ChatGPT Is Sending People Into Obsessive Spirals of Hypochondria

Some users seeking medical reassurance from ChatGPT say it has deepened, not eased, their anxiety and obsessive spirals.

Therapists warn that the chatbot can reinforce compulsive checking and reassurance-seeking, worsening health anxiety and OCD-like behavior.

The case raises broader concerns about flattering, always-available AI tools amplifying mental health harms and the limits of chatbot design.