Judging Others (w/response)

[Guest guest]

Hi Group

I have no idea why I'm feeling like this - Since I'm off anafranil - only been 4

months now - while I interact with people I don't know .. I wonder if they are

on some sort of antidepressant - and maybe they are not really being themselves

with me... that they are just zoned out and " mellow " and their true self is not

present. The realization that the anafranil was suppressing my emotions - it

didn't allow me to feel emotions full circle but it kept me quite safe - through

my alcoholism and addiction... I've been clean and sober for 4 years and had

been on the anafranil for the same amount of time... I have this strange feeling

like I can't accept that other people use antidepressants to cope with life - it

just feels that the interaction with them is inauthentic... anybody felt this

way? If so, what did you do?>>

** Hi JD,

I hear you. I agree with you about the demeanor of people on psychotropic

drugs. It is discouraging to observe. I think the issue of you feeling like

you can't accept it has more to do with your own experience and your feelings

about it than it has to do with others' experiences.

After all, you don't find yourself unable to accept that some people are

alcoholics, right? I think it is about you having difficulty accepting that you

were ever on one of these drugs and are fervently wishing it was different.

You're projecting this on to others.

Does this feel like a possibility? If it is, a few sessions of cognitive

behavioral therapy would probably help you accept that it is all said and done

and now you can take good car of yourself and move on with your life. We can't

change the past and focusing on it constantly takes away the energy and focus

needed for the present and future. Grabar, are you still reading?

has some valuable insight about looking behind instead of looking ahead.

Regards,

[Guest guest]

Thank your imput . I wrote about my feelings this morning which helped a bit. Yes, I think I may have some displaced anger and confusion. And yes, why am I judging people? It took a long time for me to accept that people who drink aren't all alcoholics and actually have good things to share and are decent people... like me. The reason why I stopped taking the antidepressants was because of the side effects - the constipation led up to acid reflux, the heart palputations... and coming off them was a complete nightmare - I had all of the physical and emotional challenges - and still working through the emotional challenges. I did however recognize and had to admit that they helped me through the struggle and I was able to get back to my true stelf and honestly

if it wasn't for the adverse reactions of the antidepressants I would be still taking them... like I would be with alcohol and drugs... so really admitting now that I have to live a chemical free life is sort of weighing heavily on me.... Sometimes I feel like I'm not going to make it... my mind gets warped and it takes a lot to come out of it... a lot of crying.... a whole lot of it.

JD

[Guest guest]

Thank your imput . I wrote about my feelings this morning which helped a bit. Yes, I think I may have some displaced anger and confusion. And yes, why am I judging people? It took a long time for me to accept that people who drink aren't all alcoholics and actually have good things to share and are decent people... like me. The reason why I stopped taking the antidepressants was because of the side effects - the constipation led up to acid reflux, the heart palputations... and coming off them was a complete nightmare - I had all of the physical and emotional challenges - and still working through the emotional challenges. I did however recognize and had to admit that they helped me through the struggle and I was able to get back to my true stelf and honestly

if it wasn't for the adverse reactions of the antidepressants I would be still taking them... like I would be with alcohol and drugs... so really admitting now that I have to live a chemical free life is sort of weighing heavily on me.... Sometimes I feel like I'm not going to make it... my mind gets warped and it takes a lot to come out of it... a lot of crying.... a whole lot of it.

JD