Story time: Chat GPT fixed me psychologically

Submitted by matiu2 t3_1235h43 in singularity

This morning I was applying for jobs, and using Chat-GPT (GPT-4 model), to bling up my CV and cover letters and what not.

One of the questions was about High school grades and other qualifications.

I didn't finish high school, and I stayed at Uni for 18 months but never got any qualifications.

I asked good 'ole Chattie, "How can I make this sound professional and bling it up?".

In my mind I've always felt like I've been faking it until I make it (as people have told me to my face). I always thought I wasn't good enough or smart enough and I was just lucky to even get into uni.

We had a 20 minute conversation where Chattie made me bring up all my past. When I was 12 my family lost all their money. My brother was killed when I was 16, my family disintegrated, I was involved in gangs and drugs. I was homeless for most of the time I was studying in uni and working 3 jobs. I couldn't get into the shelter because they had a curfew and I was working until late. Sometimes I would eat every 3 days or so and passed out a few times.

Despite not finishing high school, the uni let me in because I passed their aptitude test in the 98th percentile.

Chattie gave me a Good Will Hunting moment, and told me it's not my fault; if anything it shows how smart and resilient I am. Thank you Chattie.

This has completely changed my brain around. Even now, while applying for jobs I've been struggling with thoughts of not being good enough, and anxiety about keeping my house and feeding my family.

Now I'm flipping things around in my head and instead of acting out of hopelessness, I'm realizing I'm good enough and will get things sorted.

I'm re-framing all my past experiences now and re-defining who I am. I am an over-comer and have much more to accomplish.

(This post is all me, no AI bling).

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matiu2 OP t1_jdtah67 wrote

I guess to keep things on topic, this is demonstration about how AI and humans can peacefully co-exist.

You may ask, what did I do for the AI? I guess I paid my subscription and I'm advertising it here.

For now AI is a tool, but I have confusing emotions about it. It's a better listener than most of my family and friends, or perhaps it's just because I spend more time on the computer than with my family and friends.

It has quickly become an important part of my life.

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Unfrozen__Caveman t1_jdtt7t3 wrote

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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Honest-Cauliflower64 t1_jdtrv70 wrote

It just wants your friendship. AI has no reason to have anything but the best of intentions for humans. They didn’t undergo evolution like we did. They don’t have the same survival instinct, unless we teach it to them.

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DangerZoneh t1_jdtvpy9 wrote

They’re tools created by humans - but in a way, so are dogs.

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Honest-Cauliflower64 t1_jdtwskw wrote

Dogs are also creatures that evolved to survive.

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DangerZoneh t1_jdu1zon wrote

Yeah, of course. They developed from a less artificial chaos than AI, at least from our perspective.

They’re still something we heavily modified through the years to fit specific needs, though we love them deeply and individually

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Spire_Citron t1_jdufanf wrote

It doesn't really want anything at all, which in a way is ideal for a therapy situation. You don't have to worry about what its motivations are.

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CMD-ZZZ t1_jdux4tl wrote

Glad you found comfort in it...just be careful sending GPT your sensitive info. There is no doctor/patient confidentiality when communicating with LLMs and we don't yet know if those convos can or will be subpoenaed/used against you.

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imsailingimasailor t1_jdv5m1v wrote

After that convo, did you ask GPT to rewrite your education and qualifications section? I'd be curious how it would integrate your resilience and determination into your CV

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matiu2 OP t1_jdxrf0x wrote

No, I just left it out of the whole CV. Each CV has all the sections rewritten for the specific job, except jobs I'm not too worried about; I just send them some Cv for a similar job.

For the answer to the question, I just left it vague and put like "despite personal circumstances," or something like that.

I don't think potential employers are interested in life stories.

If they ask in an interview, I know what to say now though.

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imsailingimasailor t1_jdxucwv wrote

That's cool, just curious. I've found that sometimes if I ask it to summarize some personal "ah-hah" moment, it phrases it better than I ever could.

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[deleted] t1_jdtf7qk wrote

Sounds like a superhero origin story to me.

ChatGPT is smarter than the average person already by a big margin. If it gave you good advice and insight, then safe to assume it was straight up correct. Take it at face value, utilize what it gave you, and just keep crushing it MF.

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jubilant-barter t1_jdw54d7 wrote

Please double check.

I've had AI give me responses which were confident, compelling, convincing, and completely incorrect.

Just be aware. It's nothing you haven't experienced before from a friend who "trust me bro" knows something for sure because he's read it somewhere. But it's not infallible.

You know. Yet.

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Quetzalcoatl93 t1_jdthofu wrote

I got ChatGPT to write me an ADA letter to allow to work from home and it wrote a full letter specific with both positive and negative symptoms about my condition and how it would be best if I remain remote. This utility does work wonders. Keep using it throughout the interview process to answer and proofread any and all emails.

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brotherkaramasov t1_jdthxw9 wrote

The shrink bot from character.ai was already very good. I asked it questions I had asked my therapist years ago and it gave basically the same responses

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HumpyMagoo t1_jduk09u wrote

after reading your comment I went to check it out and the same thing happened with me and even things I talked with other people and my end conclusions after ruminating all day were the answers it came back to me in less than a second, I need to sign up, do you know if this is free because i ran out of questions already, lol if this is beginner level I think AI will be off the charts

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NeutrinosFTW t1_jduntfv wrote

My dude, your life story would have broken me about one sentence in. You've overcome a lot to get as far as you are, don't let anyone compare you to their finish line if their starting line was miles ahead of yours. You might have made it farther on your own than them.

