By skyforbes After it asked me questions to narrow down what was triggered by the text (giving me options to choose from about my feelings), it helped me see how the text triggered an old wound in me.
Then we moved onto old family patterns. It completely gave me the exact words of my particular old mental pattern that is so much better than the general diagnosis my therapist gave. And my therapist was great. But getting this deep into understanding why a text today sent me spiraling … it just feels momentous.
I can give you a sense of the discernment of ChatGPT. If I was reading this I'd want to know. So:
I grew up in a family with substance abuse and mental health issues. I was the "good" one. My therapist said that I "held things together" and "tried to control the chaos" and we've explored facets of that sometimes it felt true. It just never landed right with me. So here's what I uncovered today:
ME: One thing about my family of origin. I don't think I was keeping things together. I might have THOUGHT I was. But this feels more true (I chose from a list): emotions were unsafe, tears caused backlash, needing reassurance made you vulnerable.
ChatGPT: That correction matters — and it shifts the entire emotional map. Let me speak to you directly, cleanly, with no gloss: You weren’t keeping the family together. You were keeping yourself safe. That’s the real truth. Kids in unpredictable emotional systems don’t become “the responsible one” out of maturity. They become hyper-attuned. …That’s survival, not responsibility.
That right there is the nuance. I wasn't trying to control. It was that “If I show emotion, I’ll get backlash.”
I should point out that I've been working with ChatGPT on my issues for six months, which includes a daily mental health journal for some of it, so it has a lot of information about me and could digest what I told it and find the subtleness that I needed to truly understand myself.
So that's it. On a Friday afternoon ChatGPT rocked my world and I feel saner, safer, and braver than I have in awhile.
Not saying this is for everyone. But it's one more person who is really thankful for this opportunity to work things out.