Religious differences don’t always push friends apart. Sometimes, though, they have the potential to bring friendships crashing down. A young woman – henceforth referred to as “OP” – has taken to social media to find out if she was wrong for getting mad at her Christian best friend for throwing away her anxiety medication.
A Lifelong Friendship Tested
OP, an 18-year-old college student, shares a dorm with her lifelong best friend – Emily. The two friends, despite having different religious backgrounds, have maintained their close relationship throughout the years.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
OP wrote: “I started having really bad panic attacks when I was 10 after my parents died. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and put on Prozac. I have taken it ever since. I have occasional panic attacks but it’s been a lifesaver.”
An Extremely Christian Upbringing
OP continued: “Emily has stood by me through all of it but she never liked the medication. She was raised extremely Christian, as opposed to my agnostic upbringing, and thinks I just need to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness.”
Objections to the Medication
Shortly after the young women started college, Emily became increasingly vocal about her objections to the medication. She asked that OP not take her pills in front of her and complained about the sound of pills rattling in the bottle.
Weird Looks and Snide Remarks
OP said: “She has been looking at me weird and making snide remarks every morning when I take my medication. She has asked me not to take it in front of her and I try to do it when she’s in the bathroom but she insists that she can hear the pills rattling.”
A Shocking Incident
The situation took a dramatic turn when OP decided to spend some time with her girlfriend, Eva. Upon returning home, she discovered that her entire supply of Prozac had been thrown away by Emily, who said that OP just needed to pray instead of taking medication.
Emily Flushed the Pills
“I was feeling restless and went into the city with my girlfriend, Eva. Emily thinks we’re just friends. A couple of hours later, I got back to the dorm. Friday morning, I was getting ready and found that all my pills were missing. I asked her about it and she said, ‘You don’t need drugs. You need to pray.’ She said she had flushed them,” OP wrote.
Taking to Social Media
Rather than seeing the error of her ways, Emily demanded that OP apologize for getting angry and, before long, the young woman started to wonder if she’d overreacted. She questioned whether or not she should give her lifelong best friend the apology she was requesting. As such, OP took to social media to see what strangers had to say about the matter.
The Internet’s Response
OP’s post now has over 7,000 likes and over 800 comments. Overwhelmingly, people said she did absolutely nothing wrong whatsoever. One commenter wrote: “She is not your friend. She jeopardized your health. This is serious, way more serious than a potentially awkward freshman year. Taking someone’s medication away from them is a crime.”
Not a Real Friend
Plenty of people said Emily was not a true friend to OP. One such individual wrote: “This person is not your friend. They don’t care at all about your health. Throw her away and let her pray for a new friend.”
Trying to Save OP
Echoing the aforementioned commenter, another person said: “This person is not your best friend. She sees you as someone to save. You don’t need saving. You’ve worked with your doctor and figured out a way to manage your anxiety. It sounds like you’ve got a good relationship and you feel you need to hide it from her because you know she’d judge you and try to save you from that also.”
A Red Flag
Another commenter said: “She may be your friend but she seriously overstepped her bounds. She had no right to even touch your medication, let alone throw it away. Her behavior in general is concerning and, to me, this situation should act as a red flag.”
Advice for OP
Plenty of people offered OP advice. “She violated your trust – and I’m sure many rules in your dorm agreement – by throwing out your medication. Request a new roommate. You are no longer safe in that room. Her behavior will not get better,” one commenter suggested.
A Whole New World
The aforementioned individual continued: “It is okay to drift apart from people we were previously close to – or cut out toxic people. You are in college now and you have a whole new world of people to explore, ones who will accept you for who you are!”
A New Roommate
Plenty of people pointed out that Emily’s behavior did not reflect the attitudes of most Christians. One person said: “Sweetie, you need a new roommate. Don’t apologize to your ‘friend.’ She is controlling and manipulative. How dare she flush your meds? She is giving Christians a horrible name. We are not all like that, I swear.”
A Hostile Attack
Another commenter wrote: “Good grief. This isn’t how a friend, let alone a best friend, acts. Throwing out your medication? That’s an act that could have had serious impacts on your mental health. It’s a hostile attack, even if she thinks she’s doing it for your own good and saving your soul.”
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