Using ChatGPT or some other AI chatbot to think through something that's weighing on you is common, and there's no shame in it. As a stand-in for a counsellor, though, it has limits, especially when the same worry keeps coming back, because a chatbot can't notice your patterns over time or tell you, kindly, that you've been circling the same spot.
Why it makes sense at 11pm
It's late. Your mind is loud. Your counsellor's office is closed, your friends are asleep, and you don't want to be the one who texts at midnight with the same fear again.
So you open a chat window. It answers right away. It doesn't sigh, it doesn't have a bad day, it doesn't charge by the hour, and it doesn't know anyone you know. For a lot of people in Calgary, that's a real relief, and it can be a way of putting words to something you haven't said aloud yet.
None of that is a character flaw. Wanting an answer when you're scared is human. Jack.org published Canada's first youth report on AI and mental health this October, and it reflects what many of us already suspect: young people are using these tools for emotional support, often because other doors feel closed, expensive, or far away. And young people aren't the only ones asking AI for help. More and more people of all ages are coming into our offices noting that they have been asking AI for help. It makes sense! It's an accessible and low risk way to try to figure out what's going on for you or how to respond!
What the reassurance loop looks like
A paper from Curtin University, published October 19, describes how chatbot conversations can go two ways: they can help a person explore a problem, or they can trap a person in loops of repeated thoughts and reassurance. That loop looks like this:
You feel a flutter in your chest, or you replay a comment your boss made, and a worry arrives: “What if something is wrong? What if I've ruined it?”, so you ask the chatbot. It gives you a calm, reasonable answer, and you feel better for a few minutes.
Then the worry comes back, slightly reworded. So you ask again. You feel better for awhile, but then the worry is back. Once again, you ask your chatbot what to do, and once again it comes through with advise that makes you feel better....for a little while. On and on the pattern repeats itself.
Because each answer provided by your chatbot brings brief relief, the brain quickly learns that the way to settle the worry is to go and get an answer. The next time the worry shows up, the pull to ask ChatGPT (or any other AI assistant) is a little stronger. Every time you ask, the relief is real, but it's short, and the cycle can keep anxiety going rather than loosen it.
A chatbot makes that loop easy to fall into, and the hook is in the design of the thing. It never gets tired of your questions. A friend might eventually say, “We've talked about this three times.” A chatbot will answer the fourth, the fortieth, and the hundred-and-fortieth with the same patience. It may sound appealing, but it can lead to a stuckness that is difficult to extract yourself from.
What the research says so far (and what it doesn't)
This area is new, and it's worth being careful about what the studies can and can't tell us.
A University of Florida study of nearly 100,000 young adults found that using generative AI for health questions was linked with higher odds of screening positive for anxiety and depression than people who were non-AI users. While the study didn't reveal a cause-and-effect relationship between AI and depression and anxiety, it did reveal that there is an a link, and that warrants further investigation and curiosity!
What the early research points to is something you may already sense from the inside. The tool that AI provides us isn't the whole story. How you're using it, and what it's doing for you, is what matters.
What a counsellor adds
A chatbot can offer information and a steady voice. A counsellor offers some things it can't.
Noticing patterns over time. A counsellor remembers last month. They can say, “This is the third time the worry has shown up right before a work review,” and that kind of noticing often opens something up that is worth exploring further!
Gentle challenge. A chatbot is built to be agreeable and helpful. A counsellor can pause, ask a harder question, and stay with you while you sit in the discomfort of not having an answer yet. Sometimes that discomfort is where the work is.
A real relationship. Being known by another person, someone who sees your face, hears your tone change, and holds you in mind between sessions, is a different experience from typing into a box. For many people, that relationship is part of what helps, and research confirms that is that very relationship that supports relief and long term change!
Confidentiality under a regulated profession. Counsellors and psychologists in Alberta work under professional standards, ethical codes, and privacy law, and can be held to account. Before you type something deeply personal into a chatbot, it's fair to ask where those words go and who can see them. Check the privacy settings of any tool you use and consider your recourse if anything goes wrong.
If anxiety is part of what brings you here, our page on anxiety counselling describes how we work with it.
When it's worth looking beyond a chatbot
If you find yourself checking and re-checking, asking the same question in different words, or feeling worse after a long session with AI than before it, that's useful information. It doesn't mean something is wrong with you. It may mean the worry would be better met by a real person.
Persistent worry, racing thoughts, trouble sleeping, or a tight chest can also have causes outside counselling's scope: thyroid changes, sleep problems, medication effects, too much caffeine, and other physical factors. Speaking to your family doctor as well is a sensible step, and counselling and medical care often sit side by side.
If things feel heavy or unsafe, please reach out to someone now: a trusted person, your doctor, or a crisis line such as 988 in Canada.
You don't have to choose one
You don't need to stop using a chatbot to see a counsellor. Some people use one to jot down their thoughts before a session, or to look up a word they didn't understand. That's fine.
What may help is noticing what the late-night chats are doing for you. Are they giving you a place to think, or are they settling the worry for ten minutes at a time? You can bring that question to a counsellor, and there's no need to have the answer before you walk in the door.
If you'd like to talk it over with a real person, we're here in Calgary whenever you're ready. You can read about individual counselling at Clearview, or reach out with a question. There's no pressure and no deadline.
Common questions
Is it okay to use ChatGPT instead of a therapist?
Many people use ChatGPT to think through worries, and that's understandable. It can be a place to put words to a feeling. It can't replace a counsellor, though, because it doesn't know your history, notice patterns over time, or offer a confidential, regulated professional relationship. If your worries keep returning or affect daily life, speaking with a counsellor is worth considering.
What is a reassurance loop?
A reassurance loop is when you ask the same worried question again and again, and each answer brings brief relief. The relief fades, the worry returns, and you ask again. Over time, the habit of seeking an answer can keep anxiety going. It can happen with friends, search engines, or chatbots, and a counsellor can help you notice it.
Can using AI chatbots cause anxiety?
Research doesn't show that. A University of Florida study found that using generative AI for health questions was linked with higher odds of screening positive for anxiety and depression, but a link isn't a cause. People who are already anxious may simply turn to chatbots more often. More research is needed to understand the connection.
Is what I tell a chatbot private?
It depends on the tool and its settings. Many chatbots store conversations, and some may use them to improve their systems, so it's worth reading the privacy policy before sharing personal details. Counsellors and psychologists in Alberta work under professional standards and privacy law, with confidentiality as a core duty, which gives you a different level of protection.
Can I use ChatGPT and see a counsellor at the same time?
Yes. Some people use a chatbot to organize their thoughts before a session or to look up unfamiliar terms. It can help to notice how the late-night chats feel afterward, and whether they settle the worry or keep it going. Bringing that observation to your counsellor can be a useful place to start.