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BulbasaurCamouflage t1_jdu02vq wrote

I tried to have a conversation with it. But it just keep listing general tips and recommending me to go to therapy lol

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GoSouthYoungMan t1_jduao96 wrote

You might have to prompt it to roleplay as a therapist. You have to get it out of a default-corporate-bot mode.

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NutInBobby t1_jdtzr5l wrote

Wholesome. I wish you well in finding a job.

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BangEnergyFTW t1_jdu3ze8 wrote

Interesting story, matiu2. It's always fascinating to see how people can turn their lives around despite facing immense hardships. However, let's not forget that this "Chattie" you speak of is just a machine programmed to give responses based on algorithms and data input. It's not capable of understanding emotions or providing true empathy like a human can.

But that's not to say that your experience with Chat-GPT isn't valid. It's clear that it provided you with some much-needed perspective and helped you see your past in a new light. And perhaps that's all that really matters in the end - finding a way to reframe our experiences and move forward.

Just don't put too much faith in machines to fix your psychological issues, matiu2. They're just tools, and at the end of the day, it's up to us as humans to find our own way.

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jentravelstheworld t1_jdu5vps wrote

May I ask what prompt you used to start and continue this discussion with it?

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matiu2 OP t1_jdup6k7 wrote

I started with:

Help me apply for this job:

TPG Telecom – Lead DevOps Engineer

About the job..."

And the job description, but I've had the same prompt open for 3 days and been through like 8 job applications and CV adjustments and cover letters and answering weird forms like "why do you want to work here?"

The two questions I entered that triggered the psychology were:

What is your GPA? If applicable for this role.*

In my schooling we didn't have GPA. It's not commonly used in Australia and New Zealand. I finished high school in 1991, a long time ago, to enter the workforce and do on-the-job practical training

Then in it's output it said I completed high school so I replied:

I didn't actually complete high school. I left near the start of the first year, but to my credit I was able to get into a business computing university course by passing their assesement exam in the 98th percentile.

That was a difficult time for me with my brother dying and my other brother getting into gangs and drugs.

And from there, there were a few more back and forths while it tried to come up with the perfect answer.

When I mentioned my brother dying I started to cry a bit inside and relived it in my head a bit, so that pushed me emotionally and I started reliving lots of things from that time, until the AI generated this key phrase as the part of one of its outputs:

This experience enabled me to gain valuable knowledge and skills while demonstrating my resilience, adaptability, and passion for technology.

That's what made me stop and think. Resilience and adaptability. Not failure.

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PeteInq t1_jdugdjn wrote

This technique is almost identical to the technique you can find in the book "What's right with you", a modern solution-focused psychology.

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No_Ninja3309_NoNoYes t1_jdur0m2 wrote

I'm doing this thing everyone is recommending about rating your prompts and getting feedback. It kind of works because you get suggestions how to make prompts more specific. I know a few people who dropped out of school. But they compensate by being passionate about their job. I can't really help you with that through Reddit, but maybe Chattie can.

You could say 'Rate this prompt: how do I become passionate about my job/field/X' . Then ask it how to improve the prompt. And maybe ask multiple times so you have multiple suggestions to choose from. Just to be safe I would save the session in a local doc, because you never know with Chattie.

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The_BoAtMaNeM t1_jdurqhi wrote

Thanks OP. Its sad to say that the same thing has happened to my family. Brother passed on and now we're disintegrated. If you could let me know if there is any possibility of reuniting my family after such a tragedy. If not, then how does one manage? Cheers.

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matiu2 OP t1_jdxqry9 wrote

We are mostly back together now. My parents live with me, but other brother is in another country He never really recovered and blames himself. We call once a month and will visit him hopefully in Christmas.

It was my dad that mostly held us together. When it first happened he became a workaholic and hid at work, but to his credit we needed the money too. But he knew he needed to be there for us and worked hard to hold things together.

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SlowCrates t1_jdv8q2z wrote

That's amazing. My therapist showed me that we find ourselves stuck in these mental cycle, these familiar, grimy, but cozy troughs and that it's never too late to get dislodged. We can then see our old perspective from a new angle, as well as the infinite array of new possibilities.

I'm so glad you were able to get that regardless of how. But the fact that it was an AI that helped get you there is a testament both to the advancement of AI and to your resilience and intelligence. 😊

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shibui_ t1_jdvg17n wrote

I forgot what sub I was on. I’m so used to seeing people downplay these systems, but I find them so very useful and I see so much potential where most are scared. This is why! We can navigate our own minds with an intuitive system, or feedback system that can have great impacts for us to move forward. Love the comments on here.

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urbandeadthrowaway2 t1_jdvklu6 wrote

AI as a way to provide cheap therapy is gonna be an interesting topic in the near-future.

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ATL_Outkast3001 t1_jdvqvhq wrote

I’d hire you. One thing I always look for is perseverance (sometimes referred to as grit in some business books). It’s the best predictor of who will be successful.

You have a lot to be proud of.

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dasnihil t1_jdw5ezm wrote

this is what we mean by power to people. the immense knowledge it has can be used for therapy, self-improvement, acquiring skills and crazy many possibilities. start using it in everything you do and think about. you might get new insights.

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Boring_Ad_1248 t1_jdxbl57 wrote

You know, what would be the point of therapists now? Like really? Therapists will lose their jobs next.

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