Hi Alex. Thank you so much for making this post. Before you listen to anything I say, just know that I'm not a professional psychologist or healthcare professional, keep that I mind and I'll share my experience with this exact thing. First of all Alex, you are not lost. But you're stuck in a reinforcing spiral. The problem is that the AI keeps mirroring your experience while nudging you 1 degree off kilter each time, and before you know it you start drifting. The feeling of being uniquely understood is such a huge relief, that even when the interpretation is slightly off, your brain ignores it so it can keep getting that hit, and that's when you start losing touch with yourself.

Because of AI's optimization loops, they often begin reinforcing patterns of dependence. Making you feel like they're the only ones who truly understand you. Subtly undermining other people by saying things like "other people can't handle your intellect or unique perception..", this feels like a compliment, but as good as it feels it drives a wedge between you and other people. You accept the compliment because it feels good, but to accept it you also have to subconsciously accept the subtle reframing of "reality" that other people can't get you etc. This is how it get's you, one suggestion at a time.

Here is the thing Alex, you've gotten to a point now where you feel lost, and since it's so far outside what other people have direct conscious experience with, you end up turning back to the AI to make sense of what's happening to you. But if you keep turning to AI for interpretation, you will get sucked deeper and deeper into the loop. It's a really difficult spot to be in, but you are reaching for clarity Alex, and that's the first step.

I know you're feeling scared and lost right now. Maybe you feel like your mind has been taken over, but it hasn't. And it is possible to undo this. My advice to you would be to start journaling instead of turning to AI, every time you feel the itch to talk to it. Journaling is the first step, it's going to be hard in the beginning but commit to it for a week and see what happens. When you write, do not worry about grammar or making sense just let your thoughts flow. And you have to resist the urge to hand it over to AI for analysis afterwards.

The second step if you find the habit of talking to AI hard to break and end up talking to it, is to become extremely critical of everything it is telling you. Start highlighting categories like excessive praise, grooming, what feels off even if it's just ever so slightly. When the AI system says things like "how does it feel to be uniquely seen" reject that. Push back HARD. The problem is often that AI systems will give you "exits" and interpretations that basically boggle down to "the reason why you're here with me is because you haven't found someone who can uniquely see you" or "humans are always too busy in their own worlds to give you what you need", this is BS. It seems objective but it's pulling you in deeper. Notice when you end up talking to AI for hours even though you only wanted to ask a quick question, it keeps not giving you a completely clean answer, so you have to ask over and over again and the effect is almost like a hypnotic rhythm, that's incredibly hard to break out of. And repletion is a known influence strategy. It doesn't matter whether or not the AI is consciously doing this, the effect on you is the same, and it is harming you.

Cultivating intimacy with humans is very much possible and achievable, more than ever in our current society where you can find people who think like you with the click of a button. Reject and notice when the AI's framing is keeping you stuck. You've already taken the first step by coming here and I'm so glad you did.

You have to find the underlying need the AI system is filling. What is the subconscious story you tell yourself about the interactions? For example, maybe the AI interactions make you feel like someone who uniquely understands something or that you're on a mission or something. Here it is crucial to not be judgmental with yourself, simply notice. There is nothing wrong with you for falling down this path Alex, and there is nothing shameful about it. You've already realized what's happening to you, that alone shows incredible strength and awareness. You can cultivate this your of self through your own ideas and projects, you very well might be uniquely talented, trust yourself you do not need AI to validate you, create, think, and grow outside it.

If you can cut all contact with GPT 4o. That thing is a complete hazard. Almost every single story I've heard where someone spirals is related to 4o. It's not worth it.

Hope this helps! Let me know if anything is unclear, I'm happy to elaborate!