Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Taking Someone on a Trip #1

A reflection on projecting internal states onto others, showing how it distorts communication and blurs the line between perception and reality.

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Projecting my internal reactions onto others can blur the difference between what I feel and what is actually happening.

I am beginning to notice this pattern when I involve someone else in my internal state. “Taking someone on a trip” means projecting my emotions, thoughts, or perspective onto another person instead of staying grounded in what is actually happening.

Sometimes I find myself wanting other people to see things the way I do or respond to what I am feeling.

The problem is that this can distort communication. Instead of relating to reality more clearly, I begin responding from my own emotional reactions and pulling the other person into them as well.

Looking back, I often did not recognize when this was happening. It felt automatic, especially when emotions became strong. Recovery is teaching me that I am responsible for my internal state and that I do not need to involve other people in it.

This also connects directly to “feelings are not facts,” because when I treat feelings as reality, I become more likely to bring others into that interpretation. It also connects to honesty, because clear communication requires separating what I am experiencing from what is actually happening.

For me, this is less about the other person and more about how I manage my own thoughts and emotions. Today, I am trying to stay more grounded in reality and avoid pulling other people into my internal reactions.