Is anyone NOT feeling anxious about world events?

[youhadmeatjello]

Just curious. My anxiety is out of hand at the moment so I feel like everyone must be terrified and full of dread also, but wondered if that’s actually the case?

I was extremely anxious. I think I've burnt out a lot of my anxiety reserves now. I can't stay at that level of fear forever so now I'm sad about the situation and worried in a broader sense, but not filled with all consuming anxiety (huge for me as I have diagnosed anxiety issues). Ironically, I think in some ways this situation has helped my anxiety a bit in a wider context, I suffer with health anxiety and used to worry all the time that I might have a terminal illness. Totally irrational, I'm very healthy. This has pulled me out of the inclination to go into that kind of funk and I'm more determined to enjoy my life in the moment rather than worrying about dreadful situations that may never come to pass.

I've sort of accepted that it's totally out of my control, I suppose. I'm keeping up to date with the news but trying to go on with my life otherwise. DH is calm so a good person to have around, he's also quite knowledgeable on the topics I worry about so I've been chatting to him lots, which has been helpful for me.

As someone who lives within the ‘wipeout’ zone for even the smallest nuclear warhead targeted at Faslane, I’m not worried. A, because I don’t think there’s a chance in hell Putin will actually try it, and B, because even if he did it my family and I won’t survive. I’m not scared of death and if the UK is going to be hit by a nuclear bomb I’d rather be here and not know what the hell has happened.

I’m upset for the Ukraine (and Russian) citizens and hope it ends quickly but beyond keeping an eye on how much my gas is costing right now, I’m not worried. I can’t control any of this, I can’t influence any of this so why put the effort into worrying about it.

I don’t know why I’m like this, it takes no effort on my part. I just see it as some people are natural worriers and others aren’t. I just happen to be a non-worrier. I get up, I check the headlines for developments overnight and I go about my day.

I also agree re the threads on MN. I got myself into a flat spin reading lots of those. It started the conversations with DH that made me realise that some of the people asserting (kind of terrifying) opinions as fact on those are no more informed than I am as a lot of the "information" is incorrect or hugely over dramatised, so I'm making an effort to step away from those and just stay up to date using more factual news sources now.

I'm like people above, I feel so sad for the people in the Ukraine but am totally head in the sand as have the little day to day worries to keep on with, am working in a job that's breaking me physically and wrecking family life but that I adore. It is all I think about at the mo.

I'm anxious about it but I can't let myself show it because of the dc's.
I definitely need to take a news break.

@ivykaty44

I’m horrified at what is happening, but I’m not anxious & I’m not worrying about events I can’t change

Exactly how I feel.

No. I think people around Putin have too much self interest to want to die - I don’t think we are dealing with mass delusion that death would be better than defeat. I imagine any ‘pressing the button’ would require people with codes and at that stage I think it would not go ahead.

I wasn't doing bad until I read that Putin has put all his family safely away in a Nuclear Shelter.

Me. There is very little I can do to help the Ukrainians or kick Putin out.
I'm already doing everything I can about global warming and emissions, so I can't see the point in worrying. It doesn't help.

@Bloodyshittystorms

I wasn't doing bad until I read that Putin has put all his family safely away in a Nuclear Shelter.

You do know the role that propaganda plays in times of conflict, and are aware of the fact that Russia is historically deeply unreliable when comes to sources of information, don't you?

I wouldn't let the above worry you in the slightest.

I have anxiety and was feeling like it was all getting to me again. Luckily, following covid, I am more able to identify when it’s happening and what makes it worse. Subsequently today, I have not read any news and am feeling a lot better for it. Keeping myself updated will not change world events, but will keep me mentally well so I can control things in that way.

@Bloodyshittystorms

I wasn't doing bad until I read that Putin has put all his family safely away in a Nuclear Shelter.

A lot, probably most, of the news coming out of Russia is propaganda so I would take that with a pinch of salt.

There is so much information coming from Russian soldiers and they have all been lied to. Putins people are beginning to realise what he is doing and that he's just a crazy bastard swinging his dick about as one last power trip.

If he sets off one nuke anywhere he would have the whole of Russia destroyed within an hour so his bunker would be useless anyway.

I'm not feeling anxious at all, and I don't know anyone who is. I am quite fascinated in reading the news updates, as it's interesting politically. But I've never felt we're at threat, based on any of the analysis I've read (by academics, journalists and politicians).

But most people I know have their own issues and aren't even following it as closely as I am. They're more worried about how to get to appointments during a tube strike, or if their child will get into their first choice secondary.

I don't feel anxious either. It's very upsetting and horrifying, but I'm not anxious about a possible nuclear war. If I actually knew or thought it was going to happen with any great certainty, then of course I'd be afraid, but there's nothing I can do about it.

