I am still Latin Rite Catholic, and when I go to confession, I confess my sins in contrition, but the priest always tells me how grave my sins are, making me feel like God is going to zap me with lightning bolts. I oftentimes leave confession feeling like God is terribly angry at me and that even when I sin not completely willfully, he will still punish me greatly. In short, I leave confession feeling as though God's mercy is hard to come by, and that God is keeping count of all my mortal and venial sins, and that He will not answer my prayers for mercy because of my sins, although I know this is not true.
I am wondering if the same is true of Orthodox confession. When you go to confession, even if you have sinned, does the priest try to make you aware of the gravity and the great offense in the sin against God's majesty? Do you ever leave confession feeling worse and less hopeful in God's mercy than beforehand? Do you ever feel like that God is constantly keeping track of your mortal sins and that He is more of a Judge than a Father?
I have never been to Orthodox confession, so I'm wondering if Orthodox priests approach sin differently. I go to confession feeling guilty for my sins, but I also wish that the confession were less accusatory and more pastoral. Some priests I have found are like this, but many, especially some of the older ones but also younger ones, don't really understand the circumstances and intentions behind some actions that lead to sin, and therefore tend to have misconceptions.