At a Glance
As NHS waitlists grow, many people are turning to AI chatbots for mental health support. While these tools offer quick, accessible help, they can’t replace human understanding or professional care. Real progress in healing comes from genuine connection, empathy, and tailored guidance from experienced and trained practitioners, like hypnotherapists.
Trust Humans With Your Mental Health Over AI
With less stigma around mental health issues and better accessibility to resources, many people are now seeking help for psychological distress. But there are still many who, despite their best intentions, can’t access professional mental health help. The British Medical Association has revealed that 1.7 million people are on the waitlist for mental health issues.
This has led many Brits to seek help from AI-powered LLM chatbots. Google searches for “AI therapist” in the UK increased by 255% in September 2025 due to increasing pressure on NHS services. AI for therapy offers convenience, ease of accessibility, and immediate gratification for a person’s concerns.
Low-cost AI chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) are touted by many as the need of the hour. But research has shown that the effects of AI on mental health can be adverse, as experts have identified risks that can jeopardise your safety and privacy and create more problems, rather than solving them.
To avoid the AI negative impact on mental health, you need to work with a certified human professional, like me, Susannah. I have over two decades of experience as a hypnotherapist and coach, helping people overcome addiction issues and manage stress, anxiety, OCD, and phobias. You can access my services in person or online, depending on your convenience. Reach out to book an appointment.
Why People Are Increasingly Relying On LLM Therapists
LLMs and generative AI for therapy are becoming increasingly popular. With growing mental health awareness, the demand for therapists has increased manifold, exceeding the NHS’s available resources. This has made many people turn to tools like ChatGPT in times of need, sharing everything from professional issues to personal problems.
Before addressing the AI side effects on mental health, let’s understand why people are using LLMs for therapy in the first place:
24/7 Accessibility
If you’re experiencing a midnight panic attack or suffering from social anxiety during the holidays, it’s not always possible to reach your therapist in times of need. But AI-powered chatbots are just a click away.
AI for therapy has no wait times or cost barriers, making it easily accessible and convenient. For those based in remote locations, accessing professional help may be challenging, making LLMs the next best thing.
Perceived Anonymity
One of the biggest roadblocks to seeking help is the stigma surrounding it. Although it has reduced over the years, many people suffering from addiction to porn, drugs, or alcohol may find it difficult to seek help. That stigma often stems from cultural or socio-economic pressures, gender identity concerns, or experiences of past trauma, all of which can make asking for help feel even harder.
You may feel more comfortable sharing your thoughts with a bot rather than with another person due to the perceived fear of judgment.
Convenience and Flexibility
Unlike with human intervention, you can start a fresh conversation with an AI-powered bot whenever you log in. This gives you the flexibility to talk about different topics.
You can also connect with these self-help bots anytime and anywhere, making them highly convenient and flexible.
Risks and Side Effects of AI on Mental Health and Behavioural Issues
There are some pretty serious risks associated with using generative AI for therapy.
One of the biggest side effects of AI on mental health comes from giving misleading or incorrect information or a diagnosis. Also, since AI chatbots are taught using data sets, they have a very limited scope, unlike human therapists who have undergone extensive training, certification, and hours of consulting.
Here are some of the common AI negative impacts on mental health diagnosis:
- LLM bots offer a one-size-fits-all solution to everyone, ignoring people’s lived experiences.
- The biggest AI side effect is that it can instil false beliefs, especially in those suffering from suicidal tendencies or personality disorders.
- AI bots aren’t empathetic and can’t interpret subtle emotions and non-verbal cues.
- They also can’t offer crisis management, including suicidal ideation; they cannot understand the early signs of a mental breakdown.
- These tools often have biased data to work upon, and this can lead to non-inclusive advice that can do more harm than good.
- LLM software learns from data, and by sharing your most intimate details on these platforms, you’re susceptible to confidentiality and privacy concerns.
- Over-reliance on these chatbots can lead to social isolation and feelings of loneliness, which can be detrimental to people suffering from behavioural issues of social anxiety.
- Research has shown that the constant availability of AI chatbots can increase the risk of emotional dependence. While this may reduce distress, it puts you into a vicious cycle, robbing you of your independence.
- Another of the biggest negative effects of AI on mental health is that it allows people to self-diagnose their conditions, such as ADHD. It can lead to unregulated treatment or disagreement and misunderstandings with professional clinicians.
- Many of these apps are often designed to be positive and affirming, so they never question a person’s perception, reinforcing that behaviour and thought. This can make it challenging for the patient to seek the right intervention, prolonging or worsening their condition.
How Does a Human-Led Hypnotherapy Session Benefit a Patient?
The success of therapeutic intervention for mental health, whether that’s psychotherapy, CBT or hypnotherapy, is based on the relationship between the patient and the professional. AI cannot replace the genuine trust, empathy, and safety that you experience with humans.
My hypnotherapy sessions can be conducted at my London clinic or remotely online from the comfort of your home. I’ll begin by understanding your goal (i.e., quitting smoking, overcoming the fear of public speaking, or improving your sexual wellness).
When you’re in a state of hypnosis, you’ll remain in complete control, but your mind is more open to suggestions. I’ll subtly help you to rewire your subconscious, identifying and addressing the hidden triggers that can lead to your behaviour, addiction, or condition (like OCD). NLP techniques and proper coaching can empower you to move in a more positive direction, giving you complete control over your life.
The entire session remains confidential, while we explore the past trauma that may be shaping your present condition. For instance, if you once had a bad flying experience, you may find it difficult to get on a plane again. Hypnotherapy can help you change the narrative, while NLP builds your confidence to take the step.
My contextual understanding of your situation and your goals allows me to create a bespoke treatment plan, as every individual and their concerns and goals are different.
Contact Susannah for One-on-One Bespoke Hypnotherapy Sessions.
AI’s negative impact on mental health can be profound, leading to multiple issues that may take even longer to address. My sessions are personalised and confidential, and can be done remotely through video calls. As a fully-qualified clinical hypnotherapist, I have helped hundreds of individuals across my 22 years of practice.
I’ll provide you with a recording of the session, which can help you between sessions. Hypnotherapy is an alternative therapeutic intervention that you can use on its own or in conjunction with other approaches like CBT.
Connect with me to learn more about my treatments.
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