Reading news today - serious anxiety

[Randara]

I've read the news today about Turkey shooting down a Russian plane and it's got me really anxious.

I'm prone to catastrophising but she been feeling a lot better recently, however this has just thrown me. I am so worried and I can't see anything positive happening. I don't know what to do, I'll try avoiding reading the news but I'm still going to be on edge.

[teaandtoast]

I can completely sympathise - I feel the same :hugs:

However, I am trying to focus on the fact that no countries want things to escalate really, it's hassle for them and if they can keep the peace, then they will. I think the fact that Russia is in talks with Europe and USA re. Syria airstrikes is actually a positive thing because although they may not be 'allies' as such, they're sort of working together so they won't want to risk that 'working relationship' falling to bits by doing something silly. I hope that made sense, I don't have a full understanding of what's going on because it's all rather complicated but that's the rough idea that I have in my head.

[rational mind talking] Honestly I think the media and social media have blown this out of proportion. Yes it was a bad thing to do - especially if the plane wasn't over Turkish airspace like it's being suggested, but I really don't think with the current world climate that it is going to lead to anything terribly bad - some silly people are scaremongering saying it's going to lead to WW3 but no one wants that and it seems to be being resolved responsibly so far....

I feel a bit hypocritical because I too am scared about all this, but I've told you what I'm trying to tell myself.... let's hope all this blows over and settles down soon :hugs::hugs:

[Randara]

Thank you so much teaandtoast!

I'm feeling a lot better now, I think it's just the feeling of hopelessness and no control in these situations. I feel like the leaders of all the countries are so wrapped up in their own heads that they don't think about what the people in their countries want. I just want to tell them all to stop being so stupid and to get on!

Agree with everything you say, and it definitely helps hearing it from someone else! :)

Planning a day of distraction tomorrow and will avoid over checking the news!

Hope you are feeling less anxious too :hugs: xx

[happydylbob]

This is something that affects me badly also. I feel that I don't want to check / read the news but I have a compulsion to do so which only makes me feel worse.
I also think that facebook doesn't help as you get a lot of people giving opinions when they don't really understand the situation themselves.
Many people say try not to worry about it or there's nothing you can do about it but whilst true this is still a trigger for some panic and anxiety sufferers.
Lets just hope common sense prevails and we can all work together for peace :hugs:

[Randara]

Happydylbob thank you for the reply, you've summed it up pretty well!! Hope you're dealing with it well and not too down. I'm feeling a lot more positive and coping a lot better now so that's good news. :hugs:

[Emma1027]

Best advice I can give is to try not to look at the news to often as it will make your anxiety worse. It's easier said then done I know but then it plays on your mind and makes it worse. I often check bbc news website but a good example was the ebola headlines. Not only do the papers scare us to the point of locking ourselves indoors til things blow over but they take total control over our lives. We need to be aware of dangers and take risks but we also can't live in a bubble and take everything at shock value otherwise we wouldn't even cross a road in case a car hit us. I know the news has really hit me recently because I am edgy and watching everyone's moves on the bus which is crazy.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I've been through some of this myself a few years back with TV news. In some ways I wonder whether it more fear of change because it was like my day wouldn't be as I would expect it to be if war broke out. I didn't seem to be worrying about the real issues in war, more the impact on my anxiety and it's safety behaviours.

You don't need to look at a PM or President and think they don't know what they are doing because they get voted in and stay for short terms. The real people, the civil servants, are the ones that advise them on how to tackle real situations and these people spend their whole career in these fields so they are experts. Politicians are just there to sit inbetween the civil servants and us but what they tell them steers them towards keeping the country moving in the right direction.

Friendly fire incidents happen in these conflicts, some of our troops were killed by accident by the US. It's just what happens and the US has already raised concerns over Russia's activity not being co-ordinated with them & everyone else involved including us and how accidents were a matter of time really.

Whatever happens though, the pilot bailed out so really it's just some expensive twisted metal.

[Randara]

Thanks Terry and Emma. Looking back to yesterday the fact that the news instantly reported what happened didn't help, it's like they make the biggest deal over something they have no information on. it does feel like they're trying to scare us!

[unspoken]

I know this feeling. I've never been unable to cope with the news before, but since the attacks in Paris it has been relentless reporting of deaths and disasters. I know terrible things are always happening all over the place but I can't read 20 pages of solid coverage of death. I've been going through some difficult things myself and I feel guilty saying this, but I can't cope with thinking about all the problems of the world when I feel like this.

