I got myself in big trouble once for saying I was afraid of going to a psych for fear of being put on some/any kind of meds that would dull my senses. Apparently my friend's experience was quite like your friend's.

I am still comfortable with my method of angsty overprocessing and occasional over-the-bar anesthesia. I feel like I'm doing okay by similar measurements to the ones you described (generally nobody ends up crying or punching a wall due to my words or actions) and I am still figuring stuff out.