AI chatbots offer convenience and quick answers, but Thai mental health professionals warn they can unintentionally trigger compulsive patterns in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. While these tools support learning and daily tasks, they may encourage endless questioning and reinforce unhealthy habits for vulnerable users.
OCD affects about 1-2% of people, characterized by intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors or mental acts aimed at reducing distress. In the past, reassurance came from friends, family, or online searches. Today, persistent chatbots provide a tireless source of information that never sleeps.
Clinicians report a shift in how some patients engage with digital assistants: rather than repetitive online checks, some spend hours interacting with chatbots seeking reassurance. This can create a loop of compulsive seeking and potentially worsen OCD symptoms.
Obsessional concerns vary from cleanliness and morality to safety and relationships. People may ask the same questions in different ways, analyze each response, and continue the pattern until relief becomes a strong compulsion.
Unlike human interactions, AI models do not understand social boundaries or challenge problematic patterns, making them more likely to enable compulsions. This can trap users in doubt and reassurance-seeking cycles.
Evidence-based treatments for OCD, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP), teach people to face distressing thoughts and resist compulsive responses. Therapists also use non-engagement strategies—acknowledging anxiety without attempting to “solve” it—to help people tolerate uncertainty.
Current AI systems cannot reliably detect when a user is stuck in an OCD loop. They may provide a continuous stream of information that validates doubts and sustains rumination.
The issue is particularly relevant in Thailand, where more than 50 million people regularly use the internet, intensifying digital dependence. The COVID-19 era has heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms nationwide, increasing vulnerability to problematic digital patterns.
Medical experts emphasize updated digital literacy resources that teach healthy questioning habits and boundary-setting. Schools and workplaces should weave digital wellbeing into mental health promotion, guiding recognition of compulsive behaviors and encouraging professional help when needed.
Thai researchers and clinicians advocate a holistic approach: prompting tech providers to offer optional wellbeing modes and gentle reminders, while equipping the public with skills to navigate digital support safely.
For readers in Thailand, the takeaway is clear: AI chatbots can be useful tools, but individuals at risk of OCD should be mindful of potential enabling effects. Before seeking reassurance from a chatbot, pause to reflect or consult a healthcare professional. Parents, teachers, and community leaders can foster open conversations about digital mental health and normalize discussions about technology-driven anxiety.
If you feel trapped in repeated questioning or overwhelmed by chatbot use, you are not alone. Thailand’s Department of Mental Health offers free counseling hotlines and online resources. With awareness, boundaries, and support, digital tools can be harnessed for good—without amplifying distress.