Anxiety about world events

[axolotl]

Not sure what I want from people here, and I don't want to trigger people, but I've been getting increasingly anxious in the last few weeks about the future of the world. I recognise the way I feel as similar to when I've had health anxiety (currently under control), that I'm consumed with worst case scenarios, and find it hard to think of a the future being anything other than bleak.

The success of Trump, Russia's alleged hacking activities, the rise of neo-fascism in Europe, the situation in Syria... have all made be fearful of what's coming in the next few years. I'm finding it hard to plan for the future, my brain can't stop telling me there's a world war coming. There's a beautiful view of my city from a park near me, and I can't look at it any more without the thought popping into my head that this may be all be destroyed soon.

Last night I was already in a panic about the Russian diplomat being killed, and what that may mean and what events that may trigger. And then an hour or so later the attack on Germany happened. An awful event, which makes you scared of Islamic Extremism, but on another level is something that will help and strengthen the far right in Europe which in some ways is even scarier.

I feel like the world's on the slide into intolerance and idiocy, and there should be something we can do about it.

I know world events happen, and it's irrational to presume things will turn out as I'm worried they will. I keep telling myself things will work out OK, whatever happens. I know the hypocrisy that I'm always telling people to think logically on the heath forum and I'm not doing so myself. I'm just wondering how others get past getting overly anxious about world events, I suppose?

[MyNameIsTerry]

It's a very valid issue for discussion and affects many of us. Been there myself with this over the years. It's also an issue of concern for any person who keeps themselves aware of the world, as opposed to those who's lives revolve around what top Kim Kardashian is wearing today.

I think it is about reducing overall anxiety levels, working on correcting the thoughts and practicing acceptance.

The world doesn't want to become a war zone. Remember, all those rich & powerful people would become nothing overnight. They care about money more than anything and wars it the stock market. Would they want a real world war? Imagine how that would cripple all of our economies and invite civil issues that could see people seizing their assets? Now how likely would that be in countries like ours?

People are making connections between the rise of the right leading up to the world wars and now. Personally I think it's a load of garbage. Today there are many more people in the way of anything, back then most of us did what we were told. Imagine getting people to join to fight now? It would make a good many lawyers very rich through years of objection in today's society.

Trump is an easy one. He isn't a dictator, he isn't a king or an emperor. He has to follow the law, he has to follow the rules or face the consequences which can include impeachment.

The far right thing has always been around but it's regrettable and largely the fault of politicians failing to address real issues affecting ordinary people. This might provide the kick up the backside they need to start addressing issues.

Terrorism has been around for a long time. We had the IRA when I was young. Now it's ISIS. It's had it's earlier incarnations. ISIS just need dealing with in a very aggressive manner. But it also needs work by those who can influence in Islam too to reduce it's ability to regrow. We also need to remember that some of these societies are centuries behind us in their thinking. Go back far enough and we were burning people at stakes, converting or killing, torturing those who refuse to convert, etc. Their time to modernise from a religion that no longer fits with the world. We had some of that with ours in Christianity if you think about how it was used by those in power.

Nuclear war? Not from anyone other than a zealot. Nuclear war would end the world and all those rich & powerful people will be living in rags starving. Other than a zealot, can you see that ever happening? People say it about Trump & Putin. Would they be happy to be destitute? I don't think they are so committed to anything.

Sometimes taking a bit of a break from the news can help if it feels like it's getting obsessive too.

Yesterday's terrorist attack in Germany is a terrible atrocity. Something I find myself thinking about too is how this is a more common event in some countries and how on earth those people live their lives under all that.

[SLA]

All the more reason to live in the present. :)

All roads lead to the destruction of the earth. There is no avoiding that.

In 100,000 years we will all be nothing but a fart in the wind.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon. :)

[MyNameIsTerry]

In 100,000 years we will all be nothing but a fart in the wind.

In 100,000 years time, that will probably be a quote from a famous philosopher of antiquity! :yesyes::roflmao:

[itoldyouiwasill]

To be honest anxiety over world events and the like never used to really be an issue for me until I became a father. I don't fear for my future but I do find I often have pangs of angst and anxiety about the situation my son is in and also how his future will play out.

A good example of this was when visiting Euro Disney last year...it was literally a week before the Paris attacks. I remember on the last evening there was a huge parade and fireworks outside of the castle and their must have been thousands of people there. Myself, my wife and little boy were having a great time when suddenly the thought popped into my mind about what an easy target for a terrorist attack this was (remember this was actually a week before the Paris attack). I almost felt tempted to leave the area with my family for a while but managed to overcome the urge.

