Heavy ChatGPT user says cognitive offloading flipped his OCD switch
Internal_Essay_7685 · reddit · 2026-09-06
A user describes a year-long AI addiction, self-diagnosed after learning the term "cognitive offloading" — but for him it's paradoxical: every answer spawns more questions, like opening Pandora's box.
Consequences are concrete: he uses ChatGPT for emotional support and minute-level planning of daily activities, often spending more time planning than doing. It also triggered OCD-like symptoms — he can't order at a restaurant without consulting the model first. Repeated cold-turkey attempts failed, each withdrawal spiraling into worse paranoia and mania without the crutch.
A rare first-person account of AI emotional dependence and the dark side of cognitive offloading.
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