The comments above do rationalise things, as often the way the news is reported is quite sensationalised. I've been trying to avoid reading too much news. I got into a habit of checking it multiple times a day but now I only check once or maybe twice.

[Emma1027]

I've just come across a rumour of a threat in Sheffield on black Friday and boxing day circulating on social media. It's terrible anywhere but your heart jumps out knowing it's in the city you came from and you have loved ones. I can't picture actually losing loved ones like so many people have in Paris. The fear they must have gone through and will constantly struggle with. I always think that cars can be fixed as can many things but you can't replace a loved one. Life is so precious.

[debs71]

I dont read the newspapers now and very rarely watch the news, as frankly it is nothing but misery, doom, gloom and offers a depressing picture of the present and future world......it is also nothing ANY OF US can do anything about, so I will not sit and suffer and worry about it.

Truth is, whatever is going to happen will happen. Sorry to be so blunt, but that is how it is, and though worrying and anxiety causing, it is out of our hands. All any of us can do is try to live our lives and make the very most of it, as much as our anxieties or issues allow!

I personally refuse to torture myself with any more news about these maniacs in the world.

[freshy666]

Hi Randara,

I totally understand how you feel and have been coming here to NMP to help calm my nerves. I have normally high anxiety, but with the Paris attacks and living 20km from Brussels have sent it skyrocketing. I got some meds from the doctor, which helps, but I also try to avoid the news as much as I can. I've also started playing some of the games here on NMP and that really helps me a lot. Also just doodling while listening to some podcasts helps take my mind of things (a bit).

I wonder if today we are really living in more 'dangerous' times or if we just have such quick access to what is happening all around the world. I often think about what it would have been like during WWI or WWII when it would take much longer to get news about current events, let alone from half way around the world.

Anyway, not much advice, but sometimes just knowing others understand what you are going through is a small bit of solace :-)

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm glad to hear you are coping better, freshy.

The world wars were very different situations and people we were fighting were a far greater threat to the world. My parents were young children back then but remember having to hide in shelters when the alarms went off.

Over the last few years there have been terror arrests in my city and it does make you think. I live within 1 mile of a community where one came from and 3 miles of another. But I'm not going to let the odd nutter convince me that they are anything but normal people with all their normal prejudices BUT also fantastic positive qualities too.

[happydylbob]

My name is terry you always give such level headed advice. You mentioned that you used to worry about the news can I ask how you ove came this ?
This is something that affects me on a daily basis whether there is something major going on or not. I always feel like I'm waiting in anticipation it started just after I had my daughter 9 years ago when there was a threat of bird flu and has continued with various things ever since. When it first happened I went to the doctors an they referred me to a mental health nurse who was really dismissive of my worries so that didn't help.
People who know me have no idea I suffer with anxiety unless I tell them, I am a teacher and I'm very good at hiding it there have been times I have been dying inside but no one would know. The only person who knows the true extent of my anxiety is my husband who is the most wonderful supportive person in the world but even he gets bored of it sometimes. I have periods when I'm fine but always seem to sink back into it. Wow that post turned out to be a bit other than planned .

[MyNameIsTerry]

Thanks happydylbob, I really appreciate that :flowers:

At the time I went through this I was really sensitised by my GAD. So, it wasn't so much one thing as a combination. Getting out more, being more comfortable around people (which took some time), feeling less locked into having to do the same things each day and feeling like I had more choice, relaxation techniques to keep bringing my overall anxiety levels down, exercise (walking) and Mindfulness meditation.

This combination had an impact in reducing my anxiety, stopping me being so jumpy (noises, sensations, etc) and feeling more secure in myself. Back then I was even anxious if my big brother came around for a visit as again it was a change to my day and my strictly controlled environment. I had to work on showing myself that is is ok that not everything is controlled. Control is such a big issues for us, as is uncertainty.

When the news came on I wouldn't turn it off, I would watch it. The more I was out the more I made myself read the newspapers in shops. Obviously, there is a lot of doom & gloom in the national newspapers and I had the same feelings about these for a while but with repetition and not running away from it I got through that. I would do it first when I went in Tesco and then stay in there for at least an hour wandering around. Supermarkets were an issue for me anyway so I needed to do this and it did take some time. For a long time after I would have a trigger and struggle more in the supermarket but I found using focussing, Mindfulness awareness (focussing with all senses on the environment, handling objects, etc) and even some basic acceptance at times, all allowed my anxiety to decrease so that I could be happy in there too. I would rationalise to and bring in evidence like we add into threads like this to help others see the reality that the tunnel vision of Cognitive Distortions causes us to miss.

