Yup
My raw instrument skills are not what they used to be when I flew the Beech 1900 sans AP. Flying a large airliner is a different type of flying, it took me awhile to grasp that. A pilot who flies a complex jet is a manager as much as a manipulator of the controls. By virtue of getting hired, I proved my instrument skills in the hand flying arena. I am at peace with the concept that the AP and automation do the mundane flying, allowing the crew to manage. I kick off the AP&FD when it is appropriate, but I recognize my focus narrows somewhat to the PFD/MFD, my overall SA goes down. There has to be a reason all this stuff was put on the flight deck to begin with, and I guarantee it wasn't done to allow you and me read the paper in peace. I t was put there to increase the level of safety, and it has done just that.
The price pilots pay for this increased level of safety is the initial transformation from a pure pilot to a systems manager.