Feeling Depressed/Angry/Etc by World Events

[Kizzie]

I have been starting to feel a bit overwhelmed/angry/depressed/somewhat hopeless about so much of what is going on in the world at the moment, much like I did after Trump got into power in the US ( b/c of his NPD behaviour, not his politics). 

It just so happens that I subscribe to Sonia Connolly's newsletter and in my inbox today was this wonderful article titled "Mend What You Can Reach" at https://traumahealed.com/articles/mend-what-you-can-reach/.  Here's an excerpt:

World news is terrifying these days, from Brexit to wildfires in Australia to the latest assault on reproductive rights in the US. We feel overwhelmed by the need to respond, and helpless in the face of huge, distant disasters. We can reduce the strain on our nervous system by taking charge of our exposure to news, as well as finding ways to take action locally.

Key for me is "reduce the strain on our nervous system". Being a trauma survivor I have less distance and am more reactive to things that feel like they are out of my control. I must remain cognizant of this and put in place buffers & positives to balance and nourish my frayed nervous system.  I think Sonia offers some  good ideas for doing so. 

Hope this is of some help to any of you who re feeling similarly. 

[Kizzie]

I should also mention that the last time I felt myself sliding into despair like this I ended up going for EMDR treatment and it helped me shift out of that. Being a child of relational trauma I grew up with the belief that the world is a BAD place and I have no control. The news feeds this, fans the flames and I slip into the old grooves etched in my nervous system, brain and heart.  I am hoping EMDR will jump start the shift again and then I really do need to actively reinforce newer, more balanced pathways.

[Not Alone]

  No words of wisdom, just support and care.

[Kizzie]

Tks Notalone 

[Alice-In-Wonderland]

Kizzie, I can totally relate to this! I recently suffered a huge EF from news stories about gross injustice committed by a person in power (I won't go into details but you can likely guess...it seems to be a daily occurrence recently). I felt panicked like being a powerless hostage. I struggle with this a great deal these days. I tried a 'news fast' but that didn't work. It seems as if being 'up to date' becomes an obsession. I will certainly try the 'good news' stories as a way to balance the emotional roller-coaster.

[sanmagic7]

 

i totally relate - obsessed is the way i'm feeling as well.  i used to not watch the news at all, now i just keep tuning in. 

[Kizzie]

I'm so grateful Sonia Connelly's article landed in my email when it did 

I stopped watching the news and am happy to say it really has made a difference.  I don't feel the same despair I was thankfully. Too much news about abuse of power scrapes away on the nervous system and heart.  As survivors we know the world and people can be cruel and unfair, we lived through trauma that taught us that in the deepest parts of ourselves.

For me stopping watching feels much like going no contact with my NPD family. I can think and breath when I'm not being bombarded by their chaotic, crazy making behaviour, same for the news. There are good people and things to take joy in, hope, beauty.  We didn't experience that much if at all and so it takes more effort for us to find it than most people. For one thing, we have more power/control than we did when we were trapped by trauma, like stepping away from too much sensationalist news. 

I'm also trying to focus on what I'm doing to contribute to a more positive, kind and sane world in my little corner of it - from breaking the cycle of abuse with my son to starting OOTS. The fact that you're all here trying to recover means you're also taking action to combat cruelty, abuse, relational trauma too. 

Start by giving yourself credit for what you are already doing. Did you grow up in an abusive family? Are you pouring time and energy into healing so that you can stop the cycle of abuse and interact in more positive ways? Each person who turns away from abusive patterns contributes to the overall health of the world. Your healing ripples out to help everyone you interact with.

[Blueberry]

It just so happens that I subscribe to Sonia Connolly's newsletter and in my inbox today was this wonderful article titled "Mend What You Can Reach" at https://traumahealed.com/articles/mend-what-you-can-reach/. 

In this article there's a link to positive news stories, which I found good to read.

[sanmagic7]

thanks for that perspective, kizzie.  day 1 of NC w/ the news!

[Kizzie]