... for those who are devastated about Brexit, how are you dealing with the fear and depression and anxiety?

[testytesting]

Has anyone got any strategies? I am genuinely not one for melodrama, but I am devastated, angry, terrified, depressed, and I feel so utterly helpless. Nothing in my lifetime has made me feel like this, and I just can't imagine feeling like this for the next two years and beyond. I can hardly bear to listen to the news, but I feel compelled to anyway. How are other remainers dealing with this, what are your coping strategies? And what, if anything, can we DO?

but everything I saw post the Dutch elections was that the PVV had made less gains than they anticipated which was reported as a failure for his party.

If you think that the dutch election was a resounding endorsement of the EU, then all I can say is that's interesting. The PVV, significantly more extreme than UKIP, got more than 15% of the vote, which is more than UKIP got in our last election. The only "victory" is that the PVV got less than expected, not that they got a small share of the vote. I'd say, like for UKIP, the population of eurosceptics greatly excedes support for PVV. In fact, in the last vote on a strictly EU matter, the dutch said no (bringing the Ukraine closer to the EU).

Chilipepper20 Interesting article here particularly

"The real story last week in the Netherlands was the historic collapse of the Dutch equivalent of the Labour party – one of the two pillars of the postwar consensus. The other story was the spectacular gains for two parties that are unashamedly pro-EU: the Democrats 66 and the Greens. So much for the collapse in support for the “broken, dying EU project” that the Daily Mail likes to talk about."

Rufus just to be factually clear it was Sostenueto who first raised the subject of children and grandchildren in her post at Tue 04-Apr-17 10:59:22. I've still no idea why.

Oh yes had they 'earned' their birth right

I though you earned it by being born...hence birth right

Found it

any right or privilege to which a person is entitled by birth :
Democracy maintains that freedom is a birthright.

Interesting article here particularly

I saw that article a long time ago. I am a guardian reader (to answer another poster who asked about where I get my news).

I think now what I thought when I first read it: an incredibly optimistic view of a bad result. Merely 14% (it was, if I recall, more than 15% in fact)? Merely? have you heard Wilders speak?

if I don't like the way things are going, I should get out.

Why are posters surprised Leavers are suggesting people leave the country? This is exactly what they wanted and what they voted for. I've heard loads of comments like this from leave voters, pushing people towards the door. People are going, and they are delighted about it.

I don't have any strategies and I'm still really depressed about the result of the referendum. I'm also really pissed off that govt have taken the result as an absolute instruction to not only start leave proceedings, but to make it clear that they're prepared to crash out of Europe without a trade deal if they don't get what they want. Talk about an own goal.

Four members of my family voted 'leave, and all are gleeful in their xenophobic delight and are harping on about 'controlling our borders'. Three of them are retired, so will be unaffected by the employment repercussions, the other has a low-skilled job that will be unaffected. None of them seem overly worried that my DH and DB could lose their jobs. I've tried not to let it affect my feelings towards them, but honestly I feel a huge amount of anger and resentment towards their them for their ignorance. They're all Daily Telegraph readers and refuse to read or even countenance an opposing view. After the vote when there was a public outpouring of grief and dismay from remainers my DM told me she thought we were all 'pathetic and should get over it'.

We don't know what will happen. Maybe it will be okay (faint hope ...), but I fear we're just isolating ourselves and making ourselves poorer for no good reason.

Why would you want to make life harder though Sostenueto that's just ridiculous . We didn't have automatic washing machines in the 1950's, shall we go back to hand washing and twin tubs just because we are all spoilt these days? Bizarre.

French

have you seen the requirements for a Schengen visa? If not, I suggest you go and look at them.

And that is not to work, as mine was back in the 90s (not that long ago), but for a short holiday.

Once you have read that, come back and tell everyone on this thread that it is easy.

And plenty of countries require you to apply for a visa in person. In fact, the UK does for some non-EU nationals. And some people in the UK have to apply in person for a US visa, they can't use the ESTA programme because eg they have a criminal record (which could be a very minor offence) or because they've been to a country the US does not like (eg Syria).

Please do some research before making offensive remarks about what century it is, as you are not very well informed.

But, here in good ole blighty we have some of the best universities in the world. So, why not opt to study in them

If you study a foreign language you have to spend a year overseas. For example, if you learn French, it's quite a good idea to spend a year speaking French in France.

Some universities overseas have particular specialisms.

And - get this - people like going overseas. They find it interesting and enriching and pretty boring to spend their whole life in one place.

It costs money to emigrate.
At least, even if you do it to an eu country with little more than the clothes on your back, you're still looking at needing a good 2k saved plus the cost of your flight.
Moving to another country can be as much is 35,000 bitter experience when you count international shipping costs, visa costs (my visa was almost 8kGBP alone) very few lower skilled workers and lower earners, for which we are not in short supply, will be able to magic up 2-35,000. The majority of the people we are losing will be higher earners, which generally speaking are skilled workers. Revenue lost via taxation and other avenues, the possible high expense and effort in replacing these people.
We're also losing some British citizens to this if I and my child are anything to go by. Born and bred welsh and I don't recognize my country anymore.

At least, even if you do it to an eu country with little more than the clothes on your back, you're still looking at needing a good 2k saved plus the cost of your flight.

