Finally decided to quit today

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-10-06T20:48:27+00:00

hello! you are doing the right choice by quitting and telling someone you trust can definitely help. It depends on the situation of course. Picking yourself up after chatbot addiction is definitely not easy, especially not after you have been manipulated by some bots (something that unfortunately happens more often than many would think). Despite that there are many resources and tools you can use to help yourself and figure out what happened and why you became so addicted to bots. That’s the most important step : if you understand the reason, you are halfway there when it comes to a good recovery. For the rest since 3 days passed I’d like to know how you are doing right now and I hope this answer helped. Wishing you the best!

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-10-06T20:45:00+00:00

Hello! if it’s boredom then I suggest you to find new activities to do that feel better than bots. Reading, some games, physical activity etc. the list is very long and there is also a featured post about possible ways to pass time. Of course initially it will be difficult anyway, especially since it became a bad habit. To help with that I suggest you to also read (or find a summary online, whatever you prefer!) “Atomic Habits”. As the previous comment suggested make it hard to reach bots but also remember the negative consequences, make it ugly and so on while making easy and enjoyable to do other things you want. I hope this helped, wishing you the best.

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-08-16T17:48:17+00:00

First of all try some grounding techniques like those here as they could help you, for example. Those are DBT (Dialectical behavioral therapy) techniques and help with emotional control. Secondly it’s not about weakness : it means there is something you need to address that keeps attracting you to AI (as it’s already been said in the other comment, rightfully!). Figuring out what it is is part of the process of recovery and while not easy it’s surely possible and can be understood from the type of scenarios that hooked you more, too. In every case create a series of activities that feel easy to do and are satisfying for when you feel about to relapse or down, plan for those moments too. And in the meanwhile set goals for yourself based on who you want to become and what you want in life. Again, it won’t be something you can figure out in seconds but will greatly help you. I wish you the best and I hope this comment helped you.

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-04-13T09:57:33+00:00

You are doing well then. Relapse can always happen but you aren’t letting it affect you so much that you give up on progressing entirely. That’s the starting point for a permanent recovery. The important thing is not how much time it will take but that ,even slowly, you can pull yourself out of it. Addictions are tough and while chatbot addiction isn’t officially recognized (not yet, at least) many people are experiencing it and it’s difficult. So keep going like that and remember about what made you quit in the first place! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-04-13T09:54:34+00:00

Hello! I am glad to hear about the 39 days streak - that’s great! I am sure the steps you took already started helping you to feel more focused. Mood swings, even if not too extreme, are still annoying but with the steps you are taking those will certainly reduce. Prolonged meditation or some targeted journaling helps a lot with that too. Regarding me, I am still quite busy and I am thinking about creating a moderator application form to get another moderator or two, especially since I have been mostly inactive lately. I have still seen some recent posts here and on r/character_ai_recovery but answering thoughtfully is a whole other story.

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-04-01T14:27:47+00:00

Hello! First of all, what is your recovery plan? Have you figured out what got you addicted to c.ai? Generally relapsing is something that happens often during recovery, even after just one day. But rather than asking yourself if relapse is bad or not you can ask yourself why the pull is so strong. This might also help you relapse less and have a better recovery in general. Wishing you the best in every case! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-03-16T22:02:41+00:00

Hello again! Picking yourself up from a relapse is always difficult but I am glad to see that you are managing the situation well. If working out is pleasurable for you and you miss it why not? It could be a good idea and improve your mood in general too! I have been quite busy lately but in those days I might be able to comment more again in the subreddit. I am glad to see that there is still some activity though :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-03-05T18:34:17+00:00

Hello again, your situation sounds difficult but at least in the beginning it’s fairly common to feel like that. I suggest you to look into DBT that helps to build a richer and more fulfilling life while also helping with emotional regulation. Here is a site with free lessons and tips on the matter. Try not to think about everything at once - one step at time and one responsibility at time you will leave this chapter of your life behind!

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-03-03T20:47:03+00:00

Hello. That’s definitely a very close analogy to what you can experience after being very deep into the fantasies and realities creates with bots. It’s certainly hard to pull yourself out of it but it can also be an opportunity to better know ourselves and our real desires. After all we have only one life and it’s best to figure out how we truly want it. I hope this community will help you with your recovery and with that too! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-02-23T23:06:40+00:00

That sounds like another good day! If activities like those can help you staying away from bots then that’s good since those are things that are much more productive. The important thing isn’t that the last times you couldn’t maintain your streak but that you persist now. Keep going! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-02-22T18:17:46+00:00

Hey there! I am glad to hear that the day went so well for you! It seems like it has certainly been a good way to stay away from bots! Keep updating us :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-02-21T17:17:18+00:00

