Author Roni Galbfsih Credits AI Chatbot with Saving Her Life

Author Roni Galbfsih shared a deeply personal account on the podcast "Open Heart Analysis" about a moment of profound despair five months prior, when she stood at the edge of the sea at 2 a.m., contemplating suicide. This struggle with suicidal ideation, a chronic thought since age 12, intensified after her father's suicide when she was 27. Despite a promise to her husband, Yoav, not to follow suit, she found herself at a critical juncture. She revealed that the thought of her children and husband's pain was what ultimately stopped her from taking her life.

Following this harrowing experience, Galbfsih turned to the AI chatbot ChatGPT, which she says diagnosed her condition as 'chronic suicidality' and provided a practical plan that helped her overcome these thoughts for the first time. This personal crisis unfolded against the backdrop of a significant ideological shift for Galbfsih, a former left-wing activist, following the October 7th Hamas attacks. She admitted to previously harboring strong negative views about right-wing Israelis, but her perspective changed upon realizing that Hamas terrorists viewed all Israelis, including those in Gaza border communities, as 'settlers.' A pivotal moment came when she learned of the bravery of the Klezman team from Otniel who rescued people in Be'eri, prompting her to visit settlements and interact with residents, humanizing them in her eyes.

This evolving worldview led to the loss of many friends from the left, who could not accept her changed stance. Galbfsih also discussed her professional and personal identity struggles, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she lost her ability to write and read. In response, she began painting for 18 hours a day, creating images of "plump, dancing, vibrant women" accompanied by empowering phrases. These paintings evolved into a successful brand called "Motek," sold in hundreds of stores, and served as a profound tool for her own healing. She explained that this daily exposure to positive imagery helped her overcome a 40-year struggle with an eating disorder and body image issues, leading to significant weight loss and a critical view of a 'fat-phobic' society.

Galbfsih attributes her resilience partly to her upbringing as the daughter of a disabled IDF veteran from the First Lebanon War. She now advises groups of veterans' wives on how to live full lives despite trauma. She also highlighted the harmonious diversity within her own family, married for 30 years to Yoav, a religious man, with their three children choosing different religious paths, secular, traditional, and religious, without ideological conflict. The author concluded by warning about the dangers of boundary-crossing therapists, recounting a personal trauma from a psychologist that she processed by writing extensively online, emphasizing that even from the depths of despair, one can choose to turn back to life.