Ukraine. Fear or war. Please help

[Matthew1233]

You're right they aren't sending them to Ukraine- I overlooked that when I read this in a panic. Also found another article by Debunking Doomsday: https://debunkingdoomsday.quora.com/...tures-and-nobo

[Anxle]

While that seems a level-headed analysis, you also need to stop chasing the reassurance. I used to do this with Covid, there was one Twitter account that was very sensible and good at putting things in context. But he was human and had times where he had bad days and was gloomy about the situation, or had a break from talking about it, and when he was gloomy it made me worse because I was over-reliant on that for my own wellbeing.

As with "will there be another lockdown?" last year, "how will this situation play out?" is something even experts are figuring out, and our anxiety tricks us into thinking we can research ourselves better. But we may get temporary reprieve but our anxiety will always hone in on any doubt. The example above is a good one - you saw an article with some scary bits "troops on standby!", but not the not scary bit "but won't be sent to Ukraine!".

Part of therapy for me was working out I need to resist the compulsions to research my way out of anxiety. That's what I mean by the alcoholic analogy above - thinking "oh just one to take the edge off won't hurt" even though you know how messy it got before. It's so, so hard, do seek some professional help if you're struggling because in all these situations the very worst is still unlikely to happen, there'll be a lot of false alarms and worrying situations in our lifetimes, and you'll waste your life to scouring Reddit when you could be living.

[Lencoboy]

While that seems a level-headed analysis, you also need to stop chasing the reassurance. I used to do this with Covid, there was one Twitter account that was very sensible and good at putting things in context. But he was human and had times where he had bad days and was gloomy about the situation, or had a break from talking about it, and when he was gloomy it made me worse because I was over-reliant on that for my own wellbeing.

As with "will there be another lockdown?" last year, "how will this situation play out?" is something even experts are figuring out, and our anxiety tricks us into thinking we can research ourselves better. But we may get temporary reprieve but our anxiety will always hone in on any doubt. The example above is a good one - you saw an article with some scary bits "troops on standby!", but not the not scary bit "but won't be sent to Ukraine!".

Part of therapy for me was working out I need to resist the compulsions to research my way out of anxiety. That's what I mean by the alcoholic analogy above - thinking "oh just one to take the edge off won't hurt" even though you know how messy it got before. It's so, so hard, do seek some professional help if you're struggling because in all these situations the very worst is still unlikely to happen, there'll be a lot of false alarms and worrying situations in our lifetimes, and you'll waste your life to scouring Reddit when you could be living.

Of course we all need to beware of the ever-present misinformation and 'fake news' that will inevitably doing the rounds concerning this issue.

Sadly, there are some very irresponsible individuals around who revel in scaremongering. Some of them to me come across as 'bullies'.

Our govt did reiterate yesterday that there's currently no plans to deploy our troops. I guess on the home front, especially owing to recent/current domestic events, that would be even further political suicide for Boris and Co, especially if done willy-nilly!

[Matthew1233]

While that seems a level-headed analysis, you also need to stop chasing the reassurance. I used to do this with Covid, there was one Twitter account that was very sensible and good at putting things in context. But he was human and had times where he had bad days and was gloomy about the situation, or had a break from talking about it, and when he was gloomy it made me worse because I was over-reliant on that for my own wellbeing.

As with "will there be another lockdown?" last year, "how will this situation play out?" is something even experts are figuring out, and our anxiety tricks us into thinking we can research ourselves better. But we may get temporary reprieve but our anxiety will always hone in on any doubt. The example above is a good one - you saw an article with some scary bits "troops on standby!", but not the not scary bit "but won't be sent to Ukraine!".

Part of therapy for me was working out I need to resist the compulsions to research my way out of anxiety. That's what I mean by the alcoholic analogy above - thinking "oh just one to take the edge off won't hurt" even though you know how messy it got before. It's so, so hard, do seek some professional help if you're struggling because in all these situations the very worst is still unlikely to happen, there'll be a lot of false alarms and worrying situations in our lifetimes, and you'll waste your life to scouring Reddit when you could be living.

That is true, I just find it hard when I am sitting in front of a computer all day working on the internet

[Panicattacka]

BoJo can eat another slice of cake and take a nice long sip of STFU. I'm not having these elitist hypocrites send poor young UK lads to war yet again, under-funded and under-equipped, all at the beck and call of the bloody war-mongering, violence-addicted USA. Not our war, we are not even in the bloody EU anymore. As if one Ukrainian would be daft enough to fight and die for England if the tables were turned.

Remember when the USA got so angry at commies on their door step in Cuba that it threatened global nuclear war in 1962, yet we are supposed to be 'morally outraged' by the Russians reacting the same way as Nato expands ever closer to its borders. Pffft

[Pamplemousse]

Not our war, we are not even in the bloody EU anymore.

Wrong.

The UK is a signatory of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances and, as such, a guarantor of Ukraine's security. Therefore, if anyone threatens, let alone attacks, Ukraine it is very much "our war".

[pulisa]

While that seems a level-headed analysis, you also need to stop chasing the reassurance. I used to do this with Covid, there was one Twitter account that was very sensible and good at putting things in context. But he was human and had times where he had bad days and was gloomy about the situation, or had a break from talking about it, and when he was gloomy it made me worse because I was over-reliant on that for my own wellbeing.

As with "will there be another lockdown?" last year, "how will this situation play out?" is something even experts are figuring out, and our anxiety tricks us into thinking we can research ourselves better. But we may get temporary reprieve but our anxiety will always hone in on any doubt. The example above is a good one - you saw an article with some scary bits "troops on standby!", but not the not scary bit "but won't be sent to Ukraine!".

Part of therapy for me was working out I need to resist the compulsions to research my way out of anxiety. That's what I mean by the alcoholic analogy above - thinking "oh just one to take the edge off won't hurt" even though you know how messy it got before. It's so, so hard, do seek some professional help if you're struggling because in all these situations the very worst is still unlikely to happen, there'll be a lot of false alarms and worrying situations in our lifetimes, and you'll waste your life to scouring Reddit when you could be living.

Great point about resisting the compulsions to research your way out of anxiety.

[Matthew1233]

My anxiety over this wasnt too bad yesterday but seemed to get bad today after seeing headline such as 'Russian retaliation' etc. and reaidng people's tweet and posts which I know is a pointless thing to do.

[Lencoboy]

My anxiety over this wasnt too bad yesterday but seemed to get bad today after seeing headline such as 'Russian retaliation' etc. and reaidng people's tweet and posts which I know is a pointless thing to do.

Just out of interest Matthew, where did you read the headline about 'Russian retaliation', as I just checked the BBC site and there's no such headline?

Also, try to resist the temptation to 'doomscroll' social media and the Internet in general, as there are inevitably many dubious WUMs who are revelling in all of this right now and spreading misinformation and gossip.
Only visit reputable news outlets like the BBC, Sky, etc.

[Matthew1233]

Just out of interest Matthew, where did you read the headline about 'Russian retaliation', as I just checked the BBC site and there's no such headline?

Also, try to resist the temptation to 'doomscroll' social media and the Internet in general, as there are inevitably many dubious WUMs who are revelling in all of this right now and spreading misinformation and gossip.
Only visit reputable news outlets like the BBC, Sky, etc.

I can't remember exactly it was on Twitter possibly through Reuters/AP