Ukraine Invasion Part 12

[MagicFox]

I see the other thread is filling up so starting the twelfth...

Triggernometry is worth watching. I recommend the brief video from Leningrad that KK explains as indicative of what (young) people believe and their support for Putin and Russia.

Argh, having a bit of a middle of the night 'everything is awful' panic

@TokyoSushi

I’m the same, just woke up and feel so shaky and anxious. Had a nightmare so that doesn’t help either.

Awake too

Hi guys. I'm awake because I needed the loo and can't get back to sleep yet. I always used to feel anxious at night when life was difficult, I think being tired really compounds it. What helped me was a heavy blanket (I actually bought a weighted one which is known to calm the nervous system) and a hot drink with a bit of sugar. Eventually I took Sertraline and that was the best thing I ever did. Everyone is different so you do you.

All this horror will pass in time and, whilst the world won't forget it, it will move on. Humans are incredibly resilient ( I know you probably don't feel like you are but you are!) There is still a future. Right I'm off for a piece of toast.

This awful situation has left me feeling more helpless than ever with all the cruelty in the world and for once, has deeply upset DH.

We have decided to try and use that energy to set up fundraising events both at work and a fundraising evening in our local community centre. At least that gives us something productive to do and helps in some small way.

I hope this is over soon and Putin withdraws all his troops but I worry things are going to get even worse.

I have no one to talk to. I am frightened for the young people. When someone mentioned conscription I haven't stopped shaking since.

And the planet. I thought we were going to try and heal the planet. And now this terrible war.

I was born before that and IME the BBC has always been variable, depending on which bits of it you listen to/watch and your ability to use critiical thinking

I agree, I have heard them called biased by the left and the right and pretty much everyone inbetween at some point. I think the click baity nature of modern media has meant they have been swept along in the need to keep up, sometimes to the obvious detriment of content.
I tend to listen to the news on R4, its generally harder to be click baity in that format. I don't access any news online, I think the temptation to doom scroll would be too high.

@Goldenbear

Can relate to this as well. My DH is a pragmatist and calm, obviously thinks it is awful and harrowing but he doesn't think of all the trajectories like I do. One of my friends just said she thinks some peope cope better than others in these kind of situations. I.e they don't throw themselves in to the depths of despair as it is not helpful so yes I do feel a bit like the odd one out.

Yes exactly this. I very much catastrophise (I don’t think it’s a word!) situations like this, I did the same with COVID. My DP is very into geopolitics, level headed and rational. Two very different ways of dealing with situation.

@Autumnwater Same with me.
I catastrophise everything, I always have done. I remember the bird flu worry, I was in sixth form at the time I think and I was scared to go outside in case a bird came too near to me.
I was the same with covid, I was obsessing about it when it was in China, way before it started here ‘officially’ and all the videos of Chinese people dropping dead in the street.
I was convinced we’d have to dig mass graves and that body bags would be all over the place.

I’m hoping once again that it’s my brain overreacting to this in fear and although it can’t really get better for the Ukrainian people, I’m hoping it won’t come to involve us (I know that sounds selfish).

Thank you to everyone who contributes. Following so I don’t lose the thread.

Lots of news back about covid again over the past few days I’ve noticed too…

There is not going to be conscription, other than in Ukraine - where it's all hands to national defence - and maybe in Russia and Belarus (both of which have national service, additional conscription may not be required)

Eventually I took Sertraline and that was the best thing I ever did.

Slightly off topic but in what ways did Sertraline improve anxiety for you and how long did it take @Hillsmakeyoustrong?

[quote AgnesWestern]@BringBackCoffeeCreams why are they advising bunkers? Because they fear. Nuclear attack in your country or…?[/quote]
I don't know. They keep reassuring us that they don't expect an attack, at the same time as making sure we're all aware of contingency planning. They're telling us where the shelters are but aren"t preparing them for use.

This is my first post on these threads. I can totally identify with all those who said they need an outlet. My DH also barely watches the news, he has an extremely stressful job and I don't think he has the headspace.

