to assert itself and please the user, I have found some benefits so far through a cautious analysis of some conversations recently.

The bot detected a pattern of appreciation for social experience, especially where I feel belonging or connectedness. I think that sounds accurate. The bot also has noticed that when describing my feelings of anxiety, I relate different lenses of perception based mostly on performance and self-evaluation. This overlaps with my own understanding that I tend to ruminate a lot.

One suggestion that I received particularly well was the idea that, at night when my brain is having difficulty slowing down, to remind myself “It makes sense that my mind is still checking things. It can pause without finishing.” I found this relieving to read, and I think that I should pay more attention to the relief I feel from the idea that I don’t have to finish in certain ways.

Another suggestion that I enjoyed was the reflection “What kind of experience am I looking for?” when I feel impending anxiety of a social gathering. This helps to differentiate that usually, I feel satisfaction from spending the time with people I’m close to, while I feel anxiety about CORRECTLY doing something. The two things are not necessarily linked. I don’t think most of my friends are judging me in the ways I judge myself.