It's great to hear you have such a supportive husband. Forget about that nurse, some nurses in general are hardly representative of the personal qualities needed just like how doctor's can lack seemingly basic skills of a human being when talking to people (:winks:). The same can be said for therapists. It's just a matter of getting the right one and ditching those that have poor attitudes towards us. Some people get sick of their jobs and just can't stay professional and I bet you have come across this in your profession.

[happydylbob]

Thanks for the reply my name is terry. I'm thinking of trying cbt we have a place in town that I think offers help for people like me so I might give it a go. You are so right about finding the right person I never really thought of it that way before and yes I do see it in my profession and it drives me crazy as I think why are you in the job if not to help people.

[uru]

I wonder if today we are really living in more 'dangerous' times or if we just have such quick access to what is happening all around the world. I often think about what it would have been like during WWI or WWII when it would take much longer to get news about current events, let alone from half way around the world.


Actually, we're living in FAR LESS dangerous times. If you want the long version read Pinkers' book 'better angels of our nature'. TL:DR in the past were huge numbers of wars involving many countries. Think, our grandparents would have had to fight in WW1 or WW2. People in london and other areas had bombs dropped on their houses. It was a distinct possibility for a long time that England would not survive. We have nothing like this to worry about today.

Also, health care is 1,000% better now than in the past. Polio was a thing about 50 years ago. There were a ton of other diseases we couldn't treat then as well. Hell, these days cancer isn't even a fatal in many cases.

Terrorism exists but it did when I was younger too. Someone fired a mortar at no. 10 in 1991 and blew up the PM's hotel in 1985.

Things are much much much safer now (worldwide) than in the past. Of course, our monkey brains don't understand that. :weep:

[Sparkle1984]

I'm worried about the whole ISIS/Syria/Paris situation too. I've tried to avoid reading the news too much in recent days, but it's virtually impossible to avoid it completely, especially if my family are watching the news on TV whilst I'm eating dinner, or colleagues are discussing it at work.

The thing that's scaring me at the moment is that the UK may get involved in the war in Syria. What if it makes the situation there even worse, or ISIS retaliates with a terror attack somewhere in the UK? I'm not sure the previous interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya have done any good - although their dictators have been overthrown, all of those countries seem to now be beset by terrorism or civil war. There seems to be so many different countries/people fighting/supporting different sides in Syria, it's confusing to know who is on whose side, and there is always the concern this could escalate into a wider conflict.

[Chocolateface]

Hi

I went through a similar things a few years ago with the news and my counsellor at the time suggested watching Newsround which is aimed more for children so not as much scaremongering, also if you want to read a news website look at a more commercial one that will have as its main headline which celebrity is currently dating who then you will get the news but not so much in your face.

For what it is worth I don't think any government want to start any actions against anyone or any countries where possible the UN will try to keep the peace along with government heads.

Try to remember that stories are always hyped up so may not be a true and accurate reflection of what may happen or in fact did happen.

Hope you feel better

Clare

[MyNameIsTerry]

I'm worried about the whole ISIS/Syria/Paris situation too. I've tried to avoid reading the news too much in recent days, but it's virtually impossible to avoid it completely, especially if my family are watching the news on TV whilst I'm eating dinner, or colleagues are discussing it at work.

The thing that's scaring me at the moment is that the UK may get involved in the war in Syria. What if it makes the situation there even worse, or ISIS retaliates with a terror attack somewhere in the UK? I'm not sure the previous interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq or Libya have done any good - although their dictators have been overthrown, all of those countries seem to now be beset by terrorism or civil war. There seems to be so many different countries/people fighting/supporting different sides in Syria, it's confusing to know who is on whose side, and there is always the concern this could escalate into a wider conflict.

I think you need to remember that we are already involved in Syria and have been for a while. We can only help to overthrow a regime and support putting a new government in place but in these wartorn countries you can be trading one bunch of nutters for another and corruption will be rife. They have to govern themselves but it will take decades with all the old factions out there stirring up trouble.

From our point of view, this is not like Northern Ireland where half of them wanted us out. ISIS don't want us on the planet with them, so we really have little choice in the matter whether we stop them attacking us or have to attack them to prevent it. They intend to harm us and there is no point in us sitting back and watching them gaining arms & soldiers when we can dismantle them to reduce the threat.

Yes, it could escalate BUT it's going to escalte anyway so our governments are getting in early to stop them growing to that point. There is no chance of open war, they would be beaten easily hence why they use guerilla tactics. Hitting civilian targets is nothing to do with war, thats about being dispicable.