Editing Openai/6973e373-2b8c-800d-84b7-d7001cfc6bac (section)

=== User: Greg was banned from the sub after breaking rules from the following list: ===
Greg was banned from the sub after breaking rules from the following list:

These rules exist to protect the purpose of r/therapyGPT: high-signal, harm-reduction discussion about AI-assisted therapeutic self-help. We welcome disagreement and skepticism, but not bad faith, cruelty, derailment, or promotion disguised as “help.”

RULE 1 — Read as much of the pinned “START HERE” post as you can
It's long, but if you plan to be an active member or here for long time, it's important.

This subreddit has a specific use-case (AI-assisted therapeutic self-help). Many common misconceptions have already been addressed, and the fastest way to get removed is to show up with high confidence and low context—proselytizing, virtue-signaling, or “correcting” people without understanding what they mean.

We welcome skepticism and disagreement, but only when it is:

informed,
specific,
and in good faith.
What we remove under this rule

Repeated “didn’t read” behavior after reminders
Low-effort “this isn’t therapy” drive-bys that ignore clarifications
Mischaracterizations that continue after being corrected
Posts/comments that are clearly more about status than substance

What we encourage instead

Ask clarifying questions first
Respond to what was actually said, not the easiest strawman
If you disagree, make the argument in a way that could convince someone who disagrees

RULE 2 — Be respectful: no personal attacks, mockery, or domination behavior
Treat people with dignity. No name-calling, insults, harassment, mocking, dehumanizing language, dogpiling, or passive-aggressive baiting.

Assertiveness is allowed. Cruelty isn’t.

This includes “weaponized help” (shame disguised as education) and any attempt to hijack vulnerable posts for ego or status.

What this looks like in practice

Allowed: “I disagree, and here’s why…”
Not allowed: “You’re stupid / crazy / pathetic,” or any equivalent framing
Allowed: Direct critique of ideas, claims, methods
Not allowed: Character attacks and contempt
RULE 3 — Keep it constructive: disagreement is fine; derailing and provocation aren’t
Debate is welcome when it adds value. What gets removed:

Posts/comments meant to provoke, derail, or “dunk”
Repeated mischaracterizations after correction
“Open marketplace of ideas” cosplay used to justify bad faith
Thread hijacking (especially on vulnerable posts)
If you can’t handle your criticism being criticized back, don’t start it.

What we encourage instead

Steelman the other person’s point (the best version of it) before arguing
State premises, not just conclusions
Be willing to update your view if new info appears
RULE 4 — No harmful advice or high-risk guidance
Do not give medical or psychiatric instructions, tell people to start/stop medication, or prescribe treatment plans. Share personal experience as personal experience.

Also prohibited: anything that meaningfully enables harm to self or others, including coercion/manipulation scripts or instructions.

This subreddit is not crisis support. If someone is in acute risk, encourage real-world help.

Important note

Even “neutral” advice can become harm-enabling in certain contexts. If a user is in an unstable or high-risk state, the correct response is often to slow down, ground, and redirect—not provide tactics.

RULE 5 — No diagnosing other users (and don’t play clinician)
Do not diagnose other users—formally or informally. No “you’re bipolar / narcissistic / psychotic / BPD / etc.” and no armchair clinical labeling.

You can discuss behaviors and patterns (for example: “this sounds like rumination,” “this sounds like avoidance,” “this seems coercive”), but don’t turn people into diagnoses.

This includes those who claim to be licensed mental health professionals. Credentials do not make it appropriate to diagnose strangers on Reddit.

RULE 6 — Safety with sensitive topics: no graphic or glorifying self-harm/suicide content
Avoid graphic detail, method discussion, romanticizing, or contagion-style framing. Use content warnings when needed.

If you’re posting about self-harm or suicidal thoughts, keep it non-graphic and oriented toward support and grounding—not toward escalating, proving a point, or intensifying others’ distress.

Mods may remove posts that are too explicit or unsafe for a public forum.

RULE 7 — Respect privacy and consent (no doxxing, no private chats posted without consent)
No identifiable personal information (yours or others). Don’t post private messages, DMs, or chat logs without consent. Don’t attempt to “investigate” users.

If you share AI chats, remove identifying details. Safety and privacy come first.

Immediate action content

Doxxing, threats, or harassment may result in immediate bans.

RULE 8 — Disclose AI-generated content and don’t misrepresent sources
If your post includes AI-generated text or significant AI editing (including “cleaned up by AI”), disclose it clearly in the post or title.

Do not present AI output as:

Professional advice
Verified facts
A clinical assessment
A quote from a human authority
If you’re making strong factual claims, cite sources or label it clearly as opinion/experience.

RULE 9 — Promotions, recruitment, surveys: Mega Thread only
Any post seeking to:

Promote a product or service
Recruit beta testers or research participants
Share surveys, questionnaires, studies, or research sign-ups must go in the official monthly Promo & Recruitment Mega Thread.
Posts/comments outside the mega thread that fit these categories will be removed. Repeat violators may be banned.

Why we do this

It keeps the main feed focused on users and learning rather than advertisements and funnels.

RULE 10 — No unsolicited platform promotion; reviews/tools go in the Review Mega Thread
This subreddit is for users to relate and learn safe use—not a free advertising channel.

AI platform / custom GPT reviews belong in the Review Mega Thread (including links and searchable product names).

Do not suggest your AI product or assistant unless someone explicitly asks what you use.

No stealth marketing, “whitepaper-style” pseudo-AMA posts, or “I just wanted to share…” posts that function as ads.

If it smells like promotion, it will be treated as promotion.

RULE 11 — Report, don’t escalate
If you see a rule violation:

Report it
Don’t fight it out
Don’t act as an unofficial mod
Don’t stoop to their level “to teach them a lesson”
Escalation helps bad actors. Reporting helps the community.

RULE 12 — All actions are at moderator discretion
All actions are at moderator discretion.

If you have questions or concerns and can stay within the rules, message us via Modmail.

If you break rules further via Modmail, you may be muted.