I studied international relations many moons ago and we also studied the breakdown of the Soviet Union. I agree to an extent with a previous poster who said only a revolution would bring Putin down. It was Gorbachev's politics of glasnost and perestroika (openness and restructuring) which led to more openness of the media and thus encouraged the democratic movement, leading to a ripple effect of revolutions across Eastern Europe.
It is concerning though how Putin has now taken over control of the media and news outlets, but encouraging that the world is so connected now with the internet so that people can hopefully still access a more balanced view.

Another factor was economic. The soviet economy had been stagnating and then the oil price dropped, which really affected the Soviet economy which already then was big on oil and gas exports. This is why it is so important that we reduce our reliance on Russian natural resources.
This is a useful to read up on the factors that led to the breakdown of the Soviet Union

www.britannica.com/story/5-fast-facts-about-the-east-india-company

The economic sanctions now have a direct effect on people' s life in Russia so I wonder if they are more likely to blame the West for their hardship or Putin.

I still need to read and watch more around it all. This week I have found it hard to watch the news and sometimes I actively avoid it in order to stop a wave of panic.

@AgnesWestern

Lots of news back about covid again over the past few days I’ve noticed too…

Yes, because the rates are increasing rapidly again. A rise was always expected, but this is a rather large one.

(I thought all along that having a more phased approach to ending most restrictions, with the end coming late March with the end of the winter virus season, would have been considerably more prudent, not least because it might even have left capacity to tackle NHS backlog. Even when admitted with rather than because of covid, the need to keep infected patients away from those in a highly vulnerable state, puts pressure on hospitals and reduces capacity - eg you can't safely send a patient on chemo for a scan to see if their tumour has shrunk enough to operate, if there could be infectious people in the MRI waiting room)

Diversion over - covid amongst displaced people could be a concern. Immunisation rates in Ukraine (up to late Feb) show that just over a third have been vaccinated (most of those have had two doses). less than 2% have been boosted. I hope that, amongst the other channels of aid, there are donations of vaccine, and that aid agencies can provide extra vaccinators. I doubt that the main receiving countries would welcome a mini-wave of covid on top of the other pressures of dealing with the influx

What the Russians are doing to Mariupol is beyond despicable.

@BringBackCoffeeCreams have you seen an influx of Russian migrants like they have in Finland ?

@AgnesWestern

Lots of news back about covid again over the past few days I’ve noticed too…

Yes I noticed this at the start of the week Covid news was slowly creeping back in again. I know of a few people who have had / have it now.

I’m cautiously watching what happens with this next wave considering most people are behaving as though it’s gone away. A new variant with no mitigation’s could be quite something, particularly in the older age groups who haven’t been boosted for a while.

Just marking my place so i dont lose this thread whilst i go and catch up on the news.

Ive had the odd night where the worry of what might happen has kept me awake and im generally not an overly anxious person, i realised that those nights always happen when i havent watched the news and have only read it online which i think is because it always seems to be so sensationalised. Actually watching the NATO conferences and hearing it live really helps me to stay calm. I was the same with Covid, i watched every news conference, it was always amazing how as soon as the conference finished and switched back to the bbc studio the presenter would instantly twist something and id sit there thinking thats not what was said at all!

I tend to watch sky news, personally i find them less bias than the bbc

That’s one of my concerns about people housing refugees. Obviously it’s a really kind and honourable thing to do, but if there was a low vaxx uptake in Ukraine, surely it’s a recipe for disaster if they’re all mixing inside somebody’s home?

Re people not talking about it.

I was on the train the other day and the group across the aisle were casually talking about the possibility of nuclear war.

'You have to shave your hair off because radiation clings to it.' 'I can't see Putin dropping a nuke on Leicester.'

Placemark and morning all

Sorry hit post too soon…

Covid in the context of the Ukraine situation poses risks to those who are vulnerable and have no ways to isolate or maintain social distancing. It’s an added burden they do not want or need. A massive shift of people could also bring about a new variant. Yes we’re all over Covid but it’s potential to cause havoc still remains regardless.