I'm not generally an anxious person actually, but am far more likely to feel stressed about things in my immediate vicinity (my to do list mostly).

@Bloodyshittystorms

I wasn't doing bad until I read that Putin has put all his family safely away in a Nuclear Shelter.

This is a theory that's been posited by one person, whose own credibility is pretty questionable (conspiracy theorist who has also reported that Putin and his Defence Minister conduct shamanic rituals...). I wouldn't take it as gospel. It's also only been reported in the likes of the Daily Mail, so far as I can see, and they never let responsible reporting get in the way of a clickbait headline.

Ultimately, whether true or not, it's important to keep in mind that it's great propaganda for Putin, lending credence to his message that he was forced to up the nuclear alert level after feeling threatened by NATO. Why would he not hide his family away if he's supposedly feeling threatened enough to take that kind of action?

Im making a point of avoiding a lot of the ukraine coverage. I still have some anxiety over it but im not going to seek out more things to upset myself with.

While it's tragic and traumatic for the people directly involved, there's no point in personally fretting as the direct consequences other than the cost of commodities are incredibly unlikely to affect life in the UK. It's concerning as a world/ European event, but being anxious doesn't achieve or change anything.
I'm also old enough to have lived through the late Cold War, collapse of Communism, war in previously Soviet states and peace in Europe from the mid-90s.

I keep up to date with the news. I favour radio bulletins and written articles rather than repetitive emotive 24 hour news coverage of things like blasted out flats that were family homes a week ago.

I compartmentalise things. DS's school place was released today. He has SENs so it's significant to us. My role was to do the research and fill in the forms in time. There was no point in fretting until today. It came back on my radar 10 days ago as I was overlooking school #1. It still hasn't been something worth dwelling on until midnight.

Life is filled with the here and now and what affects me and those close to me in a likely, forseeable future. That doesn't mean I don't care about what's beyond, I just don't place much emotional energy into it.

I worry when my partner worries who’s ex army. He’s worried now so I am feeling anxious about it

I am in my 60's and spent so many years worrying about everything and anything. All that worrying never changed anything.

Over the last few years I have somehow taught myself not to worry about things that I have absolutely no control over.

I have learned to compartmentalisation my thoughts and push not wanted thoughts and worries into what I think of as a compartment at the back of my mind which I can close.

I also suffered very very badly from depression and anxiety for years and don't want want to go back to those dark days.

I look at the news first thing every morning but often don't read the full stories, just the headlines. I rarely watch the news because it's too depressing (all the time, not just at the moment).

I am very sad for the people of Ukraine and have cried a few times for them.

I am not worried for myself. We all die and if my time is now then so be it. If there were to be a nuclear war I certainly would not want to survive it.

Thankfully I do not have children. If I did I know I would absolutely be worried sick.

I’m not anxious about my personal safety, just like I was never really anxious about me getting Covid (apart from at the beginning of the pandemic).

I am angry and sad though. How dare Putin just invade a sovereign European country because of his warped dream of reuniting the Soviet Union. And yes, a European country being invaded is more shocking to me than Syria or Yemen conflicts or fighting in Somalia. It is in no way racist to feel that.

[quote youhadmeatjello]@Oblomov22 I’ve spoken to my GP today, I’m going in tomorrow. I think I’ll end up going back on medication. Unfortunately my anxiety was well managed and then something triggered it recently and then the invasion happened and it’s become the perfect focus/outlet.[/quote]
Good move.

I’ll admit to spiraling mental health wise after 9/11. I was very young and not as educated on world affairs. Was very worried there was going to be a world war of some kind.

Can I do anything? No. World leaders all do deals with the Devil. Today's terrorist is tomorrow's President. All about negotiation. He is v.rich and Putin doesn't want to rule over a pile of ash.

It is normal to feel anxious given the situation in Ukraine, however, despite all and sundry throwing various politicians under the bus and lamenting about their governments, the people who are running the 'show' have better information, better advise from best specialists in their fields. Support Ukraine the best you can and trust that clear heads will steer us through this crisis.

@Bloodyshittystorms

I wasn't doing bad until I read that Putin has put all his family safely away in a Nuclear Shelter.

As I say to my son to help him put things in context, fear sells news articles and provides click bait as much as sex.

Might be true, might not. Will it affect rush hour today, or what you have for dinner? Will it impact on your work directly?

Or just make you worry.

Will you change what you do today because of it?

I’m observing, of course, horrified for those involved but we have to live in the present too.

I am. Shit scared infact.

I was diagnosed with anxiety earlier this year and am annoyed as I had it under control.

The last few nights (since Sundays nuclear threat) I've slept maybe 4 hours, I've cleared out under the stairs in case we need shelter no matter how futile that would be (and please no comments about you wouldn't want to live), I've cried, I've got angry and I feel like I'm spiralling- nothing I can do though.