Does the news affect your anxiety?

[Granny Primark]

I can be feeling good then I either see something on the news or read something in the paper that plays on my mind.
I then feel guilty for having a good day.
Just wondered if anyone else feels the same.

[Bekzie]

Hi Granny Primark
Yep I feel the same way, I have stopped buying newspapers and magazines because of this but the news on tv is harder to avoid so I just change channel or try to ignore it now.

[PanchoGoz]

Yes. A good example of this...
I had a bit of a depressive breakdown on tuesday. I seeked help, I've come home from uni, feeling very hungry and sleepy now and I'm doing good.
That same day, I read in the paper, a mother threw herself and her son under a train because of depression. This hit hard.

I also worry a lot about world issues like failing curruncies, global warming, bad weather and even remarkable scientific breakthroughs. I was utterly freaked out when they played recordings of someone's brainwaves a few months back.

[Serenitie]

I haven't had a TV for several years and haven't read newspapers in over 10 years. I believe that the media presents a very distorted view of the world. Bad news and sensationalist headlines sell. I don't share this view of the world and refuse to let my daily life be effected by the moral panics and general doom and gloom which the media perpetuates.

There are so many other wonderful forms of education and entertainment out there to enjoy & learn from. Switch off the TV and tune into something more beneficial :winks: :yesyes:

[ricardo]

Newspaper circulation has fallen dramatically over the last 10+ years due to the Internet and IMO television in general is poor with cheaply made reality programmes and countless programmes based on a theme of a previous programme.
Some are interesting yet some insult one's intelligence, or am I getting old.:)
I wouldn't agree to bury ones head in the sand as to what is going on in the world,especially economically and my thoughts constantly turn to the thought of how my children and grand children will get on in life in later years.

[Serenitie]

I agree, Ricardo. Terrestrial TV is absolutely poor quality for the most part. I do watch some programmes but very few via the internet. I educate myself by watching around 10 documentaries each week on ecology, nutrition and health, real life experiences and economics. I became much more educated on the economy through a handful of documentaries which taught me about fractional banking and debt. Not many people are even aware of these economic forces that dictate our lives. I have never seen such information on TV which increasingly encourages us to immerse ourselves in 'reality' TV (that reflects no reality I've ever known!).

[Annie0904]

I agree Lynn, I get quite upset at some of the news stories and some of them do increase my anxiety. Like Pancho the news about the mum and her little boy really upset me.

[little wren]

I think the BBC channels are good quality. They have some very well made documentaries. I absolutely hate reality TV (Ricardo and Serenitie I agree - I think it is a cheap way of making entertainment which does not require much thought - as long as there is sensationalism included). I always try to catch the BBC news (usually on text) as I need to feel connected to what is happening in the world. With the text I can skim over things which will affect me badly and I can follow other stories more in depth on-line if I want x

[danivsdani]

yes! i avoid the news like the plague. there are certain websites i can't go to because of crazy sensationalist headlines. when i check my email there's always a lot of crazy news on the home page that get me every time but i try not to pay attention to them anymore and get to my inbox as fast as possible.

pancho i saw that brainwaves stuff it freaked me out too lol. lots of scientific research freaks me out. i think "why are you doing that for anyway?! :scared15:"

people say you should be up to date with worldly stuff but it is kind of pointless if there isn't anything i can do about this stuff but worry. the news breeds anxiety in a way. like "good morning! just wanted to let you know in case you forgot that the world is a terrifying place! have a nice day :)"

[mrsnobody]

i carnt watch the news at all, i got worried about natural distasters, health war, everything really. i knoe total avoidance isnt good but it makes me ill

[almamatters]

I don't like watching the news neither, I find it utterly depressing, it usually brings on my anxiety if anything bad is mentioned . I can't read or hear bad news and forget about it, so I avoid the news at all costs.

[Tessar]

I won't watch the news unless there is something specific that I do want to see. As soon as that bit is over I leave the room (my partner likes to watch the news so it's inevitable I hear the odd bit I don't want to but when it's coming on, I will leave the room especially if they start on about something I am not wishing to hear). I am VERY selective with the news and that includes Internet, newspapers etc etc.

[mrsnobody]

they never write abot have happy news, you only hear about the bad stuff. there should be a happy nes paper etc

[PanchoGoz]

they never write abot have happy news, you only hear about the bad stuff. there should be a happy nes paper etc

I would love a happy news paper, I would so buy that.

[mrsnobody]

so would i there most be some good stuff that goes on somewhere. we need abit of the feel good factor. even the reaaly life womens mags are all doom and gloom

[ricardo]

Good news doesn't generally sell newspapers, sad isn't it.

Last time I can really remember being happy and even emotional was watching the TV or reading when the Olympics where on , and even as an ex pat it made me proud to be British.

We do those thought of things so well but they are few and far between.