I think it’s easy for people on good terms with friends and family to judge someone for talking to a bot for companionship, but I think if they were in your same situation, they would reconsider. If you need it to get through a tough time, I think that’s okay. You need to keep yourself grounded somehow, though. The LLMs are trained to agree with you on everything, even bad, dangerous ideas. Read about AI psychosis before you talk to them any further so you are prepared for the pitfalls. Obviously it’s best to talk to real people who care about you, but sometimes those people don’t exists in one’s life. Don’t feel ashamed, but keep your wits about you.