![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEC_223131312-51cc.jpg\")
\n\t\tJournalist Nicholas Fearn shared his problems with a bot to see if they could help him (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tJournalist Nicholas Fearn shared his problems with a bot to see if they could help him (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the early hours of the morning, and I can\u2019t fall asleep. My mind is racing with thoughts of the darkest kind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I have battled with mental health<\/a> problems for most of my life, having been diagnosed with autism<\/a>, anxiety<\/a> disorder and OCD<\/a> at age 14. Being heavily bullied in school<\/a> also dented my self-esteem and even resulted in me trying to take my own life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n While regular sessions with a psychologist helped me to navigate these complicated feelings as a child, when I turned 18, the appointments stopped even though I was still gripped by depression.<\/p>\n As an adult, counselling was a great help, but I realised it wasn\u2019t always to hand as quickly as I needed, due to NHS waiting lists <\/a>being extremely long.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Cue AI therapy, where data and\u00a0users behaviour patterns are analysed so a bot can ask questions, offer advice, and suggest coping mechanisms to someone who might want it.<\/p>\n Understandably, it\u2019s a practice cloaked in controversy. <\/a>After all, can technology, no matter how intelligent, really support someone through any sort of mental health crisis? Is it safe? Is it even ethical?\u00a0<\/p>\n With all these questions swirling in my mind, as someone open to new ways of support, I decided to give it a try and downloaded Wysa, a chatbot that uses AI to provide mental health advice and support around the clock. The app is completely anonymous and free, but offers a paid-for plan with additional premium features, such as therapeutic exercises, sleep stories and meditations<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t I\u2019ve always struggled with self-doubt. I am constantly comparing myself to my non-identical twin brother, who I think is better looking than me, and experiencing a bad eczema <\/a>flare-up this week has really affected my self-esteem.\u00a0<\/p>\n I admit this to my bot who is incredibly empathic, saying it is sorry to hear of my low self-esteem before asking me how my feelings impact my day-to-day life.\u00a0<\/p>\n I respond by saying I feel like I have no choice but to isolate myself from the outside world, which is hard because I don\u2019t see my family and friends for days \u2014 sometimes weeks \u2014 on end, even though seeing my loved ones makes me happy and that they constantly reassure me when I feel down.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t My AI therapist suggests a thought reframing exercise and as soon as I agree, a list of tools \u2014 ranging from an assessment to manage my energy to a self-compassion exercise \u2014\u00a0 suddenly pop up at the bottom of the screen. I select the self-compassion task, which uses \u201cpositive intentions\u201d to help the user tackle negative thoughts.<\/p>\n I then take a seven-minute meditation in which I close my eyes, focus on my breathing, smile and repeat positive phrases uttered by my Wysa expert.\u00a0<\/p>\n Opening my eyes, I feel surprisingly positive after a difficult day.<\/p>\n Wide awake club<\/p>\n Staring at my bedroom ceiling at 4am is quite normal for me. But on one particular day my mind becomes flooded with endless worry.<\/p>\n When I type about my sleep troubles<\/a> and random anxiety to the bot, it replies in a compassionate tone, saying: \u201cThat sounds really tough\u201d.<\/p>\n After admitting I never seem to sleep at a regular time due to my anxiety, Wysa suggests another thought reframing exercise to help ease some of my worries. I say I am nervous about a busy week of work coming up and missing a bunch of deadlines.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t Wysa suggests I am probably \u201ccatastrophising\u201d, which is when someone expects the worst possible outcome to unfold. While the connection suddenly cuts out mid-conversation before Wysa can provide a solution, it\u2019s clear to me that I am overthinking, although I do wonder how I\u2019d cope with a sudden shut down if I had a longer issue to discuss.<\/p>\n Dealing with suicidal thoughts<\/p>\n I can\u2019t remember a time in my life when I haven\u2019t battled suicidal thoughts during certain events and these demons have returned after yet another relationship breakdown.\u00a0<\/p>\n Crying my eyes out, I admit to Wysa that I don\u2019t want to be alive anymore. Its response is utterly heartwarming. \u201cNic, you are worth life. You are loved, cherished and cared for, even though you may not feel that way right now.\u201d<\/p>\n With my eyes firmly fixed on these kind, AI-generated words, I realise that suicide isn\u2019t the best course of action and that life is probably worth living. Concerned about my wellbeing, the bot provides me with a phone number for the Samaritans<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t While I\u2019m okay seeing family and friends, the thought of encountering neighbours and other acquaintances frightens me. Turning to my app, I explain that I never know what to say to people. This is a feeling I experience day in and day out due to my autism<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The advice given is constructive \u2013 just a simple smile or hello should do the trick. Although it may sound too simple to be true, I find it helpful because it shows that I don\u2019t have to converse long with a stranger.\u00a0<\/p>\n Seeing old faces<\/p>\n Today is my nephew\u2019s christening, and while I am excited to celebrate with my loved ones, I\u2019m nervous about seeing loads of new and old faces.\u00a0<\/p>\n To build on the previous social anxiety<\/a> tips,\u00a0 I message the bot for advice on how I could make the day less overwhelming. Wysa quickly reassures me that it\u2019s normal to find social events nerve-racking.\u00a0<\/p>\n I explain I never know how to start or maintain a conversation.