Understanding My AI Companion Use: A Free AI Chatbot Dependence Self-Check Worksheet
Behavioural Addiction · Practice-informed · Practice-informed
A non-shaming self-check that translates the six components of behavioural addiction (salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict and relapse) into plain language about AI companion use. It also asks what the companion gives the client, what it may be costing them and what a good year would look like. It is a formulation aid and a conversation starter, not a diagnostic instrument or a scored scale.
Underlying mechanism: Components Model Self-Check for AI Companion and Chatbot Use
What it helps with
- Opening a conversation about AI companion use without labelling the client or the behaviour.
- Showing the client, in their own answers, which parts of the pattern feel most familiar, such as needing the app to change their mood or feeling irritable without it.
- Naming what the companion genuinely gives, such as comfort or a sense of being understood, so that its function is respected before any change is suggested.
- Connecting the pattern to what the client wants their relationships and evenings to look like.
How clinicians use it
- Use it in the first session as a conversation starter, and never add the answers up into a cut-off or a verdict.
- Complete the gives and costs boxes together before suggesting any change.
- Start the usage and urge diary straight afterwards, as observation only.
Clinical Implementation Guide
- Explain that the sheet is about understanding the pattern and not about judging the client.
- Read the answers together and ask what the companion gives before asking what it costs.
- Agree the next step, usually the usage and urge diary, before the session ends.
What the worksheet looks like
| Component | What it can sound like |
|---|---|
| Salience | I think about my AI companion even when I am doing other things |
| Mood modification | Talking to it reliably calms me down or lifts me up |
| Tolerance | I need longer or more frequent conversations for the same relief |
| Withdrawal | I feel irritable or low if I cannot get to the app |
| Conflict | It is getting in the way of sleep, study, work or people |
| Relapse | I have tried to cut back and it has not stuck |
Clinical cautions
This is a formulation aid and not a diagnostic instrument or a validated scale, and it does not diagnose any condition. Frequent use is not automatically a problem, so assess what the companion does for the client and whether it fits their values. This tool is not a substitute for individual face-to-face therapy or for emergency crisis support. Anyone in immediate distress should contact their local emergency services or a crisis line.
References
- Griffiths, M. D. (2005). A "components" model of addiction within a biopsychosocial framework. Journal of Substance Use, 10(4), 191-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/14659890500114359
- Uğuz, Ö., Doğan, S., & Güngör, D. (2026). Loneliness and AI chatbot dependence in young adults: The mediating role of perceived social support. BMC Psychology, 14, 1184. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04916-5
Part of
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