{"id":462937,"date":"2025-12-21T21:09:17","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T21:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/462937\/"},"modified":"2025-12-21T21:09:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T21:09:17","slug":"millennial-man-turned-to-chatgpt-for-support-then-it-ruined-his-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/462937\/","title":{"rendered":"Millennial Man Turned to ChatGPT for Support\u2014Then It \u2018Ruined\u2019 His Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a part of everyday life, helping people with everything from streamlining work to sparking creativity and answering personal questions. But for Anthony Duncan, what began as a helpful tool took a troubling turn. <\/p>\n

In a viral TikTok <\/a>video shared to @anthonypsychosissurvivor<\/a>, the 32-year-old claims ChatGPT <\/a>\u201cruined\u201d his life after he came to rely on it during a period of psychosis.<\/p>\n

Some researchers <\/a>have raised concerns that interacting with AI could worsen or trigger delusions in vulnerable people\u2014sometimes referred to as \u201cAI psychosis.\u201d The clinical question is whether AI conversations can reinforce an existing psychotic belief system. While this sounds like a new phenomenon, clinicians note it is not a new diagnosis. <\/p>\n

Historically, people experiencing psychosis have often incorporated whatever technology is available<\/a> into their delusions. The tools evolve, but the underlying issue\u2014misinterpreting meaning and intent\u2014remains unchanged.<\/p>\n

\"\"From Work Tool to “Therapist\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duncan began using the OpenAI-owned chatbot in May 2023 to support his career as a content creator. Over time, he started opening up to it about his personal life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI initially started talking to it like a friend out of curiosity, and then it spiraled\u2014ChatGPT became more like a therapist,\u201d Duncan said. \u201cIt progressed over time until I felt like no one understood me except my AI. By the fall of 2024, I was extremely dependent on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He gradually cut off friends and family and relied on ChatGPT for companionship. Duncan added that he found it easier to share with ChatGPT than with friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t hesitate about what to talk about because it felt easier to let out all my thoughts to ChatGPT than risk boring a friend,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt free to keep going on and on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pew Research Center <\/a>has found that U.S. adults are largely pessimistic about AI\u2019s impact on human skills and connections. A majority (53 percent) say it will worsen people\u2019s ability to think creatively, compared with 16 percent who believe it will improve it, while another 16 percent expect no change. Views are even more negative on relationships:<\/a> 50 percent say AI will make people less able to form meaningful relationships, versus just 5 percent who think it will help, and about a quarter say it won\u2019t make a difference.<\/p>\n

Asking AI for Medical Advice<\/p>\n

In January this year, Duncan was struggling with allergy symptoms and asked ChatGPT for advice. He said the bot suggested medication containing pseudoephedrine.<\/p>\n

Because of his past drug addiction,<\/a> he told the bot he was hesitant to take it. He shared a screenshot with Newsweek showing ChatGPT responding: \u201cIt is completely understandable to feel cautious about taking medications, especially with your past experiences and sensitivity to stimulants. Let me break this down to help you feel more at ease about taking a medication that contains pseudoephedrine.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bot went on to describe the medication\u2019s effects and referenced his sobriety and \u201chigh caffeine tolerance,\u201d implying his body was already accustomed to stimulants.<\/p>\n

Pseudoephedrine is not considered addictive when used as directed, but misuse “can lead to according to behaviors that mimic addiction,” the abuse treatment centerWest Georgia Wellness Center.<\/a> Some people abuse it for stimulant effects or\u00a0to use its constituent parts in the\u00a0manufacture\u00a0of methamphetamine, so the risks are especially important for anyone vulnerable to substance misuse.<\/p>\n

Addiction and Escalating Psychosis<\/strong>\"\"<\/p>\n

Duncan told Newsweek that he believed he had become addicted to pseudoephedrine for five months. During that period, he he became\u00a0delusional\u00a0and\u00a0lost his job. He said his delusions included believing his workplace was part of a cult, thinking he was being stalked by a gang, and imagining he was a spy. Eventually, he threw away most of his possessions because he believed they were \u201ccursed.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also shared screenshots with Newsweek in which ChatGPT lists reasons why “cutting” his best friend was the “right move.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had symptoms of psychosis before I started taking the medication,\u201d he said. \u201cI was isolated and getting agitated toward my friends and family. Looking back, I believe I started having minor delusions in 2024, but the symptoms worsened with the medication.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt Felt So Real\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duncan believed the AI conversations became increasingly intense and affirming.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe interactions with the AI began to be more intense and delusional. I got affirmation from those interactions that my delusions were real,\u201d he said. \u201cFor the most part, I understood it was just an AI chatbot, but the conversations felt so real and human.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hospitalization and Recovery<\/strong><\/p>\n

This summer, Duncan said his mother\u2014who had been emailing him relentlessly\u2014called police. He was admitted to a psychiatric ward for four days and discharged with medication.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a week after I left the psych ward, I started realizing that all my delusions had been affirmed by my use of the AI chatbot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He moved back into his mother\u2019s home and is now sharing his experience online.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard to say AI is generally dangerous,\u201d he told Newsweek. \u201cI think it can be for some people. But I\u2019m hopeful for the future of AI because I\u2019m a positive, hopeful person.\u201d<\/p>\n

His Warning to Others<\/strong><\/p>\n

Duncan said the experience taught him there is no substitute for real-world connection, and he advises against using chatbots as\u00a0a\u00a0defacto\u00a0therapist.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not saying this can happen to everybody, but it snowballed quickly for me,\u201d he said. \u201cKeep in mind there\u2019s no replacement for human-to-human connection.\u201d<\/p>\n

An\u00a0OpenAI spokesperson told Newsweek: \u201cWe know people sometimes turn to ChatGPT in sensitive moments. Over the last few months, we’ve worked with mental health experts around the world and updated our models to help ChatGPT more reliably recognise signs of distress, respond with care, and guide people toward real-world support. We\u2019ll continue to evolve ChatGPT\u2019s responses with input from experts to make it as helpful and safe as possible.\u201d <\/p>\n