to be terrified?

[Newkitty]

I've just read in The Times that the UK's economy is forecast to have the slowest recovery from covid of all developed nations. Brexit is on the horizon. Debenhams has just folded. Everything is absolutely terrifying, and this country is already on its knees - schools and hospitals are crumbling, millions of people rely on food banks. How much worse is it going to get?

How do you cope? I can't concentrate. Everything seems so pointless. What can we do? There's no amount of preparation that would make a difference. We don't have enough room to stockpile even if we had the cash to do it. We rely on systems working. I'm so, so scared.

One of the best things I've done recently is to stop watching/reading the news. The world is still shit but I'm not falling into an anxiety spiral over it. It might be crap for a few years but it'll get better again.

Give your own head a wobble MrsJamieFraser Scotland has the third highest deaths in Europe when taken on irs own, which is remarkable considering its small relatively isolated population.

The death toll from sending people home to care homes to infect others and the covering up of the conference early infections is almost culpable.

Or what about all the MSPs and political advisors who have broken the rules, from Covid Margeret, to the former Chief Epidemiologist with her second home in Fife, now replaced with that dentist with his visits to his second home on Skye? Meanwhile, let's ignore the world leading expert at Aberdeen University, Sir High Pennington, because he isn't an SNP member!

It's disappointing that some people will believe whatever they are told by politicians because they're scared to think with their own brains.

I shouldn't laugh, but so funny.👌

YANBU
Brexit, in the middle of a pandemic, without adequate infrastructure and with this gaslighting government, seems very sinister to me. I've also based a lot of my life on having Freedom of Movement, so I'm pretty angry about the whole thing.

I can't believe someone above said food banks are a good thing! They should not need to exist.

[quote HeyDW96]@Ohalrightthen to what? Lower your heart rate so much that you no longer have to live through this?[/quote]
Don't be ridiculous!

Yabu of course the country is going through tough times but the last thing we need during this uncertainty is a bunch of headless chickens running around panicking!!!!!
The country and its people have been through tough times before and got through it.
Resilience......... Worth its weight in hold!!!
Takes some a little while to get it, but it's the only way forward really, I can't think about the alternative.

We'll get through, NewKitty. We've had bad recessions before, so have other countries, and survived.

I think what you need to do @Newkitty is sit down and look at what off your list of catastrophes is actually affecting you now - have you / your OH lost their job , are you currently in need of a food bank ? If not then deal with those things when they arise . We’ve had recessions before , we will have them again .

Personally I think the economy will recover more quickly than currently predicted. It think once the vaccine starts to be rolled out and things open up people will be ready to "splurge" on stuff. If that doesn't happen then we'll have to ride it out.

The more people panic the worse things are overall so channel the worry into something productive if you can.

I don't worry about things I have no control over, there is no point.

Why worry about things you have zero control over? It just takes over your life. No one can predict how life is going to go, so just go with the flow, find pleasure in the little things and try enjoy your life the best you can taking it one day at a time. And also the news etc, there’re just scaremongering idiots.

I cope because what is affecting us as a family, for me, is bigger. DP has cancer, a cancer that is going to kill him and I have two foster babies who need me. What will be, will be as far as the rest of it is concerned.

*avoid the news that’s should say

Stop watching the news. Come off of social media. Go for a walk somewhere nice. Breathe.

How is panicking going to help? OP, you need to calm down. This country has been through far worse, it may not have been in your life time but think how things have changed since our grandparents were children? They didn’t have huge supermarkets with food from all over the world available to the, for not much money? We are lucky to have so much choice when it comes to food, clothes, electronics etc..., many years ago people cope with less choice, they made do with what was available to them.

I do suffer with anxiety, I do take beta blockers but I am not anxious about what is happening because I feel we will cope and we will help others to cope.

Take a breath and please talk to someone about your anxiety. I agree that the world is a bit crazy at the moment but also agree with others on focusing on the things you can change or control. Does Brexit/Covid/the demise of the high street affect your job or livelihood directly? I'm not saying that you don't need to worry if they don't but maybe start there then think what practical steps you can take to look after yourself financially and/or mentally? And personally, I do find it helps to read the news less - I still read it everyday but have deleted my apps/notifications so I'm not constantly bombarded with information. Take care!

Foodbanks are a positive sign .

Race you to the bottom everyone!

My Mum and my soul cat have died so for me everything else is just something to cope with, and in some ways It's easier for me for nothing can be worse than what I've gone through.
Sorry not much help to you and I do understand you feeling like this Please take care

It’s not a problem being worried and concerned - we all should be. But once it reaches a point you feel you could have a panic attack, do seek help.
In my experience the fear of something is often worse than the event actually happening. It never ceases to amaze him how humans can cope in the most awful situations. Imagine if someone told us a year ago what would happen with Covid this year, we would all have been gibbering wrecks about the death toll and lockdowns. Sometimes I despair about the deaths now almost becoming normalised, we should be concerned and angry. But we all need to emotionally survive.

I have no doubt Brexit will be absolute chaos. But we will cope as individuals. Because we have to.
If things start causing me despair I try to switch off from the news, and social media. I also control what I can in my life, try to focus on things that I am grateful for.

I write short stories, depending on my mood will depend on what sort they are. Not very good, certainly not for publishing or reading by anyone else, but it helps focus my mind on something else.

I also plan for the zombie apocalypse, because I figure if you are prepared for that, you are probably prepared for anything.

I also think the economy will bounce back. Those who have money will want to get out there and enjoy themselves again and things will gradually pick up again.
I think this may just give some people pause for thought about what is really important in life though. There's been over-spending on unnecessary tat and spurious 'needs' over the last decade and maybe some of the shops and services which have gone under won't be missed as much as people might think. Perhaps people will have discovered new hobbies in lockdown which mean that they won't feel the need to flock to shopping centres every weekend.
There could be some positives when we come out of it all - a new economic model which isn't simply capitalism and consumerism.

It really doesn't say much for the economy in the first place.

How do you cope? I can't concentrate. Everything seems so pointless. What can we do? There's no amount of preparation that would make a difference. We don't have enough room to stockpile even if we had the cash to do it. We rely on systems working. I'm so, so scared.

You are anxious. There are lots of people feeling very anxious about all this shite which is going on at the moment. The last thing you need is tips about stacking cans of soup in the bath because quite frankly that's feeding your anxiety and won't help.

A few things which have helped me in the past: getting out in the fresh air even if it's just for a 10 minute walk. Headspace app - teaches you the basics of meditation and how to live in the moment, i'm here, i'm grounded, that's all that matters right now. Delete ALL the news apps from your phone, especially ones like Sky and BBC which bombard you with notifications.

And if it gets really bad to the stage you can't sleep or aren't eating, please see your GP.

@bloodywhitecat I'm so sorry about your husband
@Clarich007 I'm so sorry about your Mum and your cat

Stop reading the media some newspapers ( are you reading this daily fail? ) are all doom and gloom plus printing conflicting stories and headlines on the same day .

Thank goodness they and SM were not around in the war . We would have never got through it .

Yes things are financially going to be tough , but not as tough as some other countries . With the vaccine and the new tests in development we could bounce back . We may be a bit insular for a while while other countries catch up with vaccines but we will survive .

Especially if we pull together . We are a divided country atm and I think that is the biggest threat .