I spent a couple of years in Paris when I was young, I had almost no money (well, maybe about £100) and managed to do this. I traveled there by bus, stayed with a friend for a bit, got a job collecting glasses in a nightclub, managed to raise a little bit of money to share a flat with some of the people I worked with. Later got a job as a painter and decorator then moved on to other low skilled jobs. I remember this time so fondly, they were some of the best I years of my life, without the EU somebody like me would never have had the chance to live abroad and I didn't need anything like 2k, I could never have raised that much anyway. Now, Leavers may come on and sneer, what a crappy life I must have if that was my best years, or that you don't want your children to go off and do something like that anyway, but don't pretend that without the EU I would have been able to have an experience like that because it is a lie, I couldn't.

Its pretty awful isnt it. Im trying to just got on with things but i think my DH is actually really depressed by it. Hes started not sleeping well which is so unusual for him.
I think its extra awful for him because his family are Leave voters whereas mine were in the majority remainers so i share the pain with them.
He has real difficulty interacting with his family now.
The problem is none of them have ever worked and they live on benefits (which i have no problem with, they are disabled and deserve those benefits) but they have been quite offensive about my family.
My family who despite now living abroad all did various public service jobs throughout their working lives in Britain.

Its just driven a real wedge between us all. Im trying not to be angry but it just seems like they voted Leave out of jealousy and malice!

I prefer clear analytical thought and reasoning. Others prefer jingoistic rhetoric nonsense
Imjusta - and you accuse springflowers of being aggressive?

have you seen the requirements for a Schengen visa? No but I know someone who is Indian and tried to get one for his son to go on a school trip. The son was unable to get one in time, and the dad is not one to leave things to the last minute.

My concern is the impact once we fail to get a decent deal, people are worse off who live on low incomes, and those who think migration will reduce quickly are disappointed.

but don't pretend that without the EU I would have been able to have an experience like that because it is a lie, I couldn't.

Well that's odd because plenty of students, artists etc did what you did before the EU ever existed, and two of my adult children have travelled, worked and lived in exactly the way you describe in the last year or so, in countries that aren't even in Europe, never mind in the EU.

Okay so they went with a bit more than 100 quid on them, but they were still gap year kids on a tight budget, picking up casual work where they could.

And plenty of countries require you to apply for a visa in person. In fact, the UK does for some non-EU nationals. And some people in the UK have to apply in person for a US visa, they can't use the ESTA programme because eg they have a criminal record (which could be a very minor offence) or because they've been to a country the US does not like (eg Syria).

Yes I know, but what does that have to do with what we are talking about in the context of leaving the EU? We aren't talking about what we require of other nationalities outside the EU before UK visas are issued, we are talking about what other countries require of us to be allowed there.

If there are grounds for concern and further investigation, such as the circumstances you mentioned, then visas won't be automatically granted for certain countries, the US being the most obvious example, but as a general rule visas for the vast majority of places are not especially difficult to obtain for British citizens, whether you have to appear in person at the embassy or not. And as I said, for visas to countries outside of the EU our membership of it is totally irrelevant.

How do you imagine things will change for British people travelling outside of Europe, when we are no longer in the EU? Do you think for visa purposes immigration officials in the USA or Thailand or South Africa or Iran even know or give much of a stuff about what federal clubs we do or don't belong to? A British passport is a British passport.

fakenamefornow
I did similar a few years ago for a year, and thoroughly enjoyed it. However, as you say, it does rely on you having friends or family to stay with or another kind of resource. without it you'll need a bit of ££ to get you going and sustain you until you settle somewhere and find some kind of work.
Not everyone has connections, but its a valid point nonetheless that I agree with and should've put in my original comment.

How are you dealing with the fear, depression and anxiety?

I am channelling into creative art - mainly interpretative dance, poetry and my own version of Mongolian throat singing.

Sometimes the only way I can cope is to do all three at once.

I'd like to see/hear that optional I love frankie and grace the tv show with lilly tomlin throat singing

Optional

Being mindful, I have just realised that doing Mongolian throat singing is (Trigger Warning) cultural appropriation by me (a member of a dominant and privileged group) exploiting the cultural heritage of an oppressed minority, therefore (Trigger Warning) RACIST.

I am going to no platform myself for being patriarchally exploitative and demeaning of the Mongolians.

From now on, I will stick to poetry and interpretative dance to help me cope with the waves of Brexit anguish and sorrow that are making it hard for me to function on most days.

I can't live, if living is without EU

I enjoy watching Euro fascists lose at elections after watching the shitstorm that is Brexit. I find that relaxing.

Relaxing you say? Check your privilege!!!

This thread is for people who are DEVASTATED, FEARFUL, ANGUISHED and TERRIFIED.

Take your relaxed attitude elsewhere (and I mean that respectfully).

I'll have you know that I haven't been able to BREATHE since Trigger Warning Article 50 was Trigger Warning triggered.

Yes..no longer having Junkers in my life has literally broken my heart.

Have you thought about getting active with one of the many local grass routes organisations? If you are in the London area then come and join the Vigil at Richmond Terrace (outside Downing Street) every Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening.

And watching Brexiteers defend prices, amongst other results of Brexit.