If you want to talk it through with an AI
Updated:
Some people find it easier to type things out to an AI assistant than to say them to someone. If that's you, this page may help you use one with care. It's only one option, and you don't have to use AI at all. An AI assistant is not a person, and it isn't professional care.
What it can help with
Used carefully, an AI assistant can be a place to put feelings into words when they're tangled, or to sort through thoughts that keep going round.
It can also help you get ready to talk to a person. You might work out what you want to say to someone you trust, or what to ask a doctor or counsellor. It can help you think about where to look for professional support, too.
Things to keep in mind
A few things about how these tools work are worth knowing before you start.
- It tends to agree with you. That can feel good, but it may go along with thoughts that aren't fair to you.
- It can sound sure of itself and still be wrong.
- It is often built to keep the conversation going. You can stop whenever you like.
- It may bring up things you said before. That can feel like being known, but it doesn't know you the way a person does.
- It works best alongside people, not instead of them. If it starts to take the place of sleep, daily life or the people around you, that's a sign to step back.
- If it ever suggests harming yourself or anyone else, stop and step away. That is never advice to follow.
Your privacy
What you write goes to the company that runs the AI. It may keep your conversations and use them, for example to train its systems. Once something is written, it can be very hard to control how it's used, and it may not be possible to remove it.
You can still use it and keep more to yourself. You could leave out your full name, address and other details that could identify you or the people you talk about.
If you share a phone or computer, the chat history and the signed-in account stay on it. Look at the assistant's history and memory settings, and sign out when you finish if someone else might use the device.
A way to start
If you're not sure what to say first, you could copy these words into the AI assistant you already use, and change anything that doesn't fit.
The words below also ask it to point you to people if you mention hurting yourself. It may not do that, so please don't rely on it for your safety.
I'd like to talk about how I've been feeling. Please listen without judging me and without rushing to fix things. Help me put my feelings into words, and ask one gentle question at a time. Please don't diagnose me, and remind me that you're an AI. If it seems right, encourage me to talk with someone I trust. If I mention wanting to hurt myself, ask me to contact a helpline or emergency services straight away.
If things feel very hard right now
If you're in danger now:Call 000, Emergency (police, fire, ambulance)
If you're in danger now:Call 110, PoliceCall 120, Ambulance
If you're in danger now:Call 119, Fire and ambulanceCall 110, Police
If you're in danger now:Call 999, Emergency
If you're in danger now:Call 999, Emergency
If you're in danger now:Call 995, Ambulance and fireCall 999, Police
If you're in danger now:Call 999, Emergency
If you're in danger now:Call 111, Emergency
If you're in danger now:Call 911, Emergency
If you're in danger now:Call 911, Emergency
If you're in danger now:Call 999, Emergency
If you're in danger now, call your local emergency number. You can also find a helpline here:findahelpline.com
Please don't rely on an AI when things feel very hard or you might not be safe. Talk to a person now: someone you trust, a helpline or emergency services. You don't need to finish reading this page first.
What this page is not
This page doesn't recommend any AI product, and it isn't treatment advice. If you're seeing a doctor or counsellor, it can help to tell them you're using AI, so they can check that what it says fits with your care.