I think another issue here is that nowadays we are literally bombarded with 24/7 news coverage and this is beamed to us from all over the world. What has happened for a lot of us is that we have lost the ability to see our sense of agency and control in our immediate areas i.e family, neighbourhood and instead fall into the trap of thinking we can somehow put to right all the shit in the world. By it's nature news coverage is sensationalised and installs anxiety and paranoia and we almost become sanitised to much of it...I think the trick is to realise that 'news' is not that 20 minute TV segment we see but is rather what our family is doing and how our friends are doing.

Taking a sabbatical from the news and news media outlets is always a good mental detox. I think it was Denzil Washington who just this week said that that "if you don't read the newspaper you're uniformed and if you do read the newspaper you're misinformed". That about sums it up.

[MyNameIsTerry]

To be honest anxiety over world events and the like never used to really be an issue for me until I became a father. I don't fear for my future but I do find I often have pangs of angst and anxiety about the situation my son is in and also how his future will play out.

A good example of this was when visiting Euro Disney last year...it was literally a week before the Paris attacks. I remember on the last evening there was a huge parade and fireworks outside of the castle and their must have been thousands of people there. Myself, my wife and little boy were having a great time when suddenly the thought popped into my mind about what an easy target for a terrorist attack this was (remember this was actually a week before the Paris attack). I almost felt tempted to leave the area with my family for a while but managed to overcome the urge.

I think another issue here is that nowadays we are literally bombarded with 24/7 news coverage and this is beamed to us from all over the world. What has happened for a lot of us is that we have lost the ability to see our sense of agency and control in our immediate areas i.e family, neighbourhood and instead fall into the trap of thinking we can somehow put to right all the shit in the world. By it's nature news coverage is sensationalised and installs anxiety and paranoia and we almost become sanitised to much of it...I think the trick is to realise that 'news' is not that 20 minute TV segment we see but is rather what our family is doing and how our friends are doing.

Taking a sabbatical from the news and news media outlets is always a good mental detox. I think it was Denzil Washington who just this week said that that "if you don't read the newspaper you're uniformed and if you do read the newspaper you're misinformed". That about sums it up.

Absolutely on the news coverage. Endless reporting on what "may" have happened until the police release a statement. People are obsessed with knowing everything now.

I agree with you on how to view the news.

There was a study about detoxing from the media and how it improved your mental wellbeing. I can well believe it!

The people who take a relaxed approach to much of this have the right idea. Just rolling along in life like Crocodile Dundee.

Protect your family but don't give in to terrorism. They win that way. Our governments will do all they can to protect us, sadly they can't stop everything and innocent people get caught up things.

When you think about it, it's like how someone may have been attacked on a street you walk down or run over. Fate could mean that is you but the odds are totally in your favour it won't be. Isn't that exactly what we try to tell each other about the cancers many worry about? The same basic wisdom of not living in a bubble out of fear of ever being harmed?

[itoldyouiwasill]

Absolutely on the news coverage. Endless reporting on what "may" have happened until the police release a statement. People are obsessed with knowing everything now.

I agree with you on how to view the news.

There was a study about detoxing from the media and how it improved your mental wellbeing. I can well believe it!

The people who take a relaxed approach to much of this have the right idea. Just rolling along in life like Crocodile Dundee.

Protect your family but don't give in to terrorism. They win that way. Our governments will do all they can to protect us, sadly they can't stop everything and innocent people get caught up things.

When you think about it, it's like how someone may have been attacked on a street you walk down or run over. Fate could mean that is you but the odds are totally in your favour it won't be. Isn't that exactly what we try to tell each other about the cancers many worry about? The same basic wisdom of not living in a bubble out of fear of ever being harmed?

They say that ignorance is bliss and I never agreed as I always actually craved being genned up and informed about everything. As I've got older and as anxiety became an issue for me it did eventually dawn on me that the people who didn't buy into needing to know every single thing were the happiest and chilled out people I knew. Anxiety is all about if, buts and maybe's...It's a fallacy to think we can eradicate that underlying pattern totally but we can at least make sure we concern ourselves with the correct things.

[randomforeigner]

Have you thought about the fact that even crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing is dangerous, if done at the wrong moment? I think about this when I catch myself thinking about some more rare event that might be happening. I don't think one should think so much about being some place just a week before or after some dreadful event that took place at the same spot. That said, I noticed today when I visited a mall nearby to purchase some reflectors, since it's winter and dark, that there were nothing stopping, say, a truck from driving straight into the pedestrian street that constitutes the mall itself. No smash and grab barriers. Weird there weren't any in this day and age, and it's not they can't afford it as it's newly refurbished.

---------- Post added at 20:12 ---------- Previous post was at 19:32 ----------

I also find it's useful to read up on different topics, that helps in relating to these events.

[axolotl]

Thanks all, haven't got time for a detailed response at the moment, but wanted to acknowledge I've seen your replies and they're appreciated. Like with HA, it's good to get some comments to get your logic circuits back online.