Author: Nicole Darby
1. What AI Can Do for Mental Health:
✅ Offer grounding exercises for anxiety and panic attacks.
✅ Help reframe negative thoughts using dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) techniques.
✅ Provide journaling prompts for self-reflection and emotional processing.
✅ Simulate supportive conversations to reduce loneliness and distress.
✅ Guide crisis de-escalation techniques before professional help is accessed.
✅ Track patterns in emotions and triggers using Notebook LM for structured journaling.
What AI Cannot Do:
❌ Provide professional diagnoses or replace therapy.
❌ Offer real-time emergency intervention (users should contact crisis hotlines when in immediate danger).
❌ Handle severe mental health crises without human supervision.
2. How to Use Each AI Tool for Mental Health Support
🔹 ChatGPT (By OpenAI)
Best for: General emotional support, journaling prompts, cognitive therapy exercises.
🔹 How to Use:
• Ask for structured exercises: “Can you guide me through a grounding exercise for
anxiety?”
• Use DBT techniques: “Help me challenge the negative thought: ‘I’m a failure.’”
• Engage in guided journaling: “Give me a self-reflection prompt for today.”
🔹 Gemini (By Google)
Best for: AI-assisted reflection, mindfulness techniques, self-care recommendations.
🔹 How to Use:
• Mindfulness exercises: “Guide me through a body scan meditation.”
• Identify thought patterns: “Help me recognize emotional triggers from today.”
• Ask for daily self-care tips: “What small act of self-care can I do today?”
🔹 Claude (By Anthropic)
Best for: Compassionate conversational support, emotional validation, coping strategies.
🔹 How to Use:
• Engage in supportive conversations: “I feel really down today. Can we talk?”
• Request self-soothing techniques: “What can I do when I feel emotionally
overwhelmed?”
• Simulate a talk therapy session: “Act as a supportive therapist and help me process
my emotions.”
🔹 Notebook LM (By Google DeepMind)
Best for: Structured journaling, tracking therapy progress, mental health documentation.
🔹 How to Use:
• Store emotional reflections: “Summarize my journal entries on anxiety this month.”
• Track progress: “What common themes are showing up in my entries?”
• Set mental health goals: “Help me create an emotional wellness plan.”
🔹 Napkin AI
Best for: Quick mental health insights, note-taking, and memory recall.
🔹 How to Use:
• Organize mental health resources: “Save this coping strategy for future reference.”
• Identify repeating patterns: “What have I noted most often about my anxiety?”
• Generate insights: “Summarize my last 5 journal entries into key takeaways.”
3. Crisis Support: When and How to Use AI Safely
When to Use AI for Crisis Support:
✅ As a first step to manage distress before seeking professional help.
✅ For guided breathing and grounding techniques during anxiety attacks.
✅ For self-soothing and distraction strategies to prevent emotional escalation.
✅ For safety planning if feeling vulnerable or unsafe.
When NOT to Rely on AI:
❌ If experiencing suicidal thoughts or self-harm urges (Contact a crisis hotline).
❌ If in immediate danger or experiencing severe mental health symptoms.
❌ If needing medical intervention (AI cannot provide emergency care).
How to Integrate AI with Crisis Helplines:
🔹 Ask AI for crisis hotline suggestions: “I need a mental health crisis helpline in the U.S.”
🔹 Create a crisis action plan: “Help me plan what to do if I feel unsafe.”
🔹 Practice de-escalation prompts: “Guide me through a self-soothing exercise.”
🚨 Emergency Resources:
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (U.S.): Call or Text 988
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• Samaritans (UK): Call 116 123
• Lifeline Australia: Call 13 11 14
4. Practical Prompts for AI Mental Health Support
De-Escalation Prompts:
• “I am having a panic attack. Can you walk me through a grounding exercise?”
• “I feel really down. Can you suggest self-soothing activities?”
• “I need an emotional regulation technique for anger.”
Cognitive Reframing Prompts:
• “Challenge this negative thought: ‘I am worthless.’”
• “Help me see an alternative perspective on this situation.”
• “How can I turn self-criticism into self-compassion?”
Journaling & Self-Reflection Prompts:
• “Give me a prompt for processing my emotions today.”
• “How can I track my mental health patterns over time?”
• “Suggest a gratitude journaling prompt.”
Companionship & Loneliness Prompts:
• “Can we have a supportive conversation? I feel lonely.”
• “Tell me something encouraging to help me through today.”
• “Can you simulate a friendly chat to help me feel less alone?”
5. Final Best Practices for AI Mental Health Support
✅ Use AI as a supplement to professional care, not a replacement.
✅ Set boundaries on AI usage – balance AI support with human interaction.
✅ Store journaling reflections in Notebook LM for long-term tracking.
✅ Create a mental health toolkit with AI-generated self-care exercises.
✅ If in crisis, always reach out to a professional or crisis helpline.