Nuclear war anxiety. Please read.

[PWO_Nathan]

With respect Wendy, what reassurance could your other half give you? What I voice on here is opinion, my opinion. What is in the news is opinion. Truth is, no one knows what will happen we are all forming an opinion based on factors.

That being said, will worrying about it change the cause of what may or may not happen? I know thats far easier than said with anxiety but my point is, the world has come close to WW3 many times and cooler heads always prevail.

Putin, for all he is vilified, is VERY cool headed. When Turkey shot their jet down, Russia as a whole went completely ballistic. Putin, waited a few days, gathered the facts then issued a response which calmed the full situation down.

---------- Post added at 19:26 ---------- Previous post was at 17:36 ----------

Update for those concerned :

Sky News has just reported that they have people in the Kremlin who are "High up" and state Russia is in direct contact with the US to avoid conflict. Neither the US nor Russia want a conflict and both are working in the background to avoid this. See, no one wants this to escalate but something has to happen now as otherwise US will lose face. So expect a small strike, symbolic at best so the US can save face. Assad has already reported he has moved troops off airfields etc.. Things always calm down, ignore the media hype everything will be fine

[fishman65]

Nathan - just googled WW3 and you're dead right. Up came the Express and Sun, VERY scary sensationalist articles implying we're all doomed.

If we look at some history, the Cuban missile crisis must surely rate as more dangerous than Syria. The USSR then was going to site nukes right on America's doorstep. However, rationality still doesn't stop me worrying

[PWO_Nathan]

Nathan - just googled WW3 and you're dead right. Up came the Express and Sun, VERY scary sensationalist articles implying we're all doomed.

If we look at some history, the Cuban missile crisis must surely rate as more dangerous than Syria. The USSR then was going to site nukes right on America's doorstep. However, rationality still doesn't stop me worrying

Don't quote me on this but am pretty sure Sun and Express are same company same as Daily Star.

Cuban missile crisis posed a direct threat to US which was in response to direct threat to Russia (Missiles in Turkey).

Syria is neither.

Its been compared as people are scared but logically and fact-wise its entirely different and should not be referenced in comparison.

Thing I always remember is the Korean War saw US and China fighting directly with each other. As I keep saying - We are still here.

[Pigeon]

I was feeling exactly the same as the OP about the situation in Syria. Last night I read so much about it on news websites and social media that it made me feel ill with worry to the point I felt unable to function normally.
I look around me and see other people that, despite being worried, just get on with their daily lives and I wonder why I can’t do the same. Then I remember that my anxiety (usually, but not exclusively, about health issues) problem is what makes me different than them.
When I get to this point, I always turn to NMP as I usually manage to find comfort and reassurance in some form from people on here. Reading this thread has really helped to reduce my anxiety levels as people are expressing a more rational viewpoint than is reported by the media etc.
So I wanted to say thank you. The worry hasn’t gone, but at least I feel more able to cope now.

[PWO_Nathan]

PWO_Nathan, you make some fantastic points. Not much more needs to be said! I don't believe anything is going to happen either so I try to rationalise family etc when I can.

Thank you, I dont mean to sound like I know everything I simply wish to voice a different point of view other than the one the media is spouting

---------- Post added at 09:46 ---------- Previous post was at 09:43 ----------

I was feeling exactly the same as the OP about the situation in Syria. Last night I read so much about it on news websites and social media that it made me feel ill with worry to the point I felt unable to function normally.
I look around me and see other people that, despite being worried, just get on with their daily lives and I wonder why I can’t do the same. Then I remember that my anxiety (usually, but not exclusively, about health issues) problem is what makes me different than them.
When I get to this point, I always turn to NMP as I usually manage to find comfort and reassurance in some form from people on here. Reading this thread has really helped to reduce my anxiety levels as people are expressing a more rational viewpoint than is reported by the media etc.
So I wanted to say thank you. The worry hasn’t gone, but at least I feel more able to cope now.

Try not to worry, I have followed the media really closely this last week or so to the point where it has become obsessive. I am worried but not for the reasons the media or most other people are worried.

I am worried as this potentially is another unwinnable conflict like Afghan. No ground is won, no objectives achieved only more lives lost and creation of another militant which aspires to be more dreadful than the last. Even in my wildest scenarios, at no point does this escalate to WW3. Reason been, Syria is a proxy War and even at its worse prospect, poses no direct threat to either the US or Russia so unlike the Cuban Missile Crisis, there is no reason to escalate things to protect either state.

[Pigeon]

Thank you Nathan. I know this is just your opinion but it helped me see things from a different perspective. When you're feeling low and all you can see are dramatic, scare-mongering news reports, it's very difficult not to let that overwhelm you.

But even in all the fear and worry about myself, I still recognise that the people of Syria have no escape from the terrible conflict there so I can totally agree with the point you made in your last paragraph. That's the saddest thing of all.

Thanks again and take care.

[Confusion]

Even BBC are talking about WW3 now.

[Onion]

pretty sure Obama sent a few bombs syria's way and Putin did nothing. What makes this time any different?

[PWO_Nathan]

Even BBC are talking about WW3 now.

Technically, it is a WW as numerous state actors are involved.

Just remember Korean War as I have said many times - China and USA directly fighting...

If you are going to read or listen to some obscure passage on the BBC or other outlet then this will not help you.

If you listened to various ones, other than BBC which is the Governments mouthpiece anyway, you would know the following key facts:

1: The safeguard telephone line the US and Russia use to avoid accidental confrontation is been very actively used as reported by both Sky News and RT.
2: The Russian FM spoke to Sky news and at no point issued any threat, simply said the US, UK and France are acting in contravention of the UN - which they are correct. We have no right whatsoever to bomb anyone absent proof.
3: Russia and US are speaking via back channels on how they can manage this without escalation as NEITHER side wants war but NEITHER side can lose Face. DT has committed the US to some form of action via tweets so some form of action has to happen, albeit token action. Russia HAS to be publically seen as opposing US etc as otherwise, wtf is the point in been an ally of Russia and what message does this send?
4: This is nothing like the Cuban Missile Crisis or Cold War as neither the US nor Russia is directly threatened. This is about ideology and morality, can you honestly see either country risking what would certainly be the end of the world for this, can you see either populace of supporting action to this end? IF WW3 was going to happen, it would have happened when Ukraine was invaded and COULD possibly happen if Baltic States were invaded.

I dont mean to be blunt Confused but you seem to be reading lines that suggest worse case scenario and disregarding the rest.

Truth is, no one knows what will happen and any comfort you seek seems to be wanting definitive guaranteed sense which you will not find anywhere. Everything given from MPs, Media, here or anywhere else is opinions. Unfortunately for people who have anxiety about this, the medias opinions are directed towards promoting fear as this sells and gets the traffic needed to their site or channel.

Ask yourself, if they said, look everythings fine don't worry and because we know everythings fine we are going to move onto other irrelevant 'small' news, would this drive traffic or sales? Nope. Hence the WW3 imminent BS they are spouting.

Just relax, the World has come close to War many times previous and probably will many times in the future. Getting all worked up about it serves no purpose, has no impact on the direction of anything and simply impedes your quality of life.

[FrankT]

If anything, I'm more worried about the trade war with China turning into a military confrontation.