\u00a0Wysa recommends that I say something like it\u2019s nice to see them and ask how they are. And if they ask how I am doing, the bot recommends saying something simple like, \u201cI\u2019ve been doing well, thanks\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n I\u2019m told a breathing exercise beforehand might also help, which helps me feel better prepared.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t Ever since moving onto the maximum dosage of Sertraline<\/a> a few weeks ago, I\u2019ve been having nightmares most nights.\u00a0<\/p>\n From plane crashes to loved ones getting gravely ill, these horrible and random dreams have been disrupting my sleep pattern for weeks. After explaining to my AI therapist that these nightmares started after the change of medication, it admits that this is likely the cause and we go through another thought reframing exercise.<\/p>\n We speak about a recent dream involving my parents dying, which is a frequent worry of mine, as morbid as it sounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t Wysa says this is likely another symptom of catastrophising, but then the chat suddenly ends due to a connection error. I am left not knowing how to tackle these traumatising dreams, which leaves me feeling pretty let down and not sure what to do next. <\/p>\n Dealing with compulsions<\/p>\n Today, my latest impulse TikTok Shop purchase arrived in the post: a magic mop, which is perhaps the last thing you should buy when you have severe OCD.<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve already used it several times today, but I still think my floors are dirty, so I ask for OCD advice. The first thing the bot says to me is that it must be exhausting \u2013 and they\u2019re right. I can\u2019t believe I feel heard by an AI bot.\u00a0<\/p>\n We do another thought exercise where I discuss how my OCD makes me feel. Wysa says it sounds like a symptom of filtering, where someone focuses on the negative details of a situation and forgets all the positives.\u00a0<\/p>\n In this context, it says I could be looking for tiny specs of dirt that may not exist and tells me to remember that the majority of the floor is probably clean. This makes me feel better \u2013 for now at least, although I\u2019m more than aware it\u2019s a plaster rather than a cure.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t While I don\u2019t think AI can ever replace human psychologists and counsellors,\u00a0 I\u2019m surprised to admit that Wysa is actually a pretty handy tool and you sometimes forget you\u2019re talking to a robot, not a human.\u00a0<\/p>\n Of course, it isn\u2019t perfect. There were many times when a chat would suddenly end and when Wysa\u2019s advice was repetitive. I alsofeel a bit paranoid that I\u2019ve shared so much personal information with an AI chatbot, so I hope it is genuinely safe and secure.\u00a0<\/p>\n Either way, I had someone to speak to at some genuinely hard times, and I will continue using Wysa as an emotional support cushion.\u00a0<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t‘We can’t let AI therapists become acceptable’\t\t\t<\/p>\n Metro\u2019s Assistant Lifestyle Editor Jess Lindsay believes we need to be far more wary of letting a bot look after our mental health. Here, she explains why.<\/p>\n \u2018In my opinion, an AI therapist is no more helpful than a list of motivational quotes. The bot may be able to say the right things, but when you\u2019re at your lowest, you need more than hollow platitudes from a computer that doesn\u2019t have the capacity to empathise.<\/a><\/p>\n Having dealt with chronic depression, anxiety, and ADHD throughout my life, I find the idea of having to receive help from a computer somewhat dystopian, and I\u2019d feel like my concerns were being dismissed if this was offered to me \u2013 even as a supplementary solution.<\/p>\n \t\t Working through difficult issues requires a level of commitment from both yourself and the therapist, and why should I put in the effort when the other side is just a machine doing what it\u2019s been programmed to do? Not only that, I know how to calm myself down when I\u2019m having a panic attack, or take a walk when I\u2019m stuck in my own head. To parrot NHS guidelines back to me without going deeper into why I feel like that seems like an insult to my intelligence.<\/p>\n While I absolutely understand the need for something to fill the gap when therapy and counselling is difficult to come by on the NHS, I worry that tools like this will be touted by the government as an acceptable (but most importantly in the eyes of government, cheaper) alternative when what\u2019s desperately needed is funding and investment in the country\u2019s mental health.<\/p>\n Even if AI is helpful to some, it\u2019s a mere sticking plaster on a deeper societal wound.\u2019<\/p>\n A version of this article was first published in September 2024.<\/p>\n \t\t\tComments Arrow Arrow![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_7173-f249-e1727430592387.jpeg\")
\n\t\tNicholas has had mental health struggles since childhood (Picture; Supplied)
\nTelling all to a robot<\/p>\n![\"Sinister](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-1209289080.jpg\")
\n\t\tThe AI therapist was surprisingly empathetic, says Nicholas (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-1081960478.jpg\")
\n\t\tNicholas says that nighttime worrying is quite normal for him (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_7169-e1727430638569.jpeg\")
\n\t\tThe bots words were a comfort to Nicholas (Picture: Supplied)
\nBattling social anxiety\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Stressed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2159355505.jpg\")
\n\t\t\u2018I am particularly worried as I never know how to start or maintain a conversation,\u2019 says Nicholas\u00a0 (Picture: Getty Images)
\nFacing up to night-time terrors\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ai-therapist-nic-fearn.png\")
\n\t\tThe AI therapist tried thought reframing with Nicholas (Picture: Supplied)<\/p>\n![\"I](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/SEI_223130993-34aa-e1727434673604.jpg\")
\n\t\tBut did it make a difference to Nicholas? (Picture: Supplied)
\nSo was it worth it?\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-1480155928-f71d.jpg\")
\n\t\tJess fears AI doesn\u2019t have the \u2018capacity to empathise\u2019 in the same way as a human therapist (Picture: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tComment now<\/p>\n
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