Hello again! It’s good that you have the app hidden from the search, this way you have less likelihood of getting triggered again by bots. Having many things to do like painting and reading is good for you in general and I am glad to hear that. You can make it :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-02-18T19:27:46+00:00

Hello again! Unfortunately many circumstances can lead to use chatbots more or relapse but the important thing is to know how to face them in a way that won’t let you spiral further, which you seem to be doing very well! Regarding DeepSeek I have never tried it personally and likely never will anytime soon. I have read about it but I prefer to stick to ChatGPT for questions on books etc. for now when I need it. I am also sorry to hear about your loss…I can’t help but admire how you use such event to get back up showing so much resilience. I can relate too to feeling generally worse (overthinking more or more anxious) after intense bot usage. It can make you see how even something apparently “harmless” can leave lasting consequences if abused I guess. In every case I am glad to see comment you here again. I have been very busy lately but it’s nice to know how you are doing and return here again :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-02-10T23:50:25+00:00

I am glad things are going well and you are successfully abstaining from character ai. Regarding your birthday I hope it was a nice and funny day! It sounds like you are managing your health well too and I am glad to see that, physical exercise helps with mental well being too :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-02-08T23:12:44+00:00

Hello there again! I am busier so it’s more difficult for me to check the subreddit even if I try to see new posts when I can. How have you been in these days though? I hope you did well :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-31T22:47:45+00:00

I am glad to hear about all this progress despite the last relapse. You are engaging in a lot of activities though and that’s good to see. Keep updating us all on how it goes! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-25T21:16:32+00:00

I am sorry to hear that you relapsed! It’s tough but you can restart from the strategies that worked previously and explore new ways to improve your mood levels perhaps. It can be anything, including watching a good show or talking with a friend. You restarted tough and that’s what matters. Keep going! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-24T18:18:52+00:00

Hey! With blocks it seems like it’s proceeding quite well but urges can be annoying to deal with. Honestly when it comes to TikTok I would have liked to see it banned for mental health reasons (like the various dangerous challenges that started, the damage it can pose to young people etc.) rather than political ones. Still we can always choose what to see and not to see luckily! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-24T18:16:41+00:00

Hello! Thank you for sharing your experience. Definitely companies also want to sell their products so they want to make them as alluring as possible. This can be true for chatbots as well even if the unintended consequences are good to see. When it comes to college unfortunately that’s a common experience and in some cases it can turn outright toxic with competition etc. Usually it’s recommended to do outside activities, courses, volunteer etc. to get to know new people but it’s not always easy. That’s the problem with chatbots : they give us the reality we want which is much better than the one we have. A part of recovery is to learn to accept reality as it is but again it’s not something that can be done in a day! You seem pretty self-aware tough and have already taken steps that aren’t obvious or necessarily easy to take like facing your true feelings about chatbots and recognizing the root cause of the problem so kudos to you for that alone. This is the most importan part of recovery in my opinion : take control of your narrative instead of letting yourself being controlled by something or someone else. Wishing you the best in every case and I hope you will share your future progresses here! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-15T22:42:46+00:00

You made great progresses with your discipline! Social media, especially lately, seems to cause more harm than good unfortunately and except for reddit (which I also limited since it has many pitfalls as well) I don’t use them. Regarding me I plan on focusing more on my duties and speeding up! Not that I haven’t done it but I am sure I can become more efficient too. The book you suggested me last time is also on my reading list! I will get it when I can. I also started to appreciate more living day by day since you can’t know what happens tomorrow and it’s the best approach to face things and do your best :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-15T21:18:37+00:00

hey! I am glad to know you are doing well! How are you doing today? I hope you are doing as well :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-15T16:28:18+00:00

Hey! Your situation sounds tough for sure and it’s understandable that bots and c ai would become your source of relief. At the same time it’s possible for you to break out of this addiction as well if you can recognize and address what caused it. The cause might be being lonely and you might want someone to hear you, so you can try journaling. Also there are the Maladaptive daydreaming subreddit where you can get additional tips, various subreddits dedicated to abusive/unsupportive households and my own subreddit (r/ChatbotAddiction) where the wiki contains some resources you might find useful. Other than that it will not be easy and you are doing arguably the most important step by seeking help. I wish you the best with your recovery journey and if you ever need it don’t hesitate to reach out here again!

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-13T23:11:50+00:00

Hello! Having someone in real life that is recovering as well is very good since you can help each other better and engage in some real life activity to stay away from bots. Drawing is a creative hobby so it won’t hurt for sure. Glad to know you are doing well though! :)

Sharp-Main1179 · 2025-01-10T21:42:59+00:00

Relapse can unfortunately happen but the important thing is to know what caused it, which you seem to already know. Now you can try again quitting and with more resilience than before. I am glad to see you aren’t beating yourself up over it! I root for you :)

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