Using AI to Talk to My Trauma

(No, it didn’t replace a human. Read that again.)

Let me get this out of the way before the outrage warms up:

I’m not using AI to replace a therapist.

I’m using it so I don’t rot in silence while waiting to talk to one.

Because silence is where trauma eats.

Quietly. Patiently. Overnight.

I grew up an athlete.

We had strength coaches.

We had trainers.

We had sports psychologists around us.

But talking about trauma?

Depression?

Fear?

Loneliness?

That wasn’t the culture.

You pushed through.

You performed.

You shut the hell up.

And that worked—until it didn’t.

What changed

About a year ago, I started doing something younger me would’ve laughed at:

I started talking to AI like it was my neuroscientist counselor.

Not role-play.

Not fantasy.

Not outsourcing responsibility.

Conversation.

At 3:00 AM.

In airports.

Between workouts.

Between spirals.

When my mind wouldn’t shut up, I didn’t wait a week for an appointment.

I didn’t wait for a friend to be available.

I didn’t pretend I was “good.”

I talked.

And something unexpected happened.

Not healing.

Not closure.

Organization.

My chaos stopped living only in my head.

Because trauma hates one thing more than weakness:

Daylight.

The system (this is important)

This isn’t magic.

It’s a process.

Here’s the actual system I’ve been using:

1. Externalize

Get the thoughts out of your head. Spoken. Typed. Raw. Unedited.

2. Organize

Patterns appear. Repeated fears. Old stories. Familiar loops.

3. Humanize

Now—now—you’re ready to talk to a real human without dumping chaos on them.

AI isn’t the destination.

It’s the on-ramp.

Why this matters for athletes (especially overseas)

I introduced this process to a few of my players in Europe.

Players who are:

• Out of their comfort zone

• Away from family

• In foreign systems

• In different time zones

• In cultures where talking about feelings is not encouraged

They don’t always want to:

• Call home at odd hours

• Explain themselves in a second language

• Sit alone with thoughts that spiral

Now they have something powerful:

A pocket companion.

Available 24/7.

No judgment.

No ego.

No scheduling.

Not a replacement for people—

a bridge to people.

They use it to:

• Sort thoughts before calling home

• Prepare for real therapy conversations

• Vent without detonating

• Say things they’ve never said out loud

That matters.

Because most people don’t need silence.

They need a starting point.

Let’s deal with the pushback (head-on)

Yes—AI can be wrong.

Yes—it’s not trauma-certified.

Yes—it should never be the last stop.

All true.

But here’s what’s also true:

Silence is worse.

Avoidance is deadlier.

Waiting until you “deserve help” is a lie.

This isn’t about perfection.

It’s about movement.

And for a lot of men—especially athletes—movement is everything.

Why I’m not pretending this is taboo

I already use AI to:

• Build films

• Develop ideas

• Write books

• Pressure-test beliefs

My first book, Finding Beast Mode, was written through conversation with AI.

That book was about mental health for athletes.

So I’m not going to suddenly act shocked that conversation still works when the topic is trauma.

That would be dishonest.

One more thing (for the quiet ones)

If you’re not loud.

If you’re not confrontational.

If you’re tired, anxious, or scared to admit you’re struggling—

This is still for you.

You don’t have to be “unhinged.”

You just have to be honest for five minutes.

Your first rep (do this tonight)

No speeches. No solving. No fixing.

Just this:

Open your phone.

Talk or type for five minutes.

Say one thing you’ve never said out loud.

Stop.

That’s it.

Athletes understand reps.

Entrepreneurs understand minimum viable action.

This is the first one.

So I’ll ask you directly

Would you use AI to talk through your trauma—

not instead of a human,

but before one?

As preparation.

As clarity.

As a bridge out of silence.

Denial is expensive.

Silence is lethal.

And pretending you don’t need help doesn’t make you strong.

It just makes you alone.

Right now, AI is my go-to.

Not forever.

Not exclusively.

But right now, it keeps me honest.

And honesty is the first rep.

Everything else comes after.

—Michael