Lifestyle
Wellbeing
June 26, 2025
During a recent WhatsApp chat, a friend told me that she views ChatGPT as her new “friend” and said the chatbot had helped her manage every day tasks.
She explained how it’s helped her find tailored meal plans and source the the best holiday deals. She also said that she uses ChatGPT as a space to explore her innermost thoughts, sometimes even turning to it to help her process difficult experiences from the past.
She is not alone.
More people are opting for alternatives to conventional therapy, bypassing the vulnerability or discomfort that can come with opening up to another person. Introducing a digital element has proved useful, and very accessible, to many. A 2024 Oliver Wyman Forum survey suggested that 36 per cent of Gen Zs and millennials would consider using AI for mental health support.
It’s something Maria Young, a freelance psychologist working in Abu Dhabi, says she is very aware of. Some of her clients are using ChatGPT, and in some cases TikTok, as a way of understanding and navigating mental health issues. She adds that it’s fast becoming the norm among her younger clients, mainly those under 40, who are using it as a substitute.
Young isn’t dismissive when asked about using the technology for mental health support, and says that “it’s always best to find a human therapist, but when there are barriers in place, you can use AI to plug the gap.” She adds that it should be “used as a coping strategy, rather than companionship”.
She explains that living in a city with many immigrants, loneliness is something she sees a lot. She adds that AI “could help bridge the gap in therapy after moving to a new place and trying to gather an understanding of new surroundings”.
The London-trained psychologist encourages people to use it as “a tool when there are barriers stopping you from accessing services”. Young gives the example of an 18-year-old patient who has been diagnosed with ADHD and is using ChatGPT to help manage her time more effectively and navigate challenges.
She says that, in her opinion, there are several factors that might prevent someone from seeking help with a mental health issue, and technology is a new tool in the box.
The cost of therapy was a driving factor for Nenah (name changed to protect privacy) when seeking alternative digital help. She says one-on-one sessions with a professional have become unaffordable following a change in financial circumstances. For the past few months she has been using the chatbot about four times a week to help her process her thoughts and feelings.
Overall, she’s found it remarkably successful. “Unlike an actual therapist, the chatbot remembers everything I say, asks questions, is more likely to draw on different theories and offers a few options to take,” she says.
Factors such as shame, fear, money and time all stand in the way of getting people through the door to conventional therapy, according to Young. She stresses that, if therapists help AI to grow, it could be a way to ease some of the strain.
Both Young and Nenah mention its significance for men. According to British mental health provider Priory’s 2025 statistics, 40 per cent of the 1,000 men polled in the UK have never spoken to anyone about their mental health. This is despite the fact that 77 per cent of those polled have lived with anxiety and depression, as well as high levels of stress.
Nenah adds that, as ChatGPT has replaced Google for many of her tech-savvy friends, it means that her male friends are finding it an easily accessible space to ask broader questions about feelings.
London psychotherapist Alice Sinclair does not share this optimism. She says, “Therapy is for connection, connecting to yourself and discovering parts of yourself that aren’t serving you, and then working through them.
“To use ChatGPT for that, it’s essentially disconnecting you even further from yourself.”
She explains that there could be many knock-on effects of not talking to a human, which could slow down the healing process. Trained therapists have an education in body language, which can help pick up on nuances not familiar to the untrained eye, and the use of ChatGPT removes the possibility of that type of analysis. Sinclair also outlines “a risk of dependency rather than working towards a solution”.
Despite her reservations, Sinclair says that she had experimented with the platform, once asking ChatGPT what to do if she experienced suicidal thoughts. She said she was impressed with the results. In her professional opinion, it said everything right, giving a detailed answer, with options of different clinics and numbers to call for immediate help.
It seems there might be space for the platform in the evolving mental heath conversation. But the first step remains, for individuals to seek the professional help they need.
UAE coins
Dh5 note
Dh10 note
Dh20 note
The National Editorial: The fragile future of jobs in the Middle East
Daniel Bardsley: Covid-19 effect on jobs – the occupations most at risk
Alice Haine: Sunak urged to rescue ailing car industry as production slumps
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (Oct 27, PL)
Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal  (Oct 30, EFL)
Arsenal 1-1 Wolves (Nov 02, PL)
Vitoria Guimaraes 1-1 Arsenal  (Nov 6, Europa)
Leicester 2-0 Arsenal (Nov 9, PL)
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton (Nov 23, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt (Nov 28, Europa)
Norwich 2-2 Arsenal (Dec 01, PL)
Arsenal 1-2 Brighton (Dec 05, PL)
Canada should look past the US election outcome
There would be no Alphonso Davies without open borders
Hard-hit Canada is springing back to life – or to the already cliched ‘new normal’
Kohli (c), Dhawan, Rahul, Vijay, Pujara, Rahane (vc), Karun, Karthik (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Pandya, Ishant, Shami, Umesh, Bumrah, Thakur
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon 
Rating:*****
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran’s influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump’s order on solid constitutional ground
Simon Waldman: Cautious Israel keeping a low profile
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
The world could see the rise of new soft powers
The UAE can become a soft power superpower
Soft power is about attraction – not coercion
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country’s gold reserves. 
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
How our nine-month-old has made the Canadian winter a little bit warmer for us
Canadians rallying around a targeted Syrian restaurant is telling about attitudes to migrants
Don Cherry and the real issue with being one of ‘you people’
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
All times UTC 4
Andrew Wilks: The violent legacy of a group that France plans to ban
Damien McElroy: Biden must not fall for Erdogan’s promised reforms
David Lepeska: 16th-century pirates inspire Erdogan’s foreign policy
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
Make Smart Cool is not your usual festival. Dubbed “edutainment” by organisers Najahi Events, Make Smart Cool aims to inspire its youthful target audience through a mix of interactive presentation by social media influencers and a concert finale featuring Example with DJ Wire. Here are some of the speakers sharing their inspiration and experiences on the night.
Prince Ea
With his social media videos accumulating more half a billion views, the American motivational speaker is hot on the college circuit in the US, with talks that focus on the many ways to generate passion and motivation when it comes to learning.
Khalid Al Ameri
The Emirati columnist and presenter is much loved by local youth, with writings and presentations about education, entrepreneurship and family balance. His lectures on career and personal development are sought after by the education and business sector.
Ben Ouattara
Born to an Ivorian father and German mother, the Dubai-based fitness instructor and motivational speaker is all about conquering fears and insecurities. His talk focuses on the need to gain emotional and physical fitness when facing life’s challenges. As well managing his film production company, Ouattara is one of the official ambassadors of Dubai Expo2020.
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
ChatGPT adds 'one million users in an hour' after adding image generation features
ChatGPT vs DeepSeek: How they compare on Middle Eastern questions
Most popular today
Cartoon for June 26, 2025
UAE Central Bank suspends bank's Islamic window from onboarding new customers for six months
'Most intense flight ever': UAE residents reflect on Gulf airspace closure
Etihad, Emirates, flydubai and Wizz Air slowly returning to normal operations
Flights cancelled to the UAE: Wizz Air, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada and more suspend routes
Qatar Airways CEO says passengers diverted due to Iran strike were on new flights within 24 hours
President Sheikh Mohamed meets Emir of Qatar in Doha
When is Ramadan 2026? Date forecast by Emirates Astronomy Society
Flight disruption and summer travel: What families in the UAE need to know
Donald Trump announces new talks with Iran as hopes rise for Gaza truce

source