Is anyone's mental health affected by simply reading about the horrors of October 7th

Not MY mental health is affected...poor me. It's just awful to do that.

And what should our response be instead?

I think it's pretty self centered to read news reports of atrocities and think "wow, this is really horrible, for me".

I've had to stop watching the news. My dreams have been vivid and perilous since 7 Oct. I realise as a white British atheist with East European DNA but zero Ashkenazi DNA, I have the luxury of being able switch off. I care about the victims on both sides but I care about my well being and that of my family more

Genuine grievances. Grievances?! Bloody hell. What can you say?

I have to say I had no idea that anyone could be so evil. It defies belief. And makes me feel very unsafe. I obviously also feel despair about what is going on in Gaza. I listen to my dc talking about Christmas but there is another dialogue entirely going on in my head.

The effects of 7th October are very upsetting, but yes the current plight of the Palestinians that really shakes me.

The idea that right now when I tuck my 4yo into get bed, that there are 4 year olds buried in the rubble, slowly dying from their wounds, or asphyxiation or dehydration, makes me want to vomit. There are about a thousand children in the rubble, most of which is not killed outright will have agonisingly slow painful deaths alone.

Kids having amputations without anaesthetics. Kids being told their whole family is dead. Babies in incubators waiting for the last remnants of fuel to run out. Kids drinking seawater to survive.

Yes, the hammas massacre was despicable, but I'm more disturbed by the far larger number of children that are suffering right now, whom the world seems indifferent to.

For myself personally, I find the current situation in Gaza harder to stomach - but for one very specific reason:

I was utterly horrified as I watched events unfold live on TV on 7 October. Even though I am what you would generally refer to as "broadly pro-Palestinian", I also felt deeply personally scared for the many wonderful Israelis I have had the pleasure of knowing.

But the narrative - even though I know a lot about the history and its conflict and that this is not doing justice to any of the complexity - was broadly intelligible: "horrible group does horrible things to people whose fault this is not!".

The Gaza situation, on the other hand, fills me with not only utter horror at the insane level of violence but also a massive amount of cognitive dissonance. Because this time, the narrative accoding to a lot of public discourse is "righteous defence, victim underdog merely defending itself against existential threat - and if you feel differently, you are potentially genocidal". Which, my knowledge of the conflict and just ... my brain tells me "but that does not correspond with the factual information you are getting!"

Feels like an episode of black mirror, but I am a side character in the story - and that affects my well-being more than just exposure to violent content!

Genuine grievances!? Is that what you want to call it!

No more than the other 30+ wars going on around the world right now even though this is the only anyone gives a shit about.

It's quite wrong imo to make it about you and your mental health and taking away from those actually affected by the conflict.

I'm not sure if I would use the term mental health (not saying you shouldn't) but it has affected me very deeply.

How much worse it is for those living in Israel?!! People in Gaza have been deprived of food, water, fuel and medicine and are bombed daily. This is collective punishment.

Yes. I've had nightmares about some of it and there are images and descriptions I regret seeing. I can't get over how people could do those things to innocent strangers and I find it upsetting when people try to justify it. Yes, Palestinians have genuine grievances, but nothing justifies one human being doing those appalling things to another.

When I feel upset I have to remind myself how much worse it is for everyone actually living in Israel. That the world needs to know what happened and what Hamas is capable of. And turn off my computer for a while.

This.

I don't care how much Israel 'has the right to defend itself' or Hamas are 'using human shields'. They are knowing and purposefully killing thousands and innocent men, women and children under the guise of aiming to get to the few.

I feel for the poor families and victims of October 7th, but I am disgusted by the Israeli government, as much as I am disgusted by Hamas.

My mh is ok but I feel bad saying that as people are really suffering

No my mental health is not affected

But I felt very upset with what I saw
Moved to tears over the weekend watching tik tok videos
Feel anger and yes, disgust

But I'm 'ok' ...

It's utterly horrific. I saw some of the videos on Twitter on the actual day (nowhere near the worst) and they were dreadful but I find listening to the accounts of survivors and those whose families are now hostage more emotionally upsetting. The stuff about the children is the worst. The bombing is absolutely terrible but what kind of person kills a child face to face, much less tortures one first?

I don't read the DM but the accounts I've read of 7th October elsewhere are the worst things I have read

Depraved doesn't even cut it

No, because I don’t read the detail. The headlines are enough for you to know what’s going on. Don’t get sucked in.

I haven’t had much exposure but what I’ve read on here has stuck with me

So depraved and horrific

This. And what you have to do is something. Volunteer with children, teach English to refugees, dog walk for an elderly neighbour, give to the UNICEF, MSF and other charities. Literally anything you can do to make the world better.

The only way to combat the darkness is to light a candle.

The accounts from the 7th October massacre are the worst I’ve ever read, and I’ve been trying to avoid them. I can’t get some of the images out of my head.

Yes, horrendously effected. I found myself sobbing at stories from
both sides and I’ve stopped reading now. I don’t think it’s helpful to know the gory details

Very good reminder

This is not ‘mental health’. This is ‘normal human feelings and reaction caused by exposure